Waiting for Spring

This is a difficult time of year for me.... Is it spring or is it still winter?  Are we going to HAVE spring this year or go right into Fall?  If we have a nice spring, does that mean we'll have a horrible summer?  

So many questions.  Last year our April was absolutely gorgeous!  In the 70's all month long.  Now, this is incredible for a couple reasons.... we hardly ever get weather in the 70's in the middle of our best summer and here we're sunny AND warm in April!  And did we live to regret it?  You bet we did! 

The rest of our summer was horrible.  Normally we will start our winter cleanup around now, picking up branches that have fallen in wind storms, raking up the million pine cones that have fallen, picking up trash that has blown into our yard, more raking, tidying up gardens.  Last summer our weather was so horrible that we struggled all summer long to even get our spring clean up done.  We were still pruning damaged shrubs well into Fall.  Summer came and went at the blink of an eye. 

Yes, this is our dilemma....  what kind of summer are we going to have. But first.... we need to feel that spring has finally arrived.

I can honestly say that I believe it has....  At least the little red nubbins of the rhubarb have poked their shiny red heads up through the frozen ground.  That's no easy task!  We've had a few nice, sunny days but it hasn't been warm.  This weekend it was gorgeous, but the 41 degrees felt more like 32 degrees. 

We've already done a lot of our spring clean up but still more to go before we can welcome summer.  I'm anxiously awaiting some green to start forming on my shrubs, maybe a little yellow from Trollius to shine on our yard. 

But, for now, everything is still pretty brown. 

Yes, spring always brings with it hope.... hope for a sunny summer.... time spent outside without having to bundle up.... picnics.... hot dog roasts.... and a yard filled with color.  So far we're off to a good start.  Wish us luck! 

Later! 
Nancy

gnome sweet gnome

Have you ever told a little white lie?
To your three year old granddaughter?

Meet my resident garden gnome. 
He  lives in this stump.
Behind this door.

He comes out occasionally to enjoy the weather. 

My granddaughter asks, "does he move?"  Of course he does!

"Can I open his door?"  No... no you can't. 

For you see, this little gnome (like all gnomes) will play possum when a human approaches.

They'll look just like a statue....

Then we leave them alone.

That's what I tell her.

And she believes me. 

But you can see her cautiously peaking around the astilbe that protects his little home in hopes of getting a glimpse of my garden gnome. 

When she's not looking, I'll gingerly move him a little, much to her dismay that she missed him in motion again! 

This is Henry.

Or maybe it's Harvey.

I don't know.... it could be Frank. 

My grandson will walk around the circle garden asking, "what's his name?"  "What's his name?"

He never catches on that they have different names every time he asks. 

This could be Jeremy.

Or Justin.

I'm pretty sure this is Frank, though.

I love my garden gnomes and in case you think I'm a non-believer....
I believe in gnomes!  And garden fairies!
And as far as telling a little white lie to my granddaughter, it's not really a lie as long as you Believe.... Is it...? 

Yes.... I love my garden gnomes. 
There's no place like gnome home. 

Later!  Nancy

Ordinary Yard Art

I love yard art! 
And anything will do.
It can be an old tin bowl collecting water for the dog....

Or a rusty wood stove insert used as a planter box.

This old bucket is waiting for its next tenant. 

An old watering can just sitting there collecting rain water. 

Stepping stones to nowhere and back. 

They give the allusion of good things to come.

And barrels strategically placed to gather rain water.

And to offer a hiding place for the peanuts the mice hide underneath....

Even a bird bath can be yard art when it's dry. 

One of my favorite pieces is this old garden plow that was my husband's great uncle.

And the old, rusty bucket looks perfect perched on a stump. 

Bird houses are a must in any garden.

Especially those perched on a mossy stump.

They're just decorative; birds don't nest in them.

Even a large basket can be used as yard art when flipped on its side and filled with sedums.

That's just some of my yard art.  More later.  Nancy