Compost time

It was either mow the lawn or dig out the compost heap yesterday. And it just didn't seem right to have to mow the lawn in April. So the compost heap won. I have 3 big wire bins that are awkwardly tucked between a crumbling stone fireplace that has seen better days and an equally unscenic chain link fence. At least the fence was once green and is now rusty, it blends into the landscape, sort of.

Anyways, the bins work great, they're just difficult to get to them. I end up having to dig out while I'm standing in them. Good exercise! The bottom half of all 3 bins was ready to use. The rest of the contents has been shifted into two bins with lots of compost starter sprinkled through them. This may be the year I get a second 'crop' of compost.

After all that work, what a treat it was to be able to put my own compost on my roses. I hope they appreciate my labor and grow, grow, grow.

Ladybird poppies

Last July, these gorgeous poppies were in full bloom at Easton Walled Gardens in Lincolnshire. I hope they'll grow here too. Bought several packets and scattered one around the front garden last week. But it's been bone dry since then and I haven't had time to water. I have another packet to sow if I see signs of life. Wish me luck.

Crabgrass battle commences!

The time to start the crabgrass battle is when the forsythia starts to bloom. That means it's warm enough for the crabgrass seeds to start germinating. Even with the early bloom, I was prepared with 6 huge bags of corn gluten. The seed still germinate, but the corn gluten kills the root as it's trying to grow. So out came the spreader and down went 120 pounds of the stuff. I spread an extra thick layer around the edge of the lawn where the crabgrass is the worst.

The corn gluten is also a fertilizer. Almost instantly the grass greened up and started growing like crazy. Mowing in April???

March heat wave

The March heat wave brought on an early bloom of crocuses, daffodils, forsythia and everything else. The daffodils burst into bloom while I was out of town in late March, when Albany temperatures were just as warm as the part of Florida I was visiting for a few days.

From Florida I flew to DC, where the cherry blossoms were also blooming earlier than they have in their 100 year history.  It was incredibly hot and crowded around the tidal basin the afternoon we visited. Stayed long enough to take a few photos and then escape the crowds.

On a rainy Saturday in DC, we briefly wandered through the lovely Mary Livingston Ripley Garden.