I can’t believe the month of March is already upon us. We are now 1/6 of the way through the journey that is 2017. A relatively painless trip so far, apart from having to turn back home in January after Karen had inadvertently left the immersion on.
As the cliché goes ‘Time flies’……. Except on a Bank Holiday, when the French air traffic controllers are normally on strike.
Ah March….. A time of regeneration; the spring warm up act that whet’s our appetite for the summer main show. Always a welcome guest with it’s ascending temperatures, the lawn emerging from its dormancy and the kaleidoscopic splendour of freshly sprouting bulbs.
The month that sees the commencement of productive ventures dans le jardin de Strachan. Shortly I’ll be able to cut back the remnants of last years sedum plants, feed the newly flowering primulas and have a one sided conversation about my horticultural aspirations with the potted rhododendron.
As well as tending to my plants, I’m heartened that shortly I’ll be able to give my grass some much needed ‘me time’. To clarify, I’m not alluding to the type of Californian grass The Beatles claim Jo Jo left his home in Tuscon, Arizona for. I refer to that of the lawn persuasion.
At the moment, my eye is constantly drawn to a blue clothes peg on my back lawn, close to where our washing line is generally situated. I’m not sure why I added that the peg was blue in colour as it adds nothing to the tale. After all, if it had been red I wouldn’t feel any lesser urge to shift it.
The issue is that the discarded pegs presence has triggered an OCD event in yours truly. My fingers are twitching at the sight of the aesthetics of the grass being ruined by this plastic fastener……. Get back, Jo Jo!
Despite all of my talk of March’s increasing temperatures, renewal and regeneration, I have to say it doesn’t feel any warmer today.
This is perfectly highlighted by a solitary flowering daffodil in my front border, its leaves wrapped around it’s stem as if to keep out the cold. In hindsight the daff will no doubt wish he’d followed his family lead of not blooming too early. It has a strong constitution, though, and I’ve no doubt it will come through this a better bulb.
It’s now shortly before midday on the inaugural day of March 2017. I’m currently sat looking through my rear bay window, gawping at the blue peg on the lawn, seeking inspiration and pondering whether to put the heating on as I’m on the chilly side.
I begrudge putting the central heating on between March and October. My erratic mind naively forms the opinion that in spring, summer and early autumn it should be warm enough to negate the requirement for heating.
Come on Theoi Meteori, Greek weather gods under the command of Zeus and Hera, give us a break.
We aren’t being greedy, all we ask is a UK climate that allows respite from central heating use between March until October…….. What’s that? Since a re-organisation you’re only in charge of the eastern European weather. For UK weather queries I need to contact the Roman weather gods, who administer western European meteorology.
Thanks for your assistance Theoi Meteori. I’m not overly pleased about queueing for fifteen minutes or having to listen to the Morrissey ‘on hold music’, nevertheless I follow your advice and I’ll direct my request to the Roman gods…… You don’t know their service support teams email address, do you?
