I cleaned leaves out of my water today too. Finally the ice was gone. I can't wait to buy my plants for the water. I think I have to wait another month to be sure the weather stays warm.

Yes, lots of clean up! The usual clean up of garden beds since I don't do that in the fall (I'm not bothering to rake up any of the leaves that fell or blew in the gardens, just leaving them there for mulch.) A pile of debris leftover from exterior work on the house. Lots of sticks and some brush cleanup, and several large brush piles waiting to be burned. This lot was overgrown with invasive plants and clearing these out has generated an endless amount of brush. I even leave some of it laying in place and piles for the critters, but there's too much. I pile it into long but not very high piles, so it burns low and cool, in the middle of invasive plants (mostly Oriental bittersweet), and burn them back for extra control. TONS of transplanting to do this Spring - I always move stuff around in the Spring, but this year looks to be extra busy. The SPring is always the busiest season in the garden!

Temps here last week were in the 80s, so everything started really popping up and blooms pooping open. Very nice today too. Worked in the garden this morning wearing shorts and a tank top and my favorite flip-flops. So nice. I let My Girls out for an hour this morning to scratch around and eat bugs and grass. They have begun to lay eggs again and need the new grass to stimulate their egg production. They followed me around, clucking happily and singing their little sighing songs. So cute! The Jane Magnolia tree's flower buds have suddenly begun to swell and there are three flowers beginning to open. I sniffed one and oh, that sweet, one-of-a-kind fragrance! The honeybees and Hummingbird moths are out in droves today supping nectar from the purple Henbit flowers in the grass and visiting all the flowering shrubs. I've even seen butterflies for the past two weeks. Tulips preparing to bloom and hundreds of yellow jonquils, daffodils and purple Muscari Grape Hyacinths are blooming. Hostas and Peonies are poking their noses up through the soft earth and looking good. I could go on and on... The weather radio report yesterday predicts there will be lows in the mid-thirties in the next few days, dropping down into the low-20s on Friday night. Ain't that just DUCKY! If that happens, even if it is just for one night or one hour, I will surely bid a fond but sad farewell to most, if not all, of this year's spring flowers. .I can just kiss the Apricots goodbye...again...for a second year. It will spoil all the new tender growth on the roses and send all the little seedlings popping up in the garden to coldest Purgatory, Glad I didn't set out the Cole crops and onion sets. Unreal

TM, thanks for the thought, it means a lot. Looks like DH will be laid up most of the summer and in to the fall. He has several issues going on right now and one surgery scheduled for 2 weeks from now. Really a struggle for him, as he feels it is his job to help me and it is hard for him to accept that there is little he can do right now with his physical limitations. Koszta kid, no veggie area to speak of here. Lost that to the driveway for the new garage. Seemed like I always gave away more than I used, so that's ok. I should be getting more done today, but somewhat sore from yesterday's marathon. So taking it a little easier today. This post was edited by mary_lu on Sun, Apr 28, 13 at 18:49