Thanks, Sheila: I'm pulling for you, too.

It's a pity we can't see each other's gardens in person and understand exactly what the other is talking about. Conditions from one garden to the next are so unique, and so hard to describe, that it's difficult to make comparisons, and so learn.

You're experiencing drought? The atmospheric rivers down in California haven't gotten up to your area? (That may be a stupid thing to say. I haven't been following the weather on the west coast closely: it just sounds like an amazing amount of water. I'm sorry if your area hasn't profited from it.)

I was surprised that Sheila is having a drought problem too, Melissa. I looked it up, and Medford, OR, which is close to where Sheila is, got only 9 inches of rain since Oct 1, 2022, which they say is about 30% below average. Wow - here in Northern CA (SF Bay area) we have gotten 42 inches of rain since Oct 1, 2022 - WAY above normal. All I can think of is that the "atmospheric rivers" coming across the Pacific Ocean all hit the North American coast more Southerly than they do some seasons, and left the North Western US Coast dryer than usual, while dumping tons of water all over all of California, including Southern California, which is not used to it at all.

When we had our latest horrible 3 year drought (which ended this winter, obviously), it was not because there were no storms coming across the Pacific - it was because all of them went way North and hit the North West, while missing California mostly altogether.

Jackie

It sounds like a gorgeous spring happening at your garden, Melissa. Wish we could see it! I'm so glad that things are blooming and growing beautifully despite the drought. As for COVID, I sympathize. I caught it what seems like ages ago and continued to experience serious fatigue for a few months and brain fog many, many months afterwards. It seems neverending, and it's really annoying, to say the least, so I'm hoping you feel truly better soon.

Hello, Jackie! Modified congratulations on your excessive rain, but at least you're not in drought for the time being.

Mischievous Magpie, it IS annoying and discouraging, and if you're still experiencing symptoms, I hope you return soon to full health. I'm feeling quite optimistic at the moment, because yesterday, for the first time since I fell ill since the beginning of the year, I had a full day of activity! And I even felt good afterward! I moved slowly, but I kept on moving. So, it does get better. Best wishes to you, and to all, for a beautiful spring.

Best spring wishes to you too Melissa! I always make time to read your posts. I love how you write both lyrically and factually -- you are an artist with words!

Hmm...reading these comments about post-covid lingering effects makes me wonder if I haven't been experiencing something similar. But I couldn't ever be sure if my feeling that I lack energy is due to a post-covid sindrome, or to the stress of keeping up with follow-up, or the fact that I just work so dam' hard (I'm a obsessive-compulsive type, and can't seem to be able to stop when I'm tired, but just push on),or simply the fact that, like everyone else, I get older as I go on!

Best wishes to all.

Hello, bart! I've been wondering how you were doing. Tired, as so many of us are, from what I hear (including me: the tiredness returned after my good day). How's your garden doing?

I was wondering how your weather has been? Northern Italy is very dry, as you've doubtless heard, yet locally, for the moment, we're not doing too badly. It's dry, but not horribly dry. Still, there's still the spring and summer to come. We had the high good fortune of a centimeter of rain a few days ago, enough to water the garden.

Hi, Melissa. We just got back from a 2-week vacation to Spain-a MUCH NEEDED vacation. I've never been to Spain but have always wanted to go, so I'm doing pretty well. The weather's been nice-I dare not say more; unfortunately I'm superstious. I went out to my garden yesterday and put down fertilizer-better late than never, lol...

Hey, bart, good to hear from you, and congratulations on your vacation! It sounds lovely, and restorative. Good luck with your garden, and best wishes for the continuance of favorable weather.

The rain was a blessing here and I keep hoping for rain to come to your garden. I collected over 300 gallons of rainwater for my orchids. The rain also brought a zillion weeds and plenty of rust and blackspot to older leaves. I could not get them all cut off this year. The big multipetaled roses rotted or balled up in the wet. Not lamenting it. Just trim them off and better luck next year. Reading about RRD and gophers and voles makes me grateful. I'm happy the rain cleared away the salts and now the plants want to be fed. Lemons are in full bloom. Camellias and azaleas that I put under the eaves are happy they get me watering with rainwater but they didnt get soaked or blown about by the winds.

The jacaranda is busy filling up the gutters and covering the roof so that is a continuing project. I dont get grumpy about it and all that drop goes on the compost pile. That tree has to put up with smog and summer heat. Glad to see it getting rainbaths and waving in a blue cloudy sky. Been my friend for over 50 years. She shades my camellias and ferns. She gives the hummingbirds joy. Like a giant fern in the sky with her awesome blue purple flowers, shes a delight to be around.

Daffodils did well here. Dutch iris lasted longer than usual and the flowers were large with saturated colors. Sweetpeas are everywhere. They sowed themselves and I put up bamboo teepees for them wherever they appeared. The hills are green and mustard glows on them. poppies and lupines are here and there outside the city on the hillsides.

All winter I made charcoal for the garden. Big piles of glossy black charcoal. I heard that it holds the nutrients from the mulch and compost near the roots and is a slow release afterwards. My neighbor sold his home and gifted me a great quantity of dried wood so I turned it all to charcoal for the plants. Speaking of fire, I went to Big Basin earlier this year to see what remained of that paradise. The new green growth on the redwoods is a miracle. How they could survive that inferno! Even plants on the ground coming back. Of course I miss the old woods and the cool shady dense environment. Now its fuzzy green poles in a sun filled park. But they did not perish.

I hope your plants can live, hang on long enough until the rains come again. Just a little longer.....

Wow, kitty, you sure know how to do happiness. What a beautiful post! I'm glad your garden is the place of wonders it is.

Here, though still dry as ever, yesterday was almost supernaturally lovely. A clear blue sky, with great dignified clouds rolling across it, like ships, in the afternoon; the first new leaves on the willows; the saturated yellow of forsythia and mahonia, the latter thrumming with bees, and so much more. What a blessed world we live in, despite all.