Yes….I have poison ivy in my garden. Woe is me. This morning I rose and donned clothing that I wouldn’t mind throwing away: long socks, long pants, a long-sleeved mock turtleneck, and an old bandanna. I carried another bandanna with me to cover the lower half of my face, in case the ivy juice became airborne as I pulled out the roots. I wore two pairs of latex gloves.
At first I thought this was going to be easy. I should have known better. The root making its way across the ground was roughly half the diameter of my little finger. I should have watered before I weeded. I might possibly have gotten ALL of the root that way. As it it, I think I left some small suckers. The poison ivy had twined itself around and through a pod of Dutch Iris that I’ve been meaning to replant.
I got most of the root, except any that grew through the roots of the iris. After they’ve bloomed, I’ll dig up the iris and re-plant them, checking for poison ivy roots as I separate them. For some time to come, I’ll have to be careful when kneeling and planting and cleaning up in that area. The irritant (urushiol) from the poison ivy is likely to taint the ground and plants for some time. Luckily, I’ve gotten into the habit of wearing gloves when I work in the gardens, but I’ll still need to be careful.
I had a great morning. I got two thirds of the outer bed at the front of the house cleared out of old plants. I was able to see what made it through the winter and what needs to be replaced. The Russian sage is coming back nicely, and I pruned away the dead wood. The two French lavenders didn’t make it, but I was surprised to see that there were starts of Homestead Purple Verbena, which is usually an annual in this area.
I hope to do a little early morning gardening before we go to brunch for Mother’s Day. And, there may be time in the afternoon, too. It’s time to put plants into the ground! YEA!!!
Daily Archives: May 12, 2007
Concert Expectations
In the entry below, you’ll find that Dear Husband and I attended a recent concert by Itzhak Perlman, and were surprised by some of the audience behavior. I was talking about this experience with the Red Hat Ladies at lunch today, and discovered that behavior at a classical concert is not universally known.
When I described the faux pas of applause following the first movement, one of the ladies asked if the custom of waiting until the end of the piece was posted in the program. I don’t know. Because of my background, I’ve just assumed that everyone knew that tradition. Posting the guidelines in the program is not a bad idea!
On WGN720 this morning, John Williams was talking with his audience about the same subject. A grade school band director called in to say that not only did they need to teach their students about proper concert behavior, they also needed to teach the audience. Society has become SO casual, that we all act as though we are at home in front of our own TV and can do whatever we please, when there are actually guidelines for concert goers.
I tried to think what I would tell a first-time concert goer. I suppose the most important thing is that you don’t do anything which would either distract the performer, or bother the audience around you.
1. Specifically, NO TALKING (OR SINGING) during the performance.
2. Turn off your cell phone, or turn it to “vibrate” for the duration of the concert. (Personally, I’d make you turn it in at the door!).
3. Remain seated, unless you are deathly ill. DO NOT walk up the aisle during the performance.
4. Be in your seat BEFORE the performance begins, or be prepared to have to wait to be seated between the selections, or at intermission.
5. At a concert of “classical” music, wait to applaud until the entire piece is finished. The program will list how many movements there are to a piece. If you’re not sure that the piece is over, let the rest of the audience or the actions of the performer(s) guide you.
Perhaps there are other suggestions that I could make, but these seem to be the most basic. Having courtesy and consideration for the performer and for the audience just about covers it all.