Garden Favorites

I'm really into spring. The colors of the garden, the blossoms on the fruit trees, the sounds of the birds; however, it's the yard work that throws me into a tizzy. Winters are long, (or so they seem) and I can never really clean up all the leaves that fall before the first snow. So, that makes quite a bit to do in the early days of spring. Raking, hauling manure to fertilize the gardens, trimming the bushes and cleaning up the outdoor furniture tends to become an endless chore. I want to go out to the garden centers and pick up my annuals but I know that tender plants are so susceptible to a frost that I must wait until at least May 15 before planting. In my younger years I would head to the garden center at the first signs of warm weather. Now, being a bit older, perhaps wiser also, I know that I must be patient.
I do have some color in the garden now with my beautiful hyacinths. They are scattered around the yard and provide that much needed beauty of spring that I so crave. So, patient I will be, and continue the yard cleanup with thoughts of sunshine and warm and sunny days.