Spring in Action

Spring in the yard is fun. First, there are a few bold yellow forsythia blooms. Last year we had only a glimpse of these flowers, but this year's cool weather kept the blossoms for weeks! Then, the bright, fresh bursts of green start to appear. Light green in the trees, dark green in the grass, and fresh growth takes over the brown of the winter. This is why green is my favorite color.

backyard forsythia

rose of sharon foliage

And then come the daffodils, followed by the tulips, and eventually, the azaleas! Every day there is something new in bloom, but it goes so fast that its hard not to miss something.

daffodil

tulip

tulip

azaleas

red azalea

white azalea

pink azalea

pansies

Some find yard work a chore, but most often for me, its a time of quiet, contemplation and the pleasure of watching the day to day changes of growth. It also feels great to work hard, break a sweat, then shower off and sit down to enjoy the result of labor.

Last year, my neighbor shared many thriving lariope plants that I used to fill a boarder between our house and his fence. He was happy to be rid of the extras after splitting his and I was happy for the ground cover. Now I know why he was so pleased to share with me! I made the effort to split my own in the backyard that had grown quite large after several years without maintenance. It was a tough job to dig them out, cut the root balls into several large chunks, and then prepare the new area for planting. I chose a spot along a flowerbed and lawn boarder that had been inundated with wild violets, which are aggressive weeds in our yard. I transplanted the lariope to the new boarder, about a foot distance between each plan. I hope it won't be too tight. They look like they have a lot of space now, but once they get going, I expect it will become a dense boarder. I clipped last year's leaves off to prepare the plants for this year's new growth. And then I was tired!

split lariope clump

boarder prepped for lariope transplants

planted and trimmed

the new lariope boarder

The cold frame has really worked! I had my doubts mid-winter whether anything would survive, but by early February, the kale, chives, rosemary, spring onions and lettuces had come back to life. Now they are thriving. Over the last few weeks I've clipped the plastic open so that my veggies get more fresh air. With varied spring weather, its also good to have it open so that the plants don't bake under the plastic during the days when the temperature spikes up.

inside the cold frame

cold frame

The difference a week can make

It's amazing how much can take place in one week. This one has been a personal whirl-wind, and the garden has progressed too. The raised bed was built last Saturday and today, there are sprouts poking out from that beautiful organic soil.


My freshly planted seeds of lettuces, kale, kohlrabi, swiss chard and peas faced three days in the 80s and 90s, followed by a deep cool rain and 60s sunshine. Not much has had the chance to germinate, but the Siberian Kale is up.


I transplanted the two varieties of garlic that I started in the sun porch into the raised beds. I'm hoping that they won't be a tasty treat for the bunny rabbits. Although I haven't seen them, I've been warned there is a family near. Hopefully, we'll all get along.


I bought two broccoli and rosemary plants to add to the beds. The broccoli wasn't planned, but I couldn't resist! It'll fit, right? I'll be adding more rosemary and marigold plants in the future, intermingled with the other vegetable plants. Both are known to be a good companions to many of my planned veggies. I couldn't locate nasturtium flowers to include as well. I'll continue to be on the look out for them.

Changes also continue by the hour in the sun porch. The tomatoes I ordered by mail arrived and my seedlings are progressing. Here's the Heirloom Rainbow Blend and the Julia Child Heirloom tomato seedlings (thanks for the seeds, Mom!).

The yard is in bloom. Heath and I were surprised to find that we have azalea bushes in the front! They are pink, white and red. I thought the bushes were a bit unsightly - which they are when not in bloom - but he blossoms are an unexpected bonus! Daffodils, tulips and the new cherry tree are all blooming.

I'll never forget visiting the National Arboretum last year with my mom during the azalea bloom. We snuck out for a walk during a light rain and were stunned by the beauty of a woods nearly full of azalea blooms of many colors, shapes and sizes. I recommend a visit They are currently in bloom...

It's time to head out to enjoy.