This spring, I’ve been really busy working on my new blog, so I haven’t gotten out in my yard yet to see what needs to be done. I know this is a bad idea because, when I don’t go out into my yard early enough, I find lots weeds and other disasters.
Here’s a report on what I found Saturday:
This is one of the early blooming rhododendrons, one of about 40 in my yard. For some reason, the people I bought the house from planted a lot of rhododendrons before they sold it. It’s right outside my office window, so it’s great to have this reminder of spring to look at throughout the day.
This is a small Christmas tree I received as a gift. Deane, the forester who helps me with my yard, moved it to the side of the house to see if that was a place it could be planted. Fortunately, it survived, even though it was under an eve. I moved it to the front yard where I can water it more easily.
This is a pink peony, which died back last winter. Fortunately, it will have big pink blooms soon. It was a gift from my sister.
A lacy hydrangea, this bush will have beautiful blue blossoms in about six weeks.
What a surprise to find volunteer Swiss chard from last year in my raised bed garden. I’ll make a big pot of Swiss chard and bean soup this evening. Erin, my other yard work helper, said she could come Tuesday to spade the compost into the garden. That will be good progress. I don’t use pesticides on my garden or in my yard. I recommend often not to use them. In yards where pesticides are used, children and pets have higher rates of cancer.
These ferns in the front yard, which I had to trim back severely last winter due to discolored fronds, are coming back nicely.
My raspberry patch is springing back to life. On an impulse years ago, I bought one pot of raspberry plants at the local co-op. It grew into this wonderful raspberry patch. I often get 20 pints of raspberries, my favorite fruit, a year.
These volunteer blueberries are new.
New fronds are emerging in the backyard ferns.
The herbs – tarragon, oregano, and thyme – in the pots on the table, are springing back with new growth. I’ll need to buy a new tablecloth for my picnic table before my big party in July. It’s too bad Joann’s Fabrics and Crafts has closed. I bought this tablecloth and one just like it earlier. The second one was half off in the store’s closing sale.
It’s nice to see a few tulips still blooming.
This rhododendron in the backyard is in full bloom, one of the early bloomers. Many of my rhododendrons are pink. I’ll do some research to see if there’s a reason for that or the former owners just liked pink.
Here’s a closeup of the rhododendrons above. I love to take photos of the rhododendrons in my yard.
Fortunately, the lawn mowing guy has mowed the lawn several times. I called him at the end of March because the grass was getting really tall. I’m glad I have my yard under control, not like those videos on Facebook where landscape companies clean up people’s yards who haven’t been able to take care of them for years or no one lives in the house.
The beautiful pink azalea, I have three in my yard, looks fantastic, but the birdbath needs cleaning again.
The mint, along with other herbs, is coming back. Now, I’ll have some to use in my tabbouleh recipe.
I grow vegetables in the pots on my patio. All the strawberries in the strawberry pot died and the clay pot looks awful. I’ll need to figure out a way to clean that up. The trowel in the pot on the right was left out all winter. It doesn’t look too bad, unlike one in the next photo.
Darn. This is my favorite tool for weeding. Deane has one, so I was glad to get one, too.
This is the part of my yard that I call The Forest. Deane will be coming soon to trim off a few large branches that have split and could be dangerous.
I picked up these small branches from The Forest and filled about a third of the yard waste container with smaller branches.
These three arborvitaes, planted to fill in a gap from ones that died, are doing well.
I’ll need to talk to the lawn mowing about where to mow. The property line if by the mailbox. I saw a new worker mowing the last time, so maybe he’s new or the owner has sold his yard work company.
That’s the report from my yard this spring. I’ll post additional photos when my more of my rhododendrons are blooming.
How are things in your yard?
For suggestions on how to go about spring yard work, see “How Are You Doing With Your Spring Yard Work?”
