Unfortunately they were right. We've had a few more snowfalls (even some yesterday, but at least no accumulation) and we had a lot of rain. It was colder than expected, and we all complained about it endlessly. This is your second job as a Canadian, to bitch about the weather.
I developed that annoying "drive". I am ready for spring, but it is not here yet. I started a spring cleaning thing. A very disorganized effort, an hour here, and hour there. One day this shelf, the other day that closet. Boxes are being filled with stuff that needs to be donated, and the wardrobe got the good old scrutiny. Like everyone who does this, I am amazed at the amount of stuff you can accumulate. Even some furniture was axed.
Imagine the pleasant surprise when today there is bright sunshine, and it is not even a workday! Just one degree above freezing this morning, but dry enough to attack the front lawn. Out came the rakes, and it got a good thorough raking. One whole lawn-waste bag full of dead grass was collected. And I picked up every stone that the snowblower had thrown onto the lawn over the winter. (The fun part of the unpaved driveway.) Really the whole lawn needs it, but this is our limit for the day. Unfortunately the photographer developed some ugly blisters, even with gloves.
My supervisor was there too. Whenever I am in the garden there is a robin that stays at about 20 foot distance, and watches what I do, so I have nicknamed him my supervisor. This has been going on for years, and I can't imagine it is the same bird all this time. It makes you wonder, what don't they want me to find.........?
Apart from the grass greening from all the rain and the tulip tips which have not grown much, there were some unexpected signs of life. In one flowerbed there are some glory of the snow blooming. They are an accidental transplant that came in years ago with some elephant ferns, and I always forget that we have them. They look very much the worse for wear this year, as if they suffered quite a bit from the cold and the wet.
While taking the picture a honey bee appeared and began to collect from one of the flowers. You have to look carefully, the bee is on the middle flower. Click on the image to blow it up.
When I trimmed away the dead stalks of the sedum to expose the new growth, I discovered that something has dug a hole right next to it. A single bird feather is left in the hole.
And look at this "great" discovery:
Just what I needed to find. We have grubs in the lawn! The damage is from (likely) skunks and birds digging to get at the grubs. The exposed ground is peppered with hundreds of small round holes. So far we have been lucky enough not to have to deal with this pest. I have been searching around on the internet since I came back inside to try to figure out how to get rid of them. It seems the only thing available to us is nematodes, as everything else has been outlawed.
I quickly removed some dead plant material in the back as well, but it is a little depressing to see the damage done by the sewer connection last November. The holes dug were filled with in sand, and nothing is going to grow there without major effort first to amend the ground.
Tomorrow again rain, but Sunday is supposed to be dry again. It looks like it will be in fits and starts this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment