Getting out in it.

I started on a bit of the landscaping needs around the house this week.  It is still cold, rainy (at least today) and windy, but gosh I needed to get out there.  For a couple different reasons, really.  One, it is driving me crazy to see all this dirt and two, my doctor advises more activity.  Nothing like moving a couple wheelbarrow loads of wood chips to be active.  Since its too early to bring in plants and flowers, I am concentrating on woodchips, and feeding azaleas. 

As you may remember, my pile of wood chips is from two summers ago, when we were first starting to plan the remodeling.  I asked the guys who were cutting down the trees if they could leave a little.  They said either they leave the whole load or none.  So, I had them dump the load from that last day.  Which, thankfully, was not ALL the wood chips from the job.  The wood chips have been used for two seasons, the huge pile is now pretty compacted and tough to shovel. Long live the pitchfork!  Why didn’t anyone tell me to use a pitchfork last year? The year before?  I moved woodchips to a couple places yesterday and although my back is paying for it today, the pitchfork was the right tool for the job. I will be out there moving woodchips later this week, if it stops raining.  I may even finish the walking trail.

It has remained cold where I am and the flowers are slow, but I remind myself it is only March.  I cleared some landscape areas I maybe should have left alone for a little while longer but, golly, I am anxious to see some color, some blooms.  I am struggling with furniture for the front door area…can’t decide what to put out there.  Everything I thought would work seems wrong.  I lost out on purchasing a chair a few weeks ago at the Habitat store that I think would have been just right.  But, not wishing to cry over spilled milk, I move on.  Remembering that chair has made all other chairs pale in comparison.  Yes, it’s that bad darn it!

I purchased two, tall, black, made from recycled materials, plastic pots for the porch at Target this week.  I am fond of these guys and can’t wait to load them up with some impatiens and coleus, sweet potato vine… be still my heart.  It means moving some other pots off the porch but goodness knows I have places for those, too. I remain determined in the moon garden and am keeping watch on the light patterns that hit that spot now, since a couple trees have fallen or been taken down.  I have been waiting on previous plantings to sprout so I can make a list of what might be staying and what will be replaced.  Last year I planted two bright, lime green hosta but I don't think they made it through the poor soil and rough winter.  We'll see, but those are two plants I expect to have to replace, among, of course, the white columbine, which I will probably abandon.  Love columbine but it just does not love me. Since I am revamping this area and beefing up the soil I plan on replacing a few plants, and introduce more pots of annuals.     

Coming up on Easter and usually daffodils adorn the table.  I am not sure that will happen this year but I did see the early snowdrops late last week, so I know the daffodils are coming! We will have family here, so much laughter and love will fill the house.  Weather forecasts indicate we will be inside…but, we’ll see.  We are hardy stock and are called to be outside.   

Oh, and just for fun, I came across this article and thought some of you might also enjoy...I hope to visit a couple of these spots soon!  http://www.midwestliving.com/travel/around-the-region/12-standout-midwest-garden-centers/




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