Memorial Day Weekend

We went away for the holiday weekend. It felt strange to be in the car after 10 weeks of staying home, seeing no one. We drove to Denver to see my son. We saw nobody else the whole time, ate our packed lunch on the road in our car, and only got out, masked, for gas and bathrooms. When we got to his house we stayed in.

Our sunny Saturday turned cloudy and then it rained on Sunday, but that was perfect for the new plants we put in his small garden. He had asked me to come up to help him plant some more things in the yard and I had so much fun working with him on his projects. He had a ball too. He has really gotten into making a beautiful oasis at his bachelor urban homestead, and it's starting to look great. He's pleased with it.

Normally I would have flown to Denver and taken the light rail right to his house in the city. But with the pandemic, this time Jim came and we drove up. It's an easy drive from Santa Fe but long.

There was no nice dinner out at a trendy Denver restaurant to treat him, no brunch, no going anywhere this time. We ordered contactless delivery for dinners in, and had wine sitting on lawn chairs under cloudy skies in his beautiful back yard garden, just the three of us.

I don't think it was a big risk for our health, but then again, who knows. He has kept social distance, but he has been going to work (where the small office staff stays apart, but still.) As states open up we all have to judge what we can tolerate for interactions. This seemed careful enough. I hope.

Just before we left Santa Fe on our trip, my young 'Bartzella' Itoh peony opened its yellow blooms.

It is the first year it has flowered, and with enough water (I water it a lot) and enough fertilizer (everything here needs extra oomph), it should turn into a spectacular showy plant in future years if I can keep the leaves from scorching in summer. This holds real promise.

It's my constant joy to watch my developing gardens come in, and I have the added pleasure too of periodically going to Denver to help another new garden take shape.