My daffodils broke ground weeks ago, and seemed to be inching slowly upward, until last week when they shot up four inches! Yes, spring moved in last week like it was making up for lost time⎯with tree frogs croaking up a storm, the neighbor’s peacock informing everyone that mating season has arrived and the return of the migrating birds singing their praises each morning.
With a few days of sunshine, temperatures “soaring” into the fifties, and sixteen hours lovingly tending the gardens around my home, I should have a serious case of spring fever. It hasn’t even come close to hitting me yet. Even though the frogs, peacocks and various migrating birds would beg to differ.
With all the rain we have had, I have not gotten a chance to do my normal fall and winter gardening. So, last week I made gardening the priority and began the annual chores with fall and winter catch-up work, then moved onto spring-cleaning in an attempt to get ahead⎯maybe, just maybe. I enjoyed breathing the fresh-cut grass smells, and getting up-close and personal with my flowerbeds once again. I indeed have broken ground by following the frenetic rhythm of spring⎯as evidenced by the soil stains on my jeans. But with this burst of garden exuberance, there seemed to be more back breaking than ground breaking!
I don’t usually try and take on everything at once, but with the forecast showing another wet week ahead, it is in my best interest to do what I can in the garden now. I hadn't planned on breaking ground quite so hard this week, but like the daffodils shooting upward, I shot forward in my garden. If we can just string a few more killer days of sunshine together, I know spring fever will hit me⎯it always does. And, maybe, just maybe I won’t have to continue breaking my back by squeezing so much garden exuberance in all at once. Instead, I can break ground at a more reasonable pace as spring officially rolls forward in the weeks ahead.
Always Works photo courtesy of cogdogblog