lilac time

One of my very favorite things to do at the end of the working day in the gardens is to cut whatever is ready and make a bouquet for my clients.  For them, after a long day at their jobs, it's nice to come home to a treat like that.  Plus I just love to do it!

Here, I used lilac and dogwood. But each week it's something different.  Spring blooms don't last long, so I make the best use of them by bringing them in and putting them all over my house.  As I type this, I can smell the white lilac (which reminds me of my mother) and crimson azalea in the mason jar on the table beside me.  (And that is a very good thing because it is so windy and cold outside, I am doing my work from inside the house today!  Even my poor puppy is on his own.)

master gardener

Try as I may, I can never outdo the Master Gardener.  Where I live, Northeast Pennsylvania, I am surrounded by hills and forests. It's just beautiful. The Delaware Water Gap and Appalachian Trail are only minutes away and I hike there as often as I can. In the spring, the streams are bulging and run into creeks that are rushing into waterfalls and are gorgeous.  It seems to surprise me every year.

In my own little corner of it all, there is a lovely woods that surrounds my neighborhood.  Every morning, I take my puppy out for his morning potty into this woods.  Today I was feeling a bit more sluggish than usual and grumpily trudged out to the woods with Bentley when I was assaulted by the most glorious fragrance (not emanating from him, I assure you)! Everywhere I turned, the wild honeysuckle was beginning to bloom and the smell was incredible!!  What a treat!!   In a few weeks from now, just as the honeysuckle dies off, the wild roses will take over.

There is a Master Gardener, and it's not me.

empire of dirt

Lest you conjure up images of gardening being a bucolic, genteel past time, I decided to show you my feet (which were encased in Wellies) after two hours of cleaning out a flower bed yesterday.  As bad as they were then, you should have seen them at the end of the day.  Not a pretty sight, I assure you.

I also got myself into an altercation with a  Herculean vine that turned out to be poison ivy.

My client's dog decided to relieve himself (in the solid form) right where I was battling the aforementioned ivy.

While working and sweating profusely, a giant wind swept by and blew the newly turned dirt right onto my wet self...and took up residence.

And to top it all off, my pretty new gardening hat gave me hat head so badly I was actually astonished (it didn't keep me from being sunburned either) - stupid hat.

And yes, I realize my socks don't match.

verses in spring

I love spring!  Really, who doesn't?  Ellis Peters said, "Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment."  Isn't that a delightfully true quote?  Now that the garden is waking up, I will endeavor to post some pictures along the way.  I've been weeding like crazy, laying Preen for the first time ever (will keep you posted as to its merits or lack thereof), and spreading holly tone and lime hither and yon.  All in preparation for the big build up of the blooming season.  Oh I can't wait!!!

The pictures I'm posting are of a fragrant and beautiful viburnum bush and a branch of the espaliered apple tree in gorgeous full bloom.


One last thought:

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.  ~Margaret Atwood

 

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

This wall has been on my mind for a few years now.  When I was first hired by this client, I dreamed about the possibilities, but it took awhile for them to decide to jump in and let me play a bit.  Little by little, I've picked at it and hammered on it and planted a garden in front of it trying to give it some character.  But still, it bugged me because it was so ugly.  Under all the paint, plaster and concrete was a beautiful old stone wall; I just knew it!  Today was a great day for me!  I got to go crazy and have it worked on by Mike and Jose.  Monday will be the final day of work, but we got a great start today.  I am so excited!!

last word on lavender

Ok. I forgot to mention it in my post about lavender, but there is some soil prep that can be done to boost your blooms. Go to your local garden center and buy some lime (I prefer pulverized - less complicated to work with), sprinkle it around the base of your plants, work it into the soil and water (or do it on a rainy day). It sweetens the soil and they love it!

Also, if you live in the Northeast I HIGHLY recommend a trip to The Well-Sweep Herb Farm located in Port Murray, New Jersey. If there is anything to know about lavender or herbs, they know it. Their selection of plants is amazing and its just a lovely property with swings for your kids, a functioning outhouse, chickens, and a cute gift shop. I love it there!

I tried adding a link to the Well Sweep, but it's not working, so I will do it manually: www.wellsweep.com

Happy gardening!