Busy, Busy...Spring

The extremely busy season has begun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring has arrived!

 

The daffodils have begun to shine as their yellow bonnets bob in the breeze. The bluebirds are out in droves. Bird chatter is again common. The pastures are transitioning from tawny to green.  And, I relish each and every sign of the season!

 

 

I was busy throughout the winter mainly inside trying to go review, organize and downsize my stash of life’s treasures, project supplies, and you name it…I probably have it.  I made a good dent.  But, I still have more to do.

 

Now, the weather has improved and I want to be outside as much as possible.  And, that is a good thing.  The gardens need a whole lot of attention.

 

the island behind the tree is a mass of overgrown shrubs
and undesirable vines

with help, I decided to start anew - cut back the forsythia and dogwood
shrubs down to the ground, reducing the size of the flowering quince
and cutting back the red maple - I am hoping the shrubs will resprout...

The perennial beds that I worked on last fall are not too bad.  All they need is a quick once over and they are in shape.  Those that I did not have time to get to are quite a mess.  The weeds are already problematic -thick and established - ugh!

 

So, I go out and work one section of garden at a time having fun and feeling much satisfaction when that particular area is neat and clean. The next day I move to another section.

 

It is the perfect time to get my gardens in order.  Not only is the weather comfortable when working, but most of the perennials have not started to grow yet.  I have plenty of room to walk around pulling and digging the unwanted vegetation out without trampling the desirable plants.  I am also cutting back all the dried and dead stems from the plants that will soon begin their new flourish.

 

Of course, this ideal time will not last very long… a few days, perhaps.  So, I have to be determined and really stick with the garden chores for the present.  The more I can accomplish now, the easier the gardening task will be for the entire growing season.