“When you plant something, you invest in a beautiful future amidst a stressful, chaotic and, at times, downright appalling world.”
— Monty Don, host of ‘Gardener’s World’ on the BBC
In the past three days, we hit a high temperature of 80 degrees, followed two days later by a couple inches of snow. So it goes in the Chicago area when March and April come around. Also like clockwork, the sandhill cranes have been passing by in huge numbers. They’re always a harbinger of spring, and the beginning of the garden season.
We’ve had a handful of days over 50 degrees, and I’ve been outside on every one, trying to get ahead now before the inevitable pile-on of garden chores gets beyond my ability and free time to handle them. Right now, despite the occasional snows and the fact that nothing seems like it’s doing much, is the crucial time of year for me to get into the garden, to take care of the invasive buckthorn and poison ivy while I can still don a suit of armor (or its equivalent, many layers of worn-out-and-ready-to-retire sweatshirts, pants, socks, gloves, etc.).
Last year, I was unwell at this important time, and the garden got away from me. It’s got me thinking of how much of our productive life, whether in the garden, in the home, at work, creatively, or otherwise, hinges on these critical times. Times when, if we don’t (or can’t) stay on top of things, we just have to give up until the next crucial time comes along (and cross our fingers for good health and plenty of energy when it comes around again).
Around here, the swelling of the garden season’s to-do list is accompanied by the growing list of work to-dos as the Industry Report results come in, and I get planning for the summer and fall issues of the magazine. I’d imagine that many of you also experience growing to-do lists in the springtime as you plan for summer programming, the swim season, increased visitorship, and more.
Whenever your critical time arrives in the calendar year, I hope you have plenty of energy and enthusiasm for the tasks on your list! Me? I’ll be back and forth between crunching the numbers here at my desk, and whittling down (not literally, thank goodness) the stick pile, mulching the garden beds, and beating back the never-ending onslaught of English Ivy and Virginia Creeper.
Happy Spring!
Emily Tipping
Editorial Director,
Recreation Management
[email protected]
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