Dark Dirt

For those of us in some of the cooler parts ( Zone 4) spring is just arriving. Saturday was that first real spring day. When you stood outside you could hear the constant honking of Canada Geese. Flock after flock flew overhead in their recognizable ‘V' formation.

That is the signal to take out the pruners. I grabbed my anvil pruners and headed to the yard. They have been sitting in a basket beside my back door all winter as a constant reminder of the promise of spring.

Remember ... start off slow

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I was just going to do a few things. Maybe just the 3 small lilac bushes at the front or perhaps the antique rose bush along the fence. I was only going to work for an hour or so. Don't over do it! After a long winter of only flipping pages in a seed catalogue, too much gardening can result in a lot of sore joints.

So with great intentions to go slow I began. Knowing I was forgoing a few blossoms by pruning before the lilac flowered, I just took out he water shoots and damaged branches. I think the bushes enjoyed it as much as me.

My hour was up

Of course I didn't stop. I moved from the lilac bush to the rose bush. It was in desperate need of some TLC. Previous owners had not done much pruning. That of course led me to the back garden where I proceeded to pull the dead stalks and rake away the old leaves.

It is just that feeling of cleaning everything up. Honestly it is the hope of finding a shoot under some of those leaves that keeps me going. A little green nose poking up through the still cold ground!

Well past my hour by this point I proceeded to convince my husband to help me trim back the hydrangeas that surround the house. Then we raked the stones off the front boulevard. It was almost supper time and we did put the tools away just as it started to rain. The worst part ...

... the rain turned to snow and all our work was covered in a blanket of white!

Undaunted by the nasty weather I turned inside. There is always something to play with under the grow lights!