Springing into Action

Happy Spring, Everyone, but you wouldn't know it. We have several inches  of snow on the ground and it was 11 degrees this morning, with more snow on the way. Did someone say it was spring? None the less, work here at the Garden Spot continues.

Weeping for Thee

There were some warmer days last week, so hubby was able to get started on some long over due projects. Our weeping willow had a rough winter and is indeed weeping. It is a very unhealthy tree and slowly branch by branch we are whacking away at it hoping to save it, but it will eventually have to come out. We keep saying "next year." With this main branch cracked, hubby had no choice but to cut it off before  wind or heavy snow brought it down.

Put a chain saw in a man's hands and you have a bare yard!
Adios Lilacs

Now, who would purposely remove lilacs? Well a man with a wife with a plan. South of the patio we had lilacs, an old stand that had grown leggy. Once pruned back, they didn't look too awful, but we have decided to to build our water feature here, so once again chain saw in hand, the head gardener cut down the lilacs. We had thought that we would save them and transplant them, but our arborist daughter said it would be easier to just buy new ones. Hubby will rent a mini back-hoe to dig the lilac roots out and dig the pond. Can't wait. We had hoped to have the lilacs totally out this week, but between the weather and too many other things to do, this project is To Be Continued. He didn't quit cutting with the tree and the lilacs; he also took out what we fondly called a crab apple bush--an old crab apple that had probably died back and then just sent up a whole mess of shoots until it took the shape of a bush. Now we have piles of limbs and branches to dispose of. Most likely we will have a tree service shred the limbs, giving a nice pile of tree mulch. The yard is now opened up. I can see the play set and the garden and the neighbors. I like the new view. I will love it when we get the pond going.

A Berry Good Project

Last fall hubby built the trellis for the blackberry bush, but we didn't get the canes tied up, so we finished that project. Some of the canes were over 6 feet long running along the gound. Now they are all tied up. The canes that we pruned off we just stuck them in the ground to see if they will root.

Because someone around here needs everything to be lined up in rows all nice and straight, hubby dug up the two raspberries and moved them in line with the trellis. And the rhubarb was out of line, so it had to be moved. It had just started to break through the soil; we hoped it would be okay to move it. But would you take a look at the root system that baby had. You can still see nubs of roots in the hole. Hopefully we didn't kill it. What do you think?

New Plants

My ranunculs came last week, too. I ordered them from Easy to Grow Bulbs.com. What nice people. They called to say that their system had gone done when I placed my order and failed to charge for shipping, so they were shipping the the bulbs for free. I'll order from them again. I haven't decided where to plant the ranunculus. They bloom in late spring, early summer. I may just pot them and see what I get. I ordered the rainbow variety so that I will have a nice array of colors--8 bulbs in total.

And I got my bleeding hearts. Last year at the plant sale I was disappointed that they were already sold out. So we bought the shoots to start our own. Cheaper. I wanted to get them out this week, but it was just too cold to work outside.

The Last Swan Picture (I promise)

The girls came to spend the night, so we had a picnic at Bittersweet and fed the swans. It was so cold, but the little girls didn't seem to notice. They sat so still and quite as the timid swans slowly approached the bread crusts that the girls threw to them. Their short little arms weren't quite strong enough to launch the crusts out very far from the shore, so I worried that the swans wouldn't come that close in to eat them. They must be used to being fed, so they were willing to come in pretty close. I was happy that the girls got to them so close up.

Spring Break is winding down. I have Monday off, so I go back to class on Tuesday. We have 6 weeks of school left. Semesters always go so quickly. For 18 years my life has been broken up in 16 week periods, semester by semester, a nice rhythm of life. I needed this break to get my batteries recharged so that I can go back full speed ahead.

The snow may be letting up, but I think the forecast calls for more in the next few days. All of this moisture will bring on the bulbs, which have already pushed through the soil, and the perennials weeds as well. Darn it. Well, I hope you have great week. If you have any special garden projects going,

Just Blog It. 

Cheers