Mild weather prevailed for the latter part of April and into May, bringing more signs of spring. Bruce Fernald reported that barnacles were starting to show up on his lobster buoys as early as the 20th of April; almost a month sooner than last year. Fishermen are seeing geese, shags and coots on their way north, but migrating songbirds are few compared to sightings in the fall. Perhaps the prevailing easterly winds cause them to take an overland route in the spring. Tree pollen has been visible on the water, and Rick Alley has noticed a big increase in the number of minnows in the marsh ponds. In addition to great blue herons, Rick has spotted a snowy egret, a great egret and a Louisiana heron in the marsh.
Students at the Islesford School have been studying colonial America. The younger classes invited people to participate in a colonial day where they had demonstrations of cooking, soap making, candle making, spinning, gardening and games. The hard work of the teachers and their students resulted in a fun, informative and interactive program for the community. The older students took a two-day trip to Boston where they visited Plymouth Plantation, the Jenny Gristmill and a replica of the Mayflower. Rain ended their plans for a walk on the Freedom Trail, so they spent a day at the Boston Science Museum. In the evening they all dressed up to attend a Boston Symphony concert.
Steve Philbrook organized a beach cleaning effort among island fishermen and families. With the help of trucks and three-wheelers, different groups collected old rope, plastic, metal and wrecked lobster traps from the back beach between Maypole Point and the old Coast Guard station. Another group gathered trash from the areas around the docks. In all, the two hour effort yielded half a dumpster of trash and a very large pile of ruined wire traps. When the bricks are removed and the traps flattened, they will fill another whole dumpster.
The mild weather enticed many of us to get our island gardens ready. Steve Philbrook told me that he and Amy planted peas and lettuce in early April when they noticed all the frost was out of the ground. Now, in mid-May, their peas are two inches high, their lettuce is doing well and their potatoes are up. Lil Alley planted peas, beets, spinach and chard around the seventh of May; the earliest she has planted in quite a few years. She usually waits to plant until after the full moon in May.
Our postmaster, Joy Sprague, does not have her own garden, but as a child she lived across the street from one of the best gardeners on the island. Emerson Ham had a number of ways for fertilizing his garden. When Joy and her sister, Juanita, were growing up, he would take them with him on trips to a marshy area near the sand beach. There he filled large metal tubs with swampy soil to place on his garden in the spring. He would also stake Juanita’s pony, Lightning, in different areas of the yard and garden to munch on the weeds and tall grass. In the fall, Emerson would fill tubs with seaweed and water, allowing the mixture to ferment into a rich plant food over the winter.
Curious to find out how the moon could affect gardening success, I looked on the Internet and learned: “Just as the moon pulls the tides in the oceans, it also pulls upon the subtle bodies of water, causing moisture to rise in the earth, which encourages germination and growth.” Apparently seeds absorb the most water at the time of the full moon. Since the full “flower moon,” on the 13th we have had more than enough water to absorb, though we have been spared the torrential rainfalls experienced by the southern part of the state. How do gardeners know when it is safe to plant? I think the answer comes from experience, common sense, folklore and a bit of luck. I planted my seeds “when the leaves on the birch trees were as big as a mouse’s ear.” My fingers are crossed that I chose the right time to plant. Another piece of folklore from the Web; “If you can sit on the ground with your trousers down, it’s safe to sow your seeds.” I relayed this one to Lil Alley and she laughed and agreed that it just might work.
Islesford, May 17, 2006