by Michael Hofferber. Copyright © 1996. All rights reserved.
Fastened to our refrigerator door with a cow-shaped magnet is a fading piece of print clipped from some newspaper or almanac long ago. The clipping has outlived at least three refrigerators and survived several moves, traveling with us like some heirloom we dare not misplace.
Though curled at the edges and smeared a bit, the words are still legible:
"When the first leaves of the lilac appear... plant peas, potatoes, lettuce, radishes and the like."When the first lilac blossoms appear... plant beets, carrots, kohlrabi and other cole crops.
"When lilac blossoms reach full bloom... plant beans, corn, cucumbers and squashes.
"When the lilac blossoms fade and fall... the danger of frost is probably past and it's time to set out tomatoes, peppers and other warm-weather crops."
Continued at... No Mere Coincidence
Michael HofferberRural Delivery
Artwork: Blossom in Lilac by Gail Mckenzie
