Dear Sunday Letter readers,

This is the time of year I fall behind in my writing and reading because I spend the bulk of my waking hours working in the garden. Nurseries lure me in with fuchsia blooms and bright green foliage. Warm weather entices me, tries to make me believe things that aren’t true.

I know better.

I’ve held off on planting seeds and buying most flowers because a late cold snap always arrives just when our corner of the world is stretching awake. There are plenty of other things that keep me busy. I’ve been dividing lilies and coneflowers, and moving them to other places. I’ve been weeding and weeding and weeding.  Removing deadwood from trees and shaping up ornamentals is fun for me. And John has built a trellis, laid gravel—well, he does the heaviest lifting.

Next Tuesday, our forecasted low is a rude 27.

The good news: by the mere passing of days, we are nearing the tail-end of cold weather until fall. For real.

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