Wet Knees

In the high 30s to low 40s today, and still.  Sunny.

It was a cold day, but with the sun on the south facing front walk, I actually got out and did some garden clean up.  I cut back the amsonia hubrictii, the 'Frosty Morn' sedums that were still standing, and chopped the new pink rose back.  Cut down the clematis vine, and as I did I saw the tiniest little purple buds at the very base.

I repacked earth around the plants that had been tunneled into and filled in the vole holes.  I am not sure now whether I need to dig up the whole strip or not.  I'll see what comes back.  I do think the rat poison has worked.  I hope.

I saw a few green tips of onions coming up... or are they tulips?  Just a half inch high, can't tell what they are yet.

I also pruned a few things on the east side where snow has melted: cut back the Korean spirea and trimmed the new pieris where snow had broken branches.  The boxwoods came through the winter with no damage!

All in all, a real day of gardening, the first of the season.  It felt sooo good to be out there, puttering and fixing and cleaning up and seeing my plants again.  It even felt good to be kneeling in the mud --- wet knees and all!

The snow drops have all come up, but boy do I need them to multiply to get clumps and something more showy than the little isolated bits sticking up out of the mulch.  No sign of the iris reticulata yet.

I like the idea of the kinnikinnik spreading further to cover the whole space, and the snowdrops popping up through the glossy evergreen foliage.

I took a tour of the yard, slopping around in the mud and sliding on the icy pack.  Even got out to the compost bin and put some lettuce from winter salads in the bin!  First time I've been able to get out there since Christmas.

The vole damage is extensive; I'll post on that tomorrow; today I just want to document how nice it was to be outside, how good it felt to putter around the yard and how much I even enjoyed having cold wet knees!

I noticed in the winter sun today that one of the junipers out by the road cut has tiny bright blue berries on it.  They are supposed to be a favorite of cedar waxwings.  They are really a startlingly bright blue.