Let’s Be Pansies

A funny thing happened on the way to missing a week of posting every now and again. I’ve been getting more random follows and likes of previous posts. Who knows why? There are these things called dashboards WordPress likes to tell me are important for finding out why, but I think that ruins the mystery. For whatever reason you are finding, reading, and following, I thank you — new followers and those who have been around a while.

Truth is, I’m dog, bone, dead tired of this pandemic. I would like my job to return to its pre-pandemic craziness because it allows for more brain cells to entertain you here. How quaint that seems now! I don’t want to write and edit any more about monoclonal antibody therapy, virtual visit regulations for out-of-state patients, patient talking points for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, and which COVID tests are appropriate for pre-procedure testing. One of my last remaining joys is working myself into a good pity party, and I had a pretty decent one going. Then a friend reminded me about pansies.

I’d been focused on the summer begonias I’d rooted and brought indoors for the winter. They’d been glorious during the summer, and I couldn’t bear to let them go. I did my best by them, and now I’ve got 2 with leaf rot. Why the hell are some plants so high maintenance, needy even? To be fair, Betty and Wilma (as I’d named them) flowered all winter which brought me much joy. Betty and the third plant I never got around to naming are going down in leaf rot. Wilma seems to be OK, so fingers crossed. When I looked up “leaf rot” and what to do, it talked about a bacteria and I should cut off the leaves with sterilized scissors. What is this, a damn hospital OR? What bacteria could possibly have gotten onto my scissors from cutting paper and slicing open packages? I’m sorry, Betty and Wilma, but you are ridiculous and, may I add, vain and needy. Maybe a year from now, I’ll have energy for your pretty, pouty nonsense.

But pansies. I confess I’d forgotten about them. I’d been waiting for May 31 to get Wilma back in the outdoor window box, but my friend reminded me pansies can go out now. Strong, sturdy, beautiful, colorful pansies can bring hope on my deck now. The trick to gardening, like dating it seems, is to keep all your options open, and when one plant/person disappoints you, move on to the next one until you find the keeper.

So welcome back pansies! I missed you. We’re going to be great together.

And yes, there is also lettuce in there, which I’ve never grown, but am told it likes the cold. All I care about is that it’s something early and green I can plant. When it comes to plants and dating, I’m a hopeless romantic.