Today's Work, Some Discoveries, and Tree Update

We had a wonderful 70 degree first day of spring, and I am pleased with the gardening that got done.  I had to quit around 6:30, because the back of my left leg was hurting.  I stretched, and have it propped up.  I hope it heals well so I can go back out tomorrow.  I have the week off, and am so excited to get the rest of winter put away, and start work at the veggie garden across the street.  I took these photos after I was finished with my work for the day.

I had Larry help me get started on putting chicken wire around the veggie garden to keep the rabbits out.  I used to not mind sharing with them, but they have gotten greedier and more destructive.  I have had enough.  I'll have to watch my flowers, but at least, most of them recover when rabbits munch on them.  The peas and beans don't.

We got it as far as the compost pile.  We'll have to work more on it this week.  Larry's knees were hurting, plus, I had other gardening I wanted to get done.  Much of what I planted so far is popping up.  I planted more lettuce, beets, spinach, and carrots.  I also planted peas.  Rabbits, you will not be eating these pea plants to the ground!  I did decide not to plant next to the fence, though.  I don't want you to eat from the other side.
 

Larry's parents had railroad ties on the other side of the fence.  They were in bad shape, so Larry and I replaced them with cement blocks last year.  The chicken wire is bent into the garden about 6 inches.  The information I've read said to turn the bottom the other direction, but we couldn't get it under the chain link.  We put landscape pins every foot or so, then, went ahead and covered the bottom part of the fence. You can see the green garden wire we used to attach the chicken wire to the chain link.

I cleaned out the dead growth from the area in front of the veggie garden after supper.  If my leg wouldn't have been hurting, I would have raked the leaves out.

I did not put the plants with lots of seedheads on the compost pile.  I need to turn it and put some green stuff in it so it can get warm and turn to compost.  It takes awhile when so much dry stuff is used.

 When we were almost finished in the garden, Larry commented what a mess the side of the garage was.  You most likely can't tell, but this is after I did some cleaning.  I have mints in some of those pots.  I want to see if they are alive, then put them into bigger pots.  I let sweet peas grow on the plant stands because I am trying not to plant in the smaller pots that would fit on them.  There is sand in the trash can.  I'm not sure what Larry plans to do with it.  I could put some in the garden, but I'm thinking you aren't supposed to add sand to clay soil, because it won't help improve the texture or something.
 

 I was pleased to see this blue blooming, smaller kind of comfrey I transplanted to a different flower bed survived the winter.

I forgot what these little bulbs are called, but this is their 3rd year here.

 Heidi  came over to see what I was talking about when I welcomed the bleeding hearts to spring.

This is a white blooming one.

Lady's Mantle:

The darker blooming hellebore has a couple buds.

The honeysuckle given to me by a neighbor lady when we first moved in is ready to grow.

This columbine is not in a good spot.  They aren't easy to move, so I should do it soon while it is small.

I keep showing these daffodils.  We are getting closer to having blooms!

It was cool to have a close view of the flower buds from the silver maple tree in the front yard.

The arborist said he would call tomorrow to set up a day this week to inspect the tree to see if it could be trimmed, or if it is unsafe and needs to come down.  When I told him we planned to get another opinion and estimate if he said it needs to come down.  He said if it needs to come down, they will be able to show us so we can understand that it does.

I'm not sure if I've gotten a photo or even noticed flowers like this on the tree.  I don't think they last long.  Soon, they will be those helicopter seedheads, that is, if the tree is still around.

While I was taking photos, I looked to see if I could see more holes.  I found a couple bigger ones.

I can't tell what that is inside the lower hole.  Is it some misshapen wood from the tree?  It's weird.

We've been enjoying the birds on the feeder.  The female cardinal does not stay around long enough for me to get a photo.  I saw what I think was a female black capped chickadee on the feeder today, but Larry said I scared it away when I was talking to it from inside.  I think I was telling it I wished my camera was close by, oh, and I was saying how I see that she's the female.  Well, I put the camera next to me, but only the male(s) came to eat.

Happy first day of spring!