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Tuesday 7 April 2015

The Evil that is Easter

They're tricksy things, holidays. They give you Ideas. There's the Easter break, for example, which always contains at least one day of unrepeatable weather, allowing you to get out into the garden or hang the laundry up or go for a (ten-minute) walk in the woods. This Easter I've taken a couple of days annual leave either side of Good Friday and Easter Monday, and they've been a big mistake.

Having extra hours turns you into a different person. New possibilities start to settle into the spaces that are usually filled with work and driving and making sure everything gets done on time. But it's false hope, of course. False hope that caused me to order a tonne of packets of seeds for my veg patch; false hope that spurred me on as I raked lumps of moss out of the lawn; false hope that's convincing me that I can eat a salad a day - complete with edible flowers - from my abundant garden which blesses me with constant colour and health.

Deep in my heart, I know the proper truth. It's going to tip it down all summer, the veg garden will either fail to germinate or will become covered in cat poo and little grey flies and weeds, and I won't have the time to get out in the garden because every day isn't a Bank Holiday, it's full of work and stuff and other stuff, and I honestly believe that it's actually cruel to give us a few days off at Easter just to give us a glimpse of what life could really be like.


On the radio the other day, Chris Evans said we should treat each new day like a new little life. But when handed several luxurious days in which to do just that, I find that by far the most satisfying thing to do is to start planning and preparing for another, future life that seems even more luxurious, full of time and sun and edible flowers. An Easter holiday, a few Spring buds and fluffy clouds, and once again I'm a sucker for a happy Summer ending.

8 comments:

  1. can I come and eat some of your flowery salads if they grow, I may have eaten too much chocolate over Easter, rather than doing anything productive like gardening, and still feel a bit queasy..........

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  2. Don't we all hanker for a happy summer ending? Loved this post! Stay hopeful!!

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  3. I have wild mood swings at this time of year - sometimes it's all going to be wonderful, sometimes it's all far too much and I can't cope. Piles of seeds here waiting to be planted. I put in some root veg seeds yesterday. This morning I woke up to the certain knowledge that as I hadn't prepared the ground properly they will of course be unable to push their roots down and develop. So a complete waste of time and effort. No doubt something will succeed though. Usually courgettes. CJ xx

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  4. My garden is full of ground elder. It leers at me in a sinister green way. Apparently I can eat it, as the Roman's did but it is a laxative. Hacking at it is like painting the Forth Bridge. It is the magic porridge pot of weeds. It is an utter barstool and is strangling my roses. Don't get me started on the burdock. Oh look! I thought. A structurally interesting weed! I let it stay. The SPIKEY SEEDS of this thing. They penetrate jeans to impale even the most enthusiastic gardener's unfortunate leg. They got in my hair. They turned the dog into a sulky sort of hedgehog. FIE to natural gardening.

    I may dig the whole bloody lot out and make one of those Japanese gravel gardens with one maple, a koi carp and a little rake for making patterns.

    I keep hoping for happy endings. I did find some violets and cow parsley though. .

    Sow your veg. Keep on going. It's all we can do

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  5. Last summer was good, perhaps it will be similar this year?

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  6. You've captured, perfectly, the whole point of Easter. To deal with this utter pointlessness of things, and then to make all the difference.

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  7. gosh Penny... are we feeling a little blah? Gardening is HUGELY overrated. Same as camping. don't get me started on the whole glamping thing either.

    Chill out. Get inside and read a book!

    :)

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  8. Oh don't mention the ground elder, or the other weeds that seem determined to steal back my veggie patch - wish I could get on top of things at least I didn't feel I haven't even got off to a good start

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