Saturday, April 25, 2015

Happy Spring!!!!

          Happy Spring!!   I don't know about anyone else, but this winter seemed exceptionally rough on these ol' bones. Thank God that spring is faithful. Lots of downed branches and winter kill this time. For the last few days I have been working in the front yard. I always work there first 'cuz that's what the folks see from the street. My back is totally surrounded by a stockade fence. Weeds will be gone with about two hours of additional work. Daffodils almost open, Rhodies have fat buds, Josie lilacs budding. (For the record, the catalogs always say these little lilacs are "fragrant". These are the only lilacs I have to say "they STINK"). Love all my other types, sniff them continuously, but Josie --- not at all.    Planted two Primroses the other day, that's the first color. Got six giant lilies from Publisher's Clearing House; believe it or not, they are a great source for plants that you cannot find locally. These look like Easter lilies but the flowers are enormous.                                                                                                           Got some Siberian Iris and a couple of Red Hot Pokers from Wal-Mart. Phlox to come, and several Clematis to plant. There are several seed flats I started a couple of weeks ago which have all been moved to the driveway. I simply cannot help myself. Never met a plant I didn't like. Oh yeah, I also got a dwarf peach tree to replace the one that died a couple of years ago. A note to first time fruit growers; I know from first hand experience, as heart wrenching as it will be, you have to thin out your fruit crop to about one fruit per inch on the tree. As a new mommy, the first time my old peach tree got blossoms, I didn't want to thin one single precious peach off, and hence they had no room. They need air space between them so they can grow large and free. My peaches that first year were too close together hence were touching as they got bigger. This lends itself to rot and scale and all sorts of other problems. Add a few deformed fruit and a recipe for disaster- and insects. So please, please, thin that fruit in the beginning.                                                                                                                         Since that lesson with the peaches, my apple tree,(Granny Smith) and my plum do very well at harvest time. My berry patch from last year and the strawberries in their raised bed should be well established this season. Too bad to enjoy all this labor I seem to be wishing my life away. The Rhubarb I divided will be several plants this year. Gotta get stocking up on my canning jar supply.   Got do a lot of "putting up'. I actually own two water bath canners. They run double duty. You can keep one full of water on the stove in the winter to add humidity to your air and this keeps your heating bills lower. Periodically I boil the contents and let it cool. That's the old farmer in me.                                                          My Daffy-dills are open, the lilacs all have fat buds, and the tulips are finally showing some signs of promise. The plum tree should be in full bloom this week. I have already had to change the bait in my Yellow-jacket trap once. Those buggers wait for nobody; they especially are fond of my garden shed. This week I finished all the winter clean-up and can relax for the fun stuff now. Happy Digging!!!!