Photo by Jessica Walliser |
Things are finally starting to thaw. How thrilling it will be when spring finally arrives—it has been such a long winter. Yesterday it hit 56 degrees and today we are expecting the temps to reach the low to mid 60’s. Yipee!
I managed to spend an hour yesterday afternoon in the front perennial bed, raking out some leaves, cutting back a bit of dead growth, and giving it a general sprucing up.
Seeing the new growth peeking out of the plant crowns nearly made me giddy with glee. My Leopard’s bane, Chinese forget-me-nots, Nepeta and spurge are already forming tons of new little leaves. I’m always happy to know that ‘my friends’ actually survived the winter and are willing to show up again for another year. I did all this clean up while trying very hard to not actually step in the garden.
The soil is totally waterlogged and I think if I leave any footprints behind some alien archaeologist will still be able to see them a millennia from now.
I’m planning to take advantage of every bit of good weather I can get in hopes of catching a heads-up on all the spring chores over the coming weeks. Every other gardener out there probably will do the same. It feels so good to go out in the early spring wearing just a light jacket and actually get something done.
Another chore I (unfortunately) had to do yesterday was poop scoop—probably one of the most horrible jobs to do after a thaw. But, as I was walking around the yard with shovel in hand, I spotted a bunch of my lawn crocuses peeking above the grass.
Three years ago I planted a few hundred crocus in an area of the lawn with the goal of creating a spring bulb meadow. It was so easy to do and looks really lovely every spring. I always seem to forget they’re there so seeing the new growth yesterday confirmed that somehow, someday, spring will indeed put on her party dress and grace us with her smile.
