A Labor Of Love has begun...

Spirea full of Oak Leaves

Spirea, Oak Leaves Removed!

Yesterday I started the process of cleaning my garden, I say started because this will take a while, I got one section done & it took several hours - those who garden will understand, those who don't might think I didn't get much done…

Smaller Veronica - pre-splitting

I have Oak trees in the front near the portion of the garden I was working on, and the Spirea were full of Oak Leaves… I have 2 large & 1 small in the section I tackled yesterday.  

Smaller Veronica - post-splitting

Also full of Oak Leaves were 2 very large Russian Sage, and 2 overgrown Veronica - the Veronica were especially touchy to clean since the new growth is tender & the old growth still needed to be removed.

One of 3 Day Lilies, pre-split (3 parts)

Post-split

There were 3 very overgrown Day Lilies (the short variety) that needed to be split.  The two smaller (one of these is pictured) were split into 3 parts, the largest into 4… and they are still sizable plants (but manageable).

Wheel Barrow for Transport

Transplanted into the Woods

I transplanted portions of the Day Lilies and the Veronica into the edges of my woods.

Russian Sage, pre-split.

Post-split

One of my Russian Sage had spread itself too wide, had to use the Sawzall to get through its roots (the shovel just wouldn't do).
















Add to all this the typical Spring task of pulling/clipping off the old dead growth & adding in a fresh layer of cedar mulch (7 bags in this area alone), and I spent more than 4 hours working in the yard.  By the time I'm done with the yard I'll end up using 65-75 bags of mulch, so I'm roughly 10% done with Spring prep.

First section of garden, finished!

Some plants haven't grown enough to show in this picture, this section will be quite filled in when everything has come up…

A Much Needed Trim

I finally got started in the gardens today, the weatherman had said it would be in the 70s, the weatherman lied, it was in the 40s for most of the day… Brrr!!  So instead of drinking iced Crystal Light while working, I was drinking hot Crystal Light (it works well for the citrusy flavors).


The weatherman is saying 70s for tomorrow… um… uh-huh… I'll believe it when I feel it!!

Tall Grasses have been cut down.

Despite the colder-than-expected temps it was a good day to get outside and get some much needed trimming done.  The tall grasses have all been cut down (they stayed pretty all through winter this year), and several bushes have been trimmed.  I  can clearly see my neighbor's house across the street from my front porch, at least until the leaves fill in and the grasses grow back up - that won't be long. I still need to split the tall grass clumps, they're getting too big (the largest is about 2 1/2 feet in diameter), and with Jeff's help I now know how (a Sawzall is a wonderful contraption).

All Grown Up!!

This is a Kalanchoe, when I first got her she was in a cute little metal pot only 3" in diameter… now the pot she's in is 10" in diameter and is way too small for her…  This plant was a gift from a friend (Sue Hillestad) several years ago when we taught a BSF children's class together.


Unfortunately she's gotten too big to continue to come inside the house, so when she goes outside this year she'll be planted in the ground… This was the first plant I ever had any luck with indoors… I hope she enjoys her final resting place in the garden, she's been a good green friend.

A Special Visitor

Ok, I know the pictures & video are terrible… 

But I had my phone in hand and did the best I could looking out the french doors from my bedroom (upstairs)… I didn't want to scare him off before I got pictures… its a FOX!!  

My kitty is just going to have to be content with staying inside for a while...

She's Finally Blooming!!!

Yipee!!  Hooray!!  

My Lilac is Blooming!!  This will be her 3rd Spring with me, and she's finally blooming… I'd about given up on her… now if the deer will just stop eating off the tips of her branches maybe I'll get to see some flowers :)


(sorry about the fuzzy photo… best my phone would do… next time maybe I'll have to break out the digital camera)

Patiently Waiting...

I, like my Pelargonium, am trying to wait patiently to get out into the garden… sigh… we both keep looking wistfully out the window hoping the weather stays warm...

Feels more like March...

Yesterday the temps started dropping, and today its definitely feeling like March in the Twin Cities… 30s/40s, cool, breezy, occasional showers… not a good day to get out into the yard.


That said, the weather today serves as a warning to all of us gardening eager-beavers: its still a little too early to start cleaning out the flower beds… (sigh)…

Tomorrow should be warmer (but with possible thunderstorms), I'm hoping to at least get outside to cut down my ornamental grasses & trim up some bushes… just depends on when that moisture hits… patience is called for… Perhaps I can get some seeds prepped indoors (vegetables)...