SPRING FEVER HAS A HOLD OF ME!

Somewhere in this mess, lies my future vegetable garden. I am having one of our friends come over with his bulldozer to level a site about 12x12 feet, or larger, for a series of raised beds. That is, when we get rid of the junk, and split and stack the pile of firewood. I am still at the planning stage, so I am not entirely sure what shape, size and how many beds there will be.

I just has to swing by the garden center on my way home from the grocery store, to see what new plants are arriving. Yes, I sure do have "spring fever" I could have come home with a car full of new plants, but settled on this Lily Of The Valley which I have in a put in a pot by the front door. This little plant has the sweetest fragrance which brings back a memory, of a garden full Lily Of The Valley growing at my Grandmother's home.

Every day there are daffodils opening their petals showing off the lovely orange and yellow trumpets, and red anemones making a splash of color on the dull days.

Last year, a friend gave me many large Hellebore, and beside some of them were baby plants, which I put into pots until they are large enough to be transplanted into the garden. I am pleasantly surprised to find many more small plants than I anticipated. I enjoy seeing the flowers of the Hellebore during the gloomy winter days when not much else, except a few primroses are blooming.

This is the second season for the Hyacinths and they sure are large and fragrant. I think I will be finding room for more of these beauties in different colors. I may plant some by the front door so visitors can enjoy the fragrance and colors.

These primroses seem to hardly ever stop blooming. Right now they are a little tatty looking due to the slugs having feasted on them. Time to get the slug bait out and get rid of some of the destructive pests. However, I do like to use a bait which will not harm other wildlife.

This is a good sign. The roses are leafing out and looking very healthy. I did cut them way back last fall as they were starting to get too large, and I am not as interested in Roses as I used to be so I was not too concerned if my drastic pruning harmed them. Apparently they did not seem to mind the pruning.

The weather is still not warm enough to spend too much time in the garden, but that time will be here soon and I can implement all my plans for some landscaping and my new vegetable garden. Well, at least I will do as much as I can. The one drawback of aging is, I have to rest more often. It does not seem that many years ago, that I would spend from sunup to dusk in the garden with just a break for a spot of lunch or a cool drink. I still get the same thrill out of planting and watching things grow. My grandparents on both sides of the family were avid gardeners, so I guess some of it has rubbed off on me.