The April SAPS meeting has been cancelled.
We hope the speaker can be rescheduled in the future.

UNCERTAIN TIMES

Social distancing affects us all with cancellations of events that some have looked forward to for a year, shortages of items that we take for granted, the disruption of schedules and appointments. We have concerns about loved ones and anxieties about safety.

In the midst of this, we have Spring with its infinite and changing beauty. People who are connected to nature know that there are cycles of life and they aren’t all exactly the way we would like them. There’s nothing like watching two solid weeks of rain or a couple of months (or years) of drought to show us that we are not in control. There is also nothing like seeing our trees in bloom and bulbs popping up their heads with sudden flowers to help us realize that the wonders of nature are an ongoing joy and blessing.

This issue of The Wheelbarrow has information about events and cancella- tions. However it also includes some items that I hope are interesting and informative.

Gardening for Wellness While Homebound

Used by permission of American Horticultural Society

The past few weeks have been challenging for many of us as we’ve been forced to change our daily routines and remain largely homebound. Despite the uprooting of our lives, plants continue to flourish around us, showing off their springtime blossoms and reminding us that planting season has ar- rived–or is coming soon– in many parts of the country.

Tending to plants and creating gardens or pollinator patches are some of the most healing and healthy ways to get through our homebound days. Here are some things you can do in the coming days and weeks:
Learn from experts by watching free Good Gardening Videos, which have been curated for accuracy and quality

• Get questions answered about plants and gardening specific to your geographic area by contacting the Master Gardeners program in your state. Note that there may be a delayed response, depending on their current work situation.

• Learn about some of the best plants for supporting our critical pollinator population by reading related articles from AHS’s The American Gar- dener.

• Consider ordering seeds for butterfly and/or hummingbird gardens via Renee’s Seeds, which donates part of its sales back to the nonprofit American Horticultural Society.

• Clear invasive plants from your yard and learn what native plants are best for your area by contacting your state’s native plant society.