I'll Call it Spring?

 Strange weather has been the byword for months now.  A year so abnormally dry, when I cleaned the last of the flower beds behind the Cabin last Saturday, the dust was flying.  But - the Rain came!  Our total by the afternoon of Saturday the 15th, was just under 2".   

4-11-2023 - Daffodils~

What a difference it made!  Our front lawn, that Butch had mowed & fertalized while he was home - greened up overnight!  My hostas broke ground & tulips grew at least an inch!

4-18-2023 Nika's tree~

As Nika's tree began to bloom, I was sad.  This is the first spring without Nika being here with us~  

4-12-2021 Nika & her new little tree~

After a huge mess, torn up lawn & another fence panel destroyed, the piles of wood from the Mulberry tree are finally gone!  The east fence looked so bare, after years of viewing the piles of wood.  I'd even put a "free wood" ad on the local Facebook page & didn't receive one response. 

 Taking down the huge old tree, was one of the first things we did after moving in.  It was leaning toward the neighbor's house, hollow down the center & we didn't want it falling either direction.  I thought I'd "do something" with the wood, but that just didn't happen.  

4-7-2023 New Emerald Green trees on the east fence~

My timing was perfect, since Home Depot had just received their spring shipment of potted Emerald Greens.  It will take them a while, but eventually they'll provide something of a privacy screen.  The cost to have the fence repaired is almost double what it was a year ago, after the neighbor damaged it. (He did cover the cost.)

Tulips!

I haven't seen all the rabbits we had last year & thankfully the tulip blooms were not chewed off!  Maybe the fox that's been coming by had something to do with it?   I've used my repellant granuals liberally - just in case!

4-20-2023 The woods ~

The woods are returning to life!  Flowers undermined by the moles last season, are breaking ground.  The phlox starts Clara gave me have doubled in size, as have the bleeding hearts!  All the peonies too - have grown.  Now!  If the record low forecast for tonight doesn't burn everything - I'll hope to see more blooms soon!

Summer Begins ~

 Spring is gone, summer is here.  With it, the heat & humidity have returned.  We're again just over four-inches below normal for rainfall.  Thursday evening a thunderstorm with strong wind gusts rolled through.  Many trees sustained damage, but ours were fine.  Another storm came in last night.  Our rain gauge says we've received over 1.5" so far.  It's not Nika's favorite time of year :-(

Tinkle Branch Trail~

I've been braving the humidity to get caught up with all the weed-whacking, edging & mowing.  Butch had been hauling water for the  plants in the woods.  

Beautiful, but very invasive~

This year, the dominate ground covers seem to be a lime green grass, (above & yet to be identified),  Violets & Creeping Charlie.   I've managed to control the stinging nettles & mowing keeps the weeds from going to seed.

Edge of the Woods~

In March, a big wind storm blew my gold stainless gazing ball away...  Weeks later, I was working at the SE corner, along the creek, when I looked down to see it floating in the water!  It had been stopped by a small jam of branches!  Dirty & almost full of water, Butch waded in to recover it!

Polish Spirit Clematis~

It's been a struggle, but the Clematis I planted on the Cabin light post is climbing & blooming this year!  The Echinacea are in full bloom & I'm expanding their area.  I love seeing the butterflies visit.

Mr. Snapping Turtle returned to the marsh.  He dug a deep hole, coming & going for several weeks.  It makes all the work worth while, seeing the changes the last year has made, in both the Marsh & the Woods.  Almost all of last years plant starts, have come up.  The biggest disappointment has been the ferns.  I'd transplanted so many - evidentially our harsh winter killed them off.

The Marsh~

The young trees struggling for light, when trying to compete with the Honeysuckle, are now growing!  Most are Ash, but there are three Catalpa trees! The one behind the signpost is so beautiful!  The shade the large leaves provide is perfect for the hosta's I've planted along the old log.  The blooms are big & showy.  

My friend Laura, offered me large leaved hosta's she didn't need, from the front of her house.  I made several trips & have planted at least 25 starts on the hill in the woods!

6-4-2021 The view~

The Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer tree we planted April 12th, is doing fine.  It doesn't seem to mind the heat & will provide much needed shade for the south side of the house.  The tree is famous for it's fall color, too.  Speaking of fall, this year, I plan to stay close to home.  I'm looking forward to the crisp days & time on the trail, I missed last year.