Go Figure...

I went to the nursery yesterday ~ the non-gardeners’ variety at one of those big “Depot” home stores. If I was a real gardener, I’d have been at Capitol Nursery or Talini’s, or a similar one: in other words, a “real” nursery where people know what they’re talking about. But I was on a mission to get all things done all in one place and all at one time, because I have so little time to take care of this huge yard of mine. I was examining all the bags of lawn seed to fill in the empty spots, which probably total an acre or so (well, it seems like an acre when I’m raking and mowing!) when some blessed woman approached – another customer - and said, “Not yet.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not yet. It’s too early to plant seed. The ground’s too cold. Wait a month or so and you’ll see much better results.”

Even at my age, she could tell a novice when she saw one and knew I needed her unsolicited advice. I was grateful.

I was about to check out at the gardening register, after resigning myself to “chemical warfare” on all the weeds after the rains (aka” Round-up”) when I noticed all the vegetable plants lined up where you couldn’t miss them. I said to the clerk, “Isn’t it a bit early to plant tomatoes?”

“I would certainly think so!”

Me: “That’s what I thought.”

“Ready?”

Me: “Yep.”

“My dad plants tomatoes around this time,” he mentioned as he was ringing me up. “I think it’s too early, though. That’s what everyone says.”

Me: “Well, does he do it every year?”

“Yep.”

Me: “And how’s that working for him?”

“You wouldn’t believe how many he gets! And are they ever delicious!”

Me: “Hmmmmmmmmmm, and yet you think it’s too early to buy one of these?”

“Yep, that’s what they say.”

Go figure…