What a long time since I've visited here at my Garden Diary, - and then it was only to catch up on the time I had missed both before, during and after the big move to town.
And then winter arrived! It wasn't really a dreadful winter, - dramatic with great drifts of snow, blizzards and great storms. It was just a kind of boring, miserable, grey and dismal few months, and although the first day of spring arrived during this last week the forecast for the next seven days is still for rain and even more boring weather.
But then I am reminded that everything depends upon 'attitude'. and 'perception' and if one decides to change one's attitude and perceive these rainy days as just what the garden is most in need of, - that it will postpone the necessity for getting out the garden hose and sprinklers for a few more weeks, then life brightens considerably and besides that we will be able to use the new umbrella that came in the mail last week from the Knowledge Network.,,,,,
I have turned my back and trusted in Charles' judgement when it comes to pruning trees and shrubs, as I have almost always done - having learned early in life that he really does know best and that deep in his heart the health of the tree, or shrub, is uppermost, even though it seems to give him great pleasure to snip and saw. Frank has helped with the large trees, and has taken two truckloads of garden debris and prunings up to the burn pile at the bottom of the pasture below the house on the hill.
I am delighted with the little clumps of daffodils and tulips and other bulbs I cannot identify that are reaching upwards and growing fat and plump with emerging blooms. I looked today and the Hellebore that we brought down from the garden on the hill have pale pink petals tinged with green. I saw these as I spread some composted soil and planted the sweet peas that I hope will grow. Some of the seeds looked a little small and I wondered if they had been harvested too soon, - but if this is so there is always a tremendous new crop that will soon be putting up tendrils and climbing on the trellis up above.
In a few days I am going to go and see what progress the gardener is making, clearing away old peony and great sunflower and aster stalks, and looking for small canterbury bell shoots to mark for moving down town...
P.S. The rhubarb is numbly and red......
