Spring Is Sprung

The nights are still a bit cool for setting out tomatoes, but we are definitely enjoying some springlike weather.

Now, where was I before Blogger started misbehaving and would not upload photos?

Here is my nascent woodpile, what the tree service left behind for me. I don't use my fireplace very often, so this should last me a while. Last winter, a co-worker gave me some of his wood, since he had been removing dead trees from his property, and I have since added the last of that to this pile.



My yard usually sports a brush pile of some sort, and here is this year's. Technically, residents of our fair city are not supposed to have brush piles, but no one has complained to Neighborhood Code Enforcement... yet. The brush pile also provides fuel for my fire bowl, for when we get a hankerin' for roasting hot dogs. This pile is now a bit bigger, because my son trimmed back the privat that runs along the back of my lot so I can mow behind the fence.



Speaking of the mower, it's self-propelled and last Friday, it stopped self propelling. I took it to a new lawn equipment place that is relatively close to my house, but they have not yet called me about it. The claim ticket does not have their name or phone number on it, and they are so new, they are not in the phone book and I can't remember the name to look it up online. This morning I will be driving by, on my way to the dentist, so I will have to take a gander and at least get the name of the place. In fact, I may just stop by.

These blossoms are on the chokeberry viburnum, the poor thing. Its first winter in my yard, it got chewed up something fierce, so I put chicken wire around it. Something - a chipmunk? a groundhog? - still keeps pruning it. Now that it is blossoming, it seems to be safe, but once the berries set, watch out! I planted it for the wildlife, but they are supposed to take the berries, not whole branches.



This is viburnum sargenti, aka onondaga sargent viburnum. It, like several of my shrubs, is a little scrawny, thanks to rabbits and the dry weather we have experienced two out of the three summers since I planted them. I think it could use more sun, too.



And, finally, the bleeding heart continues to amaze. I wish these bloomed all summer long. I am enchanted by the lovely shape of the flowers.



I'm still not caught up with this blog, but today's entry is a start. This is the best way I know to keep a gardening diary, but ya gotta write stuff down on a regular basis. More later.