It's not all table saws and nail guns.
Thursday morning when I returned from taking Jonah to school, I started, at first just pulling up the dead stalks that used to be asters in the front garden. I have four groups of lovely little asters that were starting to sprout this year's foliage, so I thought it was time last year's depart to compost. But I couldn't stop there. I opened the garage and got clippers to trim up the dead ends of various Dutch and German irises that had risen from the ground prematurely, only to be yellowed or browned by various freezes over winter. I still couldn't stop. Not while my pansies were springing back to life with vigor and colorful new buds practically begged me for a dose of fertilizer. So, I sprinkled out some "Colorburst" granules and also some slug/snail bait on the asters, since I saw a few munching on the baby leaves there. At that point, I stood back approvingly then inspected the liriope for any new growth. Still no new blades peaking up, so I've got time to cut them back without having to worry about cutting off the tops of this season's growth.
I grabbed another cup of coffee, then headed to the back yard to clean up the veggie bed and the bed of annuals in front of the dining room window. Chris had started the dining room garden a few weeks ago while we were out in the backyard doing nothing in particular (or maybe daydreaming about a deck). Then, I decided while I was at it, I would go ahead and prune the trees back there. I dragged the rake and a trashcan around to pick up behind my work. Then noticed an increase in the mist that was coming down. I opted to save the grasses for another day (I've got five plants of two kinds of miscanthus in the back around the HVAC units which need to be cut down like the liriope in front, to make way for this year's growth). I also chopped down the raspberry brambles and clipped a couple of the taller branches off of the blueberry plants to hopefully encourage bushing. I noticed one of the river birch trunks is starting to get its trademark peeling. Quite lovely and I'm looking forward to watching that clump grow.
So, spring has sprung in the yard, though I'm sure we've got some wintry weather still in the forecast for even the next month, perhaps. I managed to get everything prepped for spring growth before lunch on Thursday and felt really accomplished. I have, however, resigned to not doing too much new in the yard this year. We might build a deck. We've got a section of overgrowth (privet and Virginia creeper mostly, with some trumpet vine and pokeweed for good measure) to clear now that we've torn down that side of the fence and we'll replace what's there with a row of crepe myrtles, I think and maybe intersperse with lower growing shrubs like azaleas and/or nandina or something.
Other than that, I'm not messing with seeds, other than direct sow this year (can't go without my lime green zinnias). But I'm not cutting any new beds, apart from digging up this overgrown section to replant it. I want to spend a week at most in April planting summer annuals, herbs and veggies and mulching. I've got too much else going on this year for this to be a huge focus consuming all my free time for a month. But, I certainly don't want to do nothing out there either. Also, I know the fruit/herb bed is going to require some battling of nut grass this summer as it comes back and I'm sure I'm going to have to battle this overgrowth we're about to yank out for a while as well. Also, also, my indoor plants could REALLY use some TLC.
But, in the realm of table saws and nail guns, we finished the fence yesterday with the exception of cutting the tops off the boards and posts. I hope the dogs appreciate it. It's only taken us 1.5+ years to finish that project (three installments, starting July 2008 the other two more sensibly in March 2009 and 2010).
Now I'm hoping to turn my focus to getting this house cleaned and organized and perhaps take up some crafty stuff again. At least until Chris decides to start building a deck or install hardwood floors downstairs. (plz help)
I grabbed another cup of coffee, then headed to the back yard to clean up the veggie bed and the bed of annuals in front of the dining room window. Chris had started the dining room garden a few weeks ago while we were out in the backyard doing nothing in particular (or maybe daydreaming about a deck). Then, I decided while I was at it, I would go ahead and prune the trees back there. I dragged the rake and a trashcan around to pick up behind my work. Then noticed an increase in the mist that was coming down. I opted to save the grasses for another day (I've got five plants of two kinds of miscanthus in the back around the HVAC units which need to be cut down like the liriope in front, to make way for this year's growth). I also chopped down the raspberry brambles and clipped a couple of the taller branches off of the blueberry plants to hopefully encourage bushing. I noticed one of the river birch trunks is starting to get its trademark peeling. Quite lovely and I'm looking forward to watching that clump grow.
So, spring has sprung in the yard, though I'm sure we've got some wintry weather still in the forecast for even the next month, perhaps. I managed to get everything prepped for spring growth before lunch on Thursday and felt really accomplished. I have, however, resigned to not doing too much new in the yard this year. We might build a deck. We've got a section of overgrowth (privet and Virginia creeper mostly, with some trumpet vine and pokeweed for good measure) to clear now that we've torn down that side of the fence and we'll replace what's there with a row of crepe myrtles, I think and maybe intersperse with lower growing shrubs like azaleas and/or nandina or something.
Other than that, I'm not messing with seeds, other than direct sow this year (can't go without my lime green zinnias). But I'm not cutting any new beds, apart from digging up this overgrown section to replant it. I want to spend a week at most in April planting summer annuals, herbs and veggies and mulching. I've got too much else going on this year for this to be a huge focus consuming all my free time for a month. But, I certainly don't want to do nothing out there either. Also, I know the fruit/herb bed is going to require some battling of nut grass this summer as it comes back and I'm sure I'm going to have to battle this overgrowth we're about to yank out for a while as well. Also, also, my indoor plants could REALLY use some TLC.
But, in the realm of table saws and nail guns, we finished the fence yesterday with the exception of cutting the tops off the boards and posts. I hope the dogs appreciate it. It's only taken us 1.5+ years to finish that project (three installments, starting July 2008 the other two more sensibly in March 2009 and 2010).
Now I'm hoping to turn my focus to getting this house cleaned and organized and perhaps take up some crafty stuff again. At least until Chris decides to start building a deck or install hardwood floors downstairs. (plz help)