Goodbye Maple

We have (had?) a large Norway Maple in the paddock.  Last summer, we had the major interior branches taken off, after they died.  A week ago, a large part of the rest of it fell on the paddock fence, taking out our cable wire in the process.  Today the tree guys are taking the whole thing down.  It's a big tree --they started around 9:30 a.m. and they're still at it after 11 a.m.  It's been having babies for many years --there are tons of maple saplings waiting to take it's place.

Cold Today

Everything is in stasis.

Volunteer

I found a volunteer today --a dwarf iris that I certainly didn't plant.  It's quite pretty.

It's another nice day, and I got quite a bit of the birch garden cleaned up, and even managed to add some mulch to bare spots.  It's always hard to do that after the plants really start growing, and we usually don't have mulch during spring cleaning, but this year we have a huge pile we never finished using last year.  Very handy, even if Rob doesn't think it looks very good :-)

I've uncovered purple crocus in the birch garden, and in the garden along the east side of the house.  I also found the earliest glory-of-the-snow, and uncovered it so I could spray it with Liquid Fence.  Last year the bunnies found it before I did, but I'm on top of it this spring!

I put the hammocks up too, and enjoyed a nice swing.  Rob is having a music meet, so he's downstairs, but Emma has Kirsten over and the two of them are now enjoying the hammocks.

I just scrolled through last year's March and April posts --wow, it was warm --in the 80's on the first day of April!  I think we're a little behind last year, and I do hope our spring isn't quite as warm as last years.  The spring flowers went fast and the summer flowers all bloomed early.  It did seem to confuse the japanese beetles, though.  Their population was much lower last summer than the summer before.

Today it got up to 50 by late afternoon.  More of the yellow crocus are showing up, and this afternoon I noticed that a few of the white crocus along the walkway to the driveway were up and blooming.  They weren't even showing tips yesterday, so that was fast!  I haven't moved leaves around to look for the bleeding heart tips --I'm afraid it will get cold again in the next couple of weeks, and I don't want to move their protection yet.

I have found a place that really needs some crocus, glory of the snow, and maybe daffodils.  When I stand at the kitchen sink, I look out toward the west.  Last year we added a raised bed there for veggies/fruits, and there is a nice strip of mulch along side it that seems very naked of green tips.  I'll have to remember that this fall when I'm ordering bulbs.

Spring Shopping

I just made my first spring purchases --two heurchellas, which I'd never heard of before reading about them on another blog, and Misty Lace Aruncas.  I'm not really sure what that is, but it looks pretty, it's hardy to zone 3 so it will survive our winters, and it will grow in full sun or full shade, according to the catalog information.  I'll have to give some thought to where I'm going to plant that one.


 Misty Lace Aruncus

Misty Lace Aruncus







The heurchellas are like coral bells, but it sounds like they will flower much longer --coral bells are often sold more for their foliage than their flowers.  I planted six coral bells last year, in the late summer, and I think I'll add these into the same bed, on the northeast corner of the house.

The Warmest Day Yet

It's super warm today!  If this were July, I'd be posting about how cold it is, but 56 degrees in March is so wonderful.  I was out in short sleeves!

The yellow crocus continue to open up, and some tulips in my warmest bed are poking their heads up out of the soil.  Wandering through the gardens I'm struck by how much clean up I have to do.  I always leave the seed heads up over winter for the birds, but now I have lots that need to be cut back.  The asters and goldenrod are lying on the ground, and the cone flowers and shasta daisies all need to be trimmed.  Plus all the daylily stems sticking up!  I've a feeling my back is going to be protesting the amount of bending required.

And another!

Small Signs

There has been some minor movement, and a neighbor.

Snowdrops

Well, it appears that the bulbs really are stretching and waking --the first snowdrop has appeared. Rob took this photo on February 27th.