Page 35 2026 Spring Home and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS April 2026 will never dim. So, pots will exhibit life like vegetation to such a beauteous magnitude that neighbors won’t even question their authenticity. I’ve already raked up 10 bags of sticks, leaves, and such. Those dang bags are going to be the death of me. They are about as tall as I am. One must crawl inside them to open. It equates to putting on a duvet cover. After getting the darn bag unfolded, it promptly falls on its side. Trying to get a rake full of dead, dry leaves into it is next to impossible. It. Is. Frustrating. It was a windy winter, scattering small branches around my yard. I decided to break up the sticks and put them in the bottom of the bag to anchor it so the wind wouldn’t blow it over. I promptly poked 14 holes in the bag with said sticks. We have two…yes, two…. of the inserts that you put inside these lawn debris bags to steady them. Mac would gallantly flap the huge paper bag with one hand, put in the plastic inset with the other hand and promptly let a hearty Tah! Dah! I cannot do that. He worked with me multiple times to show me the trick to it. Neighbors have tried to instruct me. It is impossible for me to manage. I don’t know if I’m too short and the bag too big or if I’m just inept. I hate inanimate objects intimidating me…..or in this case….one upping me. I wept in vexation at the thought of never being able to handle this situation. I feared crawling in the bag and not being able to get out until the neighbors saw a floundering city bag groveling around the McQueen yard. What if the refuse truck picked me up and ground me up like I watched on “NCIS”? It’s the stuff of nightmares. For now…. until someone…. will it be you?…. advises me of something better; I’m using brown paper bags from the grocery store. They are manageable for me. I will dump them inside the bag …. voila!... they will disintegrate with the evil, unconquerable city bag. Landscaper, William Kent, “A garden is to be a world unto itself, it had better make room for the darker shades of feeling as well as the sunny ones.” How true that is! I love the bright, primary colors that radiate and make one smile. But deep dark colors speak to my soul and soothe my heart where the colors leave off. I let my mood of the day decide what parts of my flower garden will be contemplative and pensive and which parts will be bright and cheerful to satisfy my moods as they befall me this summer. “When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there’s always the garden.” Poet, Minnie Aumonier. I truly don’t know what more therapeutic, the planting…the weeding….or the joy and pride of gazing upon the ultimate finale of the blooming garden. I’m thinking it is the combination thereof that brings peace and happiness to me. “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Marcus Tullius Cicero L. Maxine McQueen may be contacted at maxmac.1@juno.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzExODA=