Spring is FINALLY here!

The leaves are appearing on the trees, the dandelions have returned, the lilacs and apples are budded (finally) and other sure signs of Spring have begun showing themselves. The soil has dried enough to be worked and we were eager to get at it.

On a side note, it was relieving to see the tractors and farm implements on the road this weekend.  I have been much concerned for the farmers that have not been able to enter their fields at all, let alone plant, due to the cold temperatures and standing water.  It would appear that they were busy this weekend also!

I am excited and proud to say that we spent a beautiful weekend working outdoors and it was divine!  We moved the strawberries to their new bed, moved the blackberries to their new space, and transplanted the asparagus, rhubarb and horseradish as well.

We laid heavy straw paths between these new perennial garden areas to prevent the need for wasting time weeding walk paths. S and I moved some salvaged perennials to a new bed and he got the ENTIRE garden tilled and ready to plant!  He even tilled around the raspberry patch so we can lay mulch there as well.

Of course, S mowed again.  With all the rain we have had, the grass was much taller than we would have liked between cuttings.  It was so lovely to be outside all day soaking up the sunshine while accomplishing so many spring chores at the same time. S even got one of the arches up that will support pole beans before we ran out of energy (more on these arches in a later post).

A stroll around the yard led me to that of my neighbors.  Mr. and Mrs. N keep the loveliest yard you can imagine. They tend it carefully every day and treat it much as they do other aspects of their lives, with love and care.  I am lucky to live next to such thoughtful folks.  Each time I walk about their yard and garden(s), both vegetable and floral, I am enamored by something new.  Mrs. N has a gorgeous magnolia that makes me want one every spring as it ushers in the warm weather with its blooms.  This weekend,  I noticed her Candytuft in full bloom.  It is a charming little low-growing bloomer that is in its glory right now.  Although the origin of its name has nothing to do with Candy, it has a sugary sweet appearance about it that makes the name stick in one's mind.  Her Grape Hyacinths are neatly swept back into their drifting row surrounding a lush hosta garden each year after they bloom.  They like to spread and overcrowd, so she takes great care to thin and relocate them as needed.   Living next to them gives me something to aspire to in my gardening.  They keep me motivated and inspired to learn more and grow more.

The picture doesn't do them justice, but I want to mention that my peas are coming up in the experimental straw bale gardens!  They are in part shade, which I am hoping serves them well as the weather warms.  Peas  tend to struggle in the heat, so my hope is that the large maple that shades them does not interfere with their growth, but protects them from the harsh heat that will likely soon be upon us. Spring has finally arrived, but Summer is right around the corner!