Raising Richmond: Winter is leaving

All things must pass. I’m looking at you, winter. Until all your frost and potential for freezing pipes are gone, I’m taking comfort in some warm(er) days and anticipating the good things that will eventually come with them.

March 10, 2015; 6:00 AM • by Kelly Gerow

I used to not appreciate daffodils. I thought they were ugly and common. Now when I spot them popping up in between mounds of the melting snows of March, I see them as beautiful green-and-yellow middle fingers to winter.

I try to make the best of winter, which it turns out I hate. I don’t like playing in snow, or having my schedule change because of snow, or snow. I know spring is still chilly and often rainy, but cold air turning into warm air feels better. Spring is coming, and soon we can go outside without pounds of coats and accessories. I’ve been thinking about some springy things to help me get through this last bit of dreariness.

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First, I want to get my backyard back from the bad weather. Only our dog has really been having the full backyard experience lately. Previously, it’s been a play area and garden. Soon I’m going to clean it up, figure out what to do with the Christmas tree that I never properly discarded, put up my new bird bath,¹ and get my spring planting started. If you’re like me and enjoy gardening at least until late August when you let everything die, check out this list (PDF) of what to plant when.

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Is there any place–not counting my backyard, of course–as beautiful as Richmond in the spring? Probably lots of places, but I live in a bubble. One of the best looking-at experiences to be had is Butterflies LIVE! at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, which starts on April 17th (also during A Million Blooms, where one can find at least thousands of flowers). Tropical butterflies are certainly an all-ages thing, though smaller children are more inclined to ask to have a picture taken showing off their butterfly wingspan in front of the giant, wooden butterfly paintings. And since the lifespan of butterflies is so short, there are guaranteed to be new ones every time you visit. Because the old ones have died. Spring!

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A big local blind spot for me is Bryan Park. I’ve only been there during the American Family Fitness Half Marathons in November. I haven’t seen it at its best or really paid attention to it during the races, but I’ve been meaning to get over there. It sounds like a good park for milling around, bird watching, getting hit in the head with a frisbee, and enjoying azalea bushes in bloom.

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On the other side of town, Maymont gets busy with what I hope is A Million Baby Goats (free idea, Maymont, if you want to use it). Maymont definitely has lots happening during Spring Break and beyond, but I mostly want a visit that is warmer with fresher farm animals and more ice cream/snow cone vendors for us to quickly walk past before our daughter notices them.

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After a four-year streak, I’m not participating in the Monument Avenue 10k on March 28th, but I will be there as an onlooker for the first time, as my dad will be there (or, at least, I’ll drop him off, try to find parking for an hour, and then be ready to pick him up). It’ll be interesting to experience the run from the sidewalk and to cheer on folks, but what I’m most anticipating is that after my dad goes through the participant’s food tent, he’ll let me have his White House Rolls.

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We’ll still have some rainy/sloshy days and will need to stay under a roof for sure, which leads me to my Wednesday routine of seeing what’s at the Byrd Theatre. I’m waiting for the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and Paddington to come through so that I can take my daughter. We don’t have it in our budget for a first-run movie experience these days, but I’ll spend a few dollars for the Byrd. I don’t particularly want to see the SpongeBob movie, but the delight she expresses when she merely sees a picture of SpongeBob is worth somewhere around $4 to $10 for me. I’ve also heard good things from adults about Paddington (specifically my parents, who are like me in their general enjoyment of all British entertainment), and if kids like anything it’s talking bears and Nicole Kidman, right?

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Finally, what is spring if not a pregame for the best produce season (which is summer, obviously)? Strawberries are already out and on sale now, so every weekend I think about making this icebox cake. I’m not going to pretend that I frequent farmers markets, although I live close to the biggest one in Richmond, South of the James Market. In previous years, Victory Farms Urban Farmstand has set up a few blocks from my house on Saturdays, and it’s been my go-to for fresh produce. I love a good tomato, but I won’t buy them in stores, and I get my fix for a couple of months from Victory Farms. I read in my neighborhood newsletter that when Victory Farms opens again it will be at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church. Maybe this year is the year my daughter tries and likes a second vegetable. Only joking. She’s standing firm that she won’t like vegetables until she is either 10 or 34, depending on the dish.

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Even though this past weekend I was able to go outside without a hat and gloves, we still have some cold temperatures ahead of us. Hang in there, everyone. Our best days of complaining about the heat and eating a watermelon in one sitting² are before us.

Photo by: dan taylor

March 10, 2015 6:00 AM 2