Park in Bloom

Yesterday was Planting Time at IB. Late morning half a dozen of us assembled on the beach with the huge bunch of plants we'd bought the day previous, and plant we did!

I intended to take my camera and get pictures of the crew in action, but left it at home and didn't take time to go back to get it. They are no substitute for pictures of the "crew", but I will put in some pictures of the containers full of flowers later. This gorgeous tulip is growing right next door.

I won't even begin to guess how many plants were put into containers, but we started at the beach, did one on a corner, and then broke for lunch at Timmy's.

Once back we moved up to the front end of the Park, and filled containers around the office and in the garden next to the office, where an old rowboat holds a cargo of flowers each year. Very pretty it is too.

Gardens are popping up all over the Park. People have planted loads of flowers, in pots, the ground and in hanging baskets. In the Community Garden things are popping out of the ground. There are radishes, carrots, kohlrabis, peas, cabbages and some marigolds in Ruth's garden. I have tomatoes in a container. Others will soon be filling their containers and planting. After a day or two of rest I will be planting as well.

Today is warm but overcast, which is probably good for all the plants we transplanted yesterday. They need a day to get accustomed to their new homes and bright sunshine.

It was a long weekend and the Park was busy with visitors. I love seeing the many kids riding up and down on their bikes, trikes and scooters, under the watchful eye of dozens of adults. I love hearing people laugh and enjoy themselves as they visit, cook a meal or play with their children.

From now until school vacation there will be a rhythm as families arrive on Friday evenings and leave Sunday afternoons. The Park is quieter during the week, and there may not be more than a few campers, though the RV lane is almost always full. Once summer vacation starts it will be wall to wall campers, and the pleasure of sitting outside late into the evening watching bats dip through the pools of light from the street lamps. They are a welcome sight, as each eats its weight in bugs every night.

Ahhh, summer approaches...