After the Rain...

It has rained a lot here this spring.  I mean a whole lot.  But then you wake up to a day like this and all the soggy days are forgotten.  Headed outdoors to my garden this afternoon.  There were weeds galore waiting to be tugged out of the ground.  That was my focus today.  I hauled 8 buckets of weed remains to the brush pile.  Still have one section to finish, but that will be for next time.  Then the straw mulch will be piled on.  I practice the no-dig method of gardening.  Read about this years ago in an article by Ruth Stout, in Organic Gardening magazine.  Obviously I am not as faithful as I should be about piling on the mulch or I wouldn't have hauled so many weeds to the brush pile today.  I was lax last fall and didn't add anymore mulch before winter set in.  Once the mulching is done in the garden, I will move on to the task of pruning dead canes from the Raspberry patch and then staking the live canes.  I will also toss a little organic fertilizer on them.  In a couple of months I will be picking and eating juicy, tangy raspberries.   Walked around the yard and took a few pics of what's blooming now.  A taste of Heaven, for sure.  

The Crabapple Tree in Full Bloom

More of the Crabapple

A Clump of Violets

The Flowering Quince

Oh, My Bleeding Heart!

Creeping Phlox under the Rhododendron

 

In other news, I am working on a new look for my Etsy shop Bluebell.  A fellow Etsian is creating a new banner and avatar for me, as well as designing new business cards.  Spring is a very busy time of year.  Soon the lazy days of summer will be here and life will slow down a little.  Until then, it's full steam ahead!

Spring at Last!

A Violet in a crevice of our patio.

This is the time the daffodils do their thing.

I love my Hellebore's!

After a long, cold winter spring has decided to make an appearance.  My skin was longing for some sunshine and my lungs were longing for a breath of sweet air.  My fingers were itching to dig in some dirt, and today I had my chance!  The last of the three butterfly bushes was trimmed back today, as was the Crepe Myrtle.  A few unsightly branches were lobbed off of the Rhododendron.  A rose bush that has failed to flourish in spite of years of pampering was, at last, dug up and tossed on the brush pile.  Three new Knockout Rose bushes will be here by the end of the week.  I took the six bags of mulch that were left from last year and dumped them on the front flower beds.  More will be added this weekend, weather permitting.  I also ordered two self watering patio planters, into which I will plant tomatoes this year.  They have wheels which will make it easy to push them into the sun when needed.  I also ordered 200 feet of deer netting.  This is my latest effort to combat the increasingly annoying habit of our local deer munching my garden plants to near oblivion (no more Hosta salad for you!).  So, my skin was warmed by the sun and my body got a good workout.  Not to mention, things are shaping up in my yard and garden.  Now...what to cook for dinner?

The Forsythia hedgerow in bloom.