Fruit of the Poisoned Tree

woman and the cat until Peggy got up from her chair to hold his leash, afraid he’d take a running leap at her.

“Don’t worry.” The woman laughed. “He’s fine. Just a little nervous. And very unhappy with someone named Peggy. Is that you?”

Peggy smiled and extended her hand. “That’s me. And you are?”

“Mrs. Roberts, pet psychic. And before you get any ideas, how do you think I knew your name?”

“My dog told you?”

“Exactly. Rupert is having some issues with you.”

Peggy glanced at the dog, then at Mrs. Roberts. “His name is Shakespeare.”

“Maybe to you. We don’t always name our pets appropriate names, do we?”

Not sure what to say, Peggy patted her dog’s head. “What kind of issues is Shakes—Rupert having with me?”

“He isn’t crazy about you leaving him all the time. And he wishes you’d buy him a different kind of food. He’s eating Purina now, right? He’d really like to try Iams.”

Peggy wanted to laugh, but Mrs. Roberts was impossibly right. She was in awe. “I did leave him to go to Philadelphia. He hasn’t been the same since I got back. But I couldn’t take him with me.”

Rue had been sitting there with her mouth open. She closed her jaw and stood up. “Peggy, you can’t believe this woman is communicating with your dog. Shakespeare needs obedience classes. Not a psychic.”

Mrs. Roberts smirked. “Take it as you will. Rupert says next time he’d like to stay at the man’s house.” She looked at Steve. “I believe he means you. He says you did a good job taking care of him, but he doesn’t like being in the big house by himself. He says it’s haunted, and he doesn’t like ghosts. Even nice ghosts.”

Peggy swallowed hard. She was trained to be a skeptic. But her Low Country upbringing included tales of witches and ghosts. As a child, she’d believed all of those stories. Something of that crept into her voice as she said, “Does he know the ghosts’ names?”

“No. Apparently, he only knows your name. He really loves you. He’d give his life for you. He just wants to stay with the man if you have to leave. And he wants Iams dog food. He says he wants the lamb and rice.” Mrs. Roberts smiled and gave her cat to Rue. “He needs a bath and his nails trimmed. I’ll be back at four for him. Mind you, be careful with him. He’s a little peeved today. There’s a cat outside he’d like to be friends with, but I just don’t want him hanging around with that street trash.”

With a last glance at Shakespeare, Mrs. Roberts disappeared back through the door, leaving a cloud of Chanel behind her.

“Well!” Rue sat down with the cat in her lap.

“Pet psychic, huh?” Steve looked at Shakespeare. “My name is Steve. You’re welcome to stay at my house anytime Peggy goes away.”

Peggy crouched down and looked into Shakespeare’s eyes. “I wish you could talk to me. Do you want me to call you Rupert instead of Shakespeare?”

The massive head shook negatively, the uncropped ears flopping up and down.

“I guess not.” Steve laughed. “The dog has spoken.”

“You’re still going to bring him back for the rest of the lessons, aren’t you?” Rue asked.

“I will,” Peggy agreed. “Maybe he’ll be better next time.”

Steve and Peggy left with Shakespeare a few minutes later. “So who do you think is haunting your house?” he asked her.

“The house is almost a hundred years old,” she mused. “I suppose it could be anyone who lived there.”

The sunshine was bright on their heads as they walked out to the SUV in the parking lot. “Do you think John is there?” Steve suggested, opening the door for Shakespeare to get into the backseat.

“He could be.” She looked up into the brilliant blue sky and smiled. “It wouldn’t surprise me.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Steve said. “What do you think he thinks about the two of us being together?”

“I think he’d be happy about it.” She got into the vehicle and closed the door. “Everyone seems to think he wouldn’t want me to be alone. I think if John were still alive, he’d like you. It stands to reason he’d like us to be together.”

“That works for me.” Steve kissed her after he got behind the steering wheel. He smiled up at the sky. “Thanks, John.”

Peggy’s Garden Journal

Winter

The cold weather months are always the hardest for gardeners. Nothing is blooming. The color is gone, and for many, so is their enthusiasm. We curl up on cold winter nights with our catalogues and wish for spring.

But now is the best time for you to take a good look at your garden. What shapes are in your garden?

Studying our gardens when there is no foliage can give us an opportunity to appreciate graceful limbs and soaring branches. Take a moment to notice the subtle shades and patterns of bark. The bare-bones shape of our trees and bushes should be as alluring to us as their leaves and flowers. If they’re not, this is a good time to change that image.

Deadwood can be removed at any time during the winter. Pruning live wood should be avoided during the coldest times but can be done in late winter. No need to apply a dressing on these cuts. The trees will be fine. This is an excellent time to determine how tall you want those bushes to be and examine positions for new growth. Create a charming path or stake out a new flower bed.

Winter can be a time of growth and beauty, if we allow it to be. As your garden slumbers, roots dig deeper to sustain spring and summer foliage. Take some time to acknowledge the cycle of life going on around you. Spring will come with its color and magic. But don’t allow the charm of winter to escape you unnoticed!

Peggy

Care and Feeding Guide

AMARYLLIS

This exotic, winter-blooming plant will provide huge, colorful blooms just when you need them most. It requires very little maintenance and will bloom within five weeks of planting. You can choose to buy them already planted or buy the bare bulb.

If you choose to plant, get a pot slightly larger than the bulb, put in some good soil, and set the bulb so its top will rise slightly above the rim. Tamp down well to remove air pockets. Water carefully at first, more as the stem begins to grow. Be sure extra water drains out of the pot.

You can also grow the bulb with water in a glass vase. Amaryllis vases are curved so that the bulb sits securely with the roots in the water.

Either way you decide to plant, keep your plant cool, about 68 degrees. It needs plenty of sun to flower. After it blooms, cut the flower from the stalk. New leaves will grow, although the plant will not flower again until next year. Water and fertilize regularly.

LENTEN ROSE

These dark green leafy plants with small, saucer shaped red, white, or green flowers will deliver a nice, colorful reprieve for winter gardens. They will herald spring, even in the snow!

They bloom from February to April and are extraordinarily hardy. The species is perfect as a ground cover and loves shady areas, even under trees. The soil can be slightly alkaline. It enjoys a generous amount of mulch and requires fertilizing every spring after blooming.

They look wonderful in pots as well as out in the open. They will grow to be about two feet tall and prefer to