Spring flowers will soon be here.  (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

When my children were young, no matter how much I tried to convince them otherwise, their first sign of spring was the hot dog guy on the corner by Paul Smith’s College. Neither a round of robins nor a patch of spring bulbs replaces the idea that a guy selling meat from a metal cart alongside the road is indicative of an Adirondack spring.

While they can search for the hot dog guy, I’m dreaming of my summer garden. I’ve never had great success starting my own seedlings. I’m a distracted gardener at best. My justification for my thirsty, leggy seedlings is my overwhelming desire to support the local community. Please let me sit in my dream world without the emails instructing me on grow lights and other master gardener tips. For any other distracted gardeners, there are some wonderful places to purchase your garden needs. Currently, AdkAction.org (518-593-8753) is having its annual Pollinator Native Plant sale. Please preorder all plants for June pick-up. If you also aren’t inclined to start your own plants, here are a few local nurseries. Willy-Nilly Gardening, the Hhott House (518-891-4665) and Moody Tree Farm (518-891-2468) in Saranac Lake provide various nursery stock. East Branch Organics in Keene (518-576-9043) or Flowering Meadow in Jay (518-946-7828) provide landscaping and nursery needs. If you really feel ambitious, Nori’s, Green Goddess and the Hhot House sell seeds. Keep in mind the nurseries won’t be ready for your summer garden quite yet. It is nice to dream of the brief season bookmarked by the mud/black fly and winter-proofing seasons.

Since I’m on the topic of distracted, though some may call it lazy, gardening ways, my rambling thought process always leads me on my quest never to mow a lawn. I’m all about landscaping. Most of my yard is taken over with plants and walkways, with one section set aside for yard games. Let’s be clear. I will never use the lawnmower. It will sit with the other useless tools like the grill, firepit and chainsaw. It’s not that I can’t mow, but I will wade through a field before pushing a mower around the yard. It’s not that I don’t know how to operate any of the aforementioned tools. The use of them is just never a priority. Besides, I’m pretty sure delegating these tasks to my children builds character. I’m in support of making sure my children have fully developed characters.

I apologize for any thoughtlessness in regard to anyone without a lawn. I’ve lived in plenty of apartments where my green space consisted of a struggling spider plant and container gardens. Happy spring! I hope the only fever you have right now is spring fever.