The second day of Spring seems a good time to fire up this blog for the season.  So here goes.

Walking around the yard I see lots of iris, both bearded and Dutch, coming up.  So of course are daffodils although many old ones haven’t shown up.  I think the fall will be a big daffodil planting time.

I cleaned out dead stuff from the perennial beds and raked up a lot of cottonwood leaves from the shade garden.  The shade area is still quiet until warmer temps bring back the hostas and azaleas and other plants. 

It is warm enough to hook up hoses so the garden pools can be filled up.  In another month or so I’ll pump the water out of the two water lily pools so I can clean out the leaves and fertilize the lilies. 

I straightened up the mess in the storage garage so I can get at my garden tools and my garden cart when it is time.  Indoors the tropicals have mostly survived the winter and sometime in May they will be wheeled out to the patio for the summer.  Others will go to the screened porch.  A few will spend time in the shade garden.

We have two Baby’s Breath ordered, and some fancy mums for bloom in the fall.  The plan is to fill in designated spots in the perennial garden with annuals, most especially calendula, marigold, and zinnias, which we will get from the nursery in a month or two. Also Lantana and species geranniums for the big front pots. Sara wants some more yarrow, which is officially a perennial, but maybe will need to be planted anew pretty regularly, so as a sort-of annual.

I have some bulbs for something called Chinese Ground Orchids.  Those will go on the sunnier part of the shade garden and we will see just what that is.

So all is ready to proceed.  Average last frost is around April 8; no frost in the 15 day forecast, so maybe that is done.  But smart gardeners here wait until at least May 1 for tender stuff to go out. 

Won’t have to wait too long now.