Raspberry Standing: Hopeful.

 

photo Marrisa Senteno

 

 

photo Marrisa Senteno

This Raspberry Bush was planted much too early but is muscling its way through this ridiculous New York City Spring fake-out. Already it has seen about 4 inches of snow. Our first trip to Home Depot, we began debating the relevance of actual-intended garden planters. Marrisa and I stood brainstorming what containers we might recycle from home, having coraled the restless boys in massive stacks of plastic bins when I had a revelation that there were several large water jugs just sitting on my balcony (also known as emergency zombie apocalypse water) that might make perfect pots. My husband had lovingly rented a water cooler during my pregnancy when I could not stomach tap water. The order came with 3 large water bottles a month. After Sam's infancy, we returned the cooler, but had amassed a surplus of full bottles. They served as great baby gates for a bit, lined up and anchoring furniture throughout our apartment, but as Sam grew they eventually migrated to the balcony. We cut off the tops, borrowed my brother's cordless drill (about the best thing ever created, as our two little farmers cooed "Oooooh, what's that?" to the whur and purr of a power-tool) popped through some drainage holes, filled with soil, and TA DA! Marrisa had the brilliant foresight of keeping the tops, which serve as protection--cozy individual greenhouses. I must say, the tops are probably the only thing that has saved this hearty fella.