A little hard work

Actually, it's two days of hard work in the garden...and no picture would do it justice! Saturday was a nice day with a bit of a breeze and we did much planting and transplanting. Items planted include evergreens: Enkianthus, Dodenea, and Grevillea, plus two honeysuckle shrubs. Ah, and a "dwarf" Southern Magnolia called "Little Gem". Then we moved a crape myrtle, planted a Bloodgood Japanese Maple where that had been (it was in a pot previously). Into that pot will go a Full Moon Japanese Maple and an "Autumn" Fuschia...very colorful leaves!

We are also levelling a spot for a tool shed that will be delivered next week, we hope. Then we have to put it together!! It would have been much easier if the dirt was just that, dirt. Instead there's a good deal of clay, and lots of tree roots. This happened yesterday and it was a cool, cloudy day...wonderful!

Today is also cool, and we have sore shoulders and backs. The front yard may be mowed, but other than some watering, that's all the yard work for today. Time to take a break. The up-side is that there are lots of new things in the ground to nurture and watch grow. We can look back at old photos and see the changes we've made and how we're changing how the yard is defined. The "fruits" of our labors, as it were.

So today is a holiday, but a work day just the same. The difference with the past two days is that today is more mental work...and less physical labor!

What's that old saying?

April showers bring May flowers. That's the saying. Of course, April is the first full month of Spring. Winter is fading and the warmer days announce to everything dormant that it's time to wake up again, time to put color back into the landscape. Today's offering is a tree peony, recently purchased. The blooms had not opened yet, but they were very visible when the plant was purchased. So, now the rains have beaten the blooms off the plant and only remnants of color remain.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have 4 distinct seasons, and 3 of them tend to be wet...ok, they ARE wet. Living here is just not for everyone...because although it does not rain every day, long stretches of time may pass without seeing the sun or blue sky. The yard is mushy and muddy and the rain just adds to the chill of Fall, Winter, and Early Spring. But...ah, the results. While it's too early for roses in the Rose City, there are dogwoods, rhodedendrons, azaleas, peonies, daphnes, lavender, clematis...well, you begin to see the point.

My daughter visited from Dallas with her fiance last month. Their first comment on getting off the plane? "Wow, it's so green here!" Well, yes. Yes it is. And there is not much credit I can take for that. In our yard, I mean. We've made lots of changes, planted any number of flowers, shrubs, and trees and almost all are doing well. If something failed, it was likely in a spot not well suited for it. But the point is that it is GREEN. Living here has given me a new perspective on Spring. It's not hot like Texas or Oklahoma, and it's lush. For the first time in many years I truly welcome the blue skies and sunny days; warm, but not too warm...so that this lush landscape thrives. And to do that we need sun and rain. I'm ready for the sun!

So, it's May now, and gradually the cloudy days will give way to more sun; in the end we will have some of the heat that goes with Summer. This year I will have those memories of Spring tucked away, so that on the hottest days I can remember these days...cool, bright, alive again.