O spring... a new set of chores...

Now that it (I think) is finally here, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with the tasks of spring. I look around, and there's blown trash caught in hedges, roofing material scattered all over the grass from my neighbor's place, all distributed by one of the many high-wind events we've had, and dead grass/weeds to contend with. I'm so happy to see the daffodils finally getting their chance to shine, though. A few crocuses have made an appearance, but not as many as I recall planting-- some critter probably snacked on the bulbs. But the daffies have spread, so that's a bonus. I wonder if any tulips are still there? It's always a surprise to see what managed to survive. But O, the work ahead. 

I don't quite know what to do, and I don't want to do it all by myself. I don't have the physical ability I did years ago, but I'll manage. I just won't be able to do it all in one day like I used to. The garden boxes need all fresh soil-- the junk we put in (my fault, entirely) just did not sustain the plantings. And I've got to figure out what I want to attempt to grow. I say attempt, because my gardens have been less than wonderful for the last couple of years, mainly due to weather situations beyond my control, and those nasty grey squash beetles. I will not grow squash. I will buy it at the farmers' market. I want tomatoes, and green beans (bush beans, not those rangy things I ended up with last year), and maybe carrots, though those have been less than stellar as well. We'll see. Maybe cucumbers. 

It's still April, and I am feeling pressured to make decisions, but I can't even plant for another month and a half. So-- hush, chattery brain.

What I do need to do is make some decisions about outdoor house stuff, and that takes a bit of negotiation. I know what I think needs to be done, and I know what G thinks he wants to do, and rarely are they the same thing. So, I will think long and hard about what needs to happen. Or what I think needs to happen, and we'll go from there. I'm thinking about abandoning the back flower bed entirely; the native invasive weeds are impossible. I've dug deeply, ripped out coiled root systems, paid people to weed and dig with a tiller-- all to no avail. I planted raspberries, and they even get choked out. It's disheartening. We'll see. 

I'm not a huge gardener, but there are some fresh veggies I love to have right at hand. So, I'll plan for that. The strawberries I put in should do okay, if the neighbors' chickens leave them alone. My herb beds should be fine-- so there's that. And the surprise and delight of a few stalks of asparagus are always fun. 

We need to trim back the forsythia again-- a mild winter means there is little die-back, and they are unruly. I hope the fruit trees stand a better chance this year; last year's late hard frost killed off the flowers during pollination time, and we got next to nothing. Again, Momma Nature holds the cards.

Spring is full of possibility, true, but it's also full of chores. I have a vacation week coming soon, so maybe then I can gird myself to doing the prep that needs to happen. If it doesn't snow again. (shh, don't jinx it!)

Take care,

C