I worked in the garden a little yesterday. I really want to do a bigger project, like setting the stones I got last weekend, or lifting the pavestones of my footpath and putting some sand under them, but I’m still feeling pretty low on energy lately. I went out, thinking maybe I’d cut some branches back that were growing over the path. I did, and it was pretty successful:
I couldn’t cut the rose bush because it was blooming so beautifully. After this first flush of flowers is done I’ll trim it back as well. The green bush to the left is an Aucuba japonica. I like it for its shiny, leathery leaves. But I ended up trimming it a lot. It went from a ball shape to a half-a-ball shape. It should recover quickly. Aucubas are tough.
And I must log something in the memory archive. I was surprised this spring to see a palm tree seedling. It’s by my pond. My Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) has survived many winters already, and blooms every spring, producing berries later in the summer. Some bird or other critter must’ve dropped a seed by the pond, and voila! I have a new baby palm tree. I will have to transplant it, but I didn’t do any digging yesterday, other than a bunch of weeding.
Here is the palm baby. The tall leaf is about eight inches long.
My co-worker Debbie continues to work on the Middle School Meadow. She really wants to get some native plants going there for caterpillars and butterflies. I have to admit, I’m starting to think the grass will choke out any plants we put there. But Debbie is indefatigable.
Yesterday, I helped her weed-whack the grass. There were several non-grass things growing. Many of them were hard for us to identify. Some, we knew we had planted. Others looked like weeds. I tried to chop around the ones we decided we’d leave. Mostly it was daylilies and milkweed.
As I was packing to head home, I noticed how tired my arms were. And my hands were really weak and shaky. I think holding a gas-powered weed-whacker and swinging it around was secretly a lot of exercise. By the time I got home, I felt exhausted. Fortunately, I didn’t have an evening commitment last night. I tried to stay up until it was dark out. TV helped.
I went back yesterday:
I know this wasn’t just some passing fancy or temporary insanity. I have been actively watching the York Craigslist ads for the guy who I got field stones from before. He posted again, I went again. I think this will be the last time. After arranging the first stones in my garden, I came to realize that I needed more than I thought. Now I have enough. I think.
I worked in the garden yesterday! It’s been ages. On my list was weeding and pruning.
I got a lot of weeding done, but not all of it. Mostly, I just REALLY needed to get rid of some thistle plants. I don’t know specifically what these are, but they are really prolific. It’s weird, because I only had three or four of them last year, and now this year there were a TON. I’m a little worried that they have running roots and that the roots have completely covered the ground in my garden. I used my digging/weeding tool to get them out, and they had looong taproots. The roots often broke instead of coming out completely. I hope it was enough to kill them.
The pruning was mostly about the front yard. I have more to do in the back, but people see the front, and it’s been looking so raggedy. I cut the beautyberry bush to the ground, like I do every year. I am tempted to take it out all together. It’s heavily infested with wooly scale insects. I’m using high-powered poison this year, and if it doesn’t take care of the bugs, I’ll dig it out next year.
I also pruned the smoke bush. I would normally say that topping a tree or bush is an abomination, but a few years ago, the smoke bush fell over because it was too tall. I cut all the branches back to two trunks, and have been pruning it every spring since then. Actually, now that I look around on the internet a little, what I’m doing might more accurately be called pollarding. It’s an accepted practice.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
He is risen! Alleluia!
As I went shopping for an Easter tie yesterday, my goal was to find a green one. There weren’t many green ones to choose from. Either it isn’t the year for green, or I just wasn’t a very lucky shopper. But I did find an Easter tie I liked. Here it is:
I have Easter sunrise service this morning, then regular church, then a 70 degree day to enjoy. I may work in the garden. Or maybe I’ll just walk in the garden. So many beautiful flowers…
The redbud is just past it’s prime, but it still is pretty.
The first apple tree is blooming. I hope the apples don’t fall off this year.
And the Chinese fringe flower bushes keep on going and going and going. Mix these in with azaleas, and you could have flowers for two months straight.
UPDATE:
Easter Sunday church was full of people and singing. I think I get more emotional each year. My eyes leak for joy during almost all the singing of the Easter service. I think my favorite hymn is “Jesus Christ is Risen Today! Alleluia!”. If I can make it through the first two verses without choking up, the third one always gets me: “Now above the sky he’s King! Alleluia! Where the angels ever sing! Alleluia!” I can’t WAIT to sing in heaven!
