Category Archives: spring cleanup

Racing To Catch Up

pollinators, spring cleanup, the Horror!, the Lot

The Other Half and I were fortunate to take an over 2 week trip to the UK toward the end of May this year. It was wonderful. But now I have been playing catch-up on the Lot ever since!

Memorial Day is a book end to the bulk of the growing season here in our corner of Zone 6a. It is often the long, holiday weekend in which I attempt to have everything in the ground, containers and baskets complete, warm season veggies planted, etc. Well, this season my Memorial weekend push has lasted about 4-5 weeks.

Today while I was working I had a visitor at the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). The monarchs are back!

Spring Tommies

bulbs, spring, spring cleanup

Happy first day of Spring! Temperatures today only reached 45 degrees fahrenheit, a bit cooler than the previous few weeks. However, the sun was out and I was cutting back dead stalks of sedum, coneflower, and bee balm left up throughout the winter. I snapped a photo of this little tommy (Crocus tommasinianus) before coming in for the evening.

tommy bloom

Spring is Stirring

backyard bed, spring, spring cleanup, the Lot

We had a 57 degree afternoon today and I could not stay out of the garden. I put the collars on the four footed management, grabbed the camera, and we headed outside. While cutting back the dead mum stalks, I found these velvety shoots at the crown of the plant.

031315_mum-sprouts

I didn’t clear away all the leaves because we still have some frosty nights ahead of us. However, all across the garden I discovered similar signs of Spring. The management discovered the new catnip sprouts. We were all very happy.