After a couple days of chilly temperatures, during which we cleaned up the house a bit, spring came back with lots of sun and warm afternoons, so we've been back at work outside, getting things ready for summer. Having such a beautiful abundance of crocuses to brighten things up helps to keep spirits high, which is nice because the work is exhausting.
The big patches of wild ground ivy have also been flowering. This is another edible weed with medicinal properties, so I don't mind that it's impossible to get rid of. Mostly, I just let it grow wherever it isn't in direct competition for food crops.
I've also been getting trees and shrubs pruned, including our wild hawthorne and crabapple trees. The hawthorne trees get cherry-like fruits on them, which I'm told have some medicinal uses. We're cultivating them mostly to use as livestock feed in the future. I may eventually use some to make a hedge along the border... as you can see, the thorns are no joke!
We have many things started indoors already, just waiting for their chance to get outside in the real sun. The indoor seedlings will get their own post, but for now here's a sneak peek at our infant luffas.
It was time this year to thin the cattails back a bit, which is every bit as scary as this picture makes it look. This pond isn't very large, the ladder is only about 16' across. It is however deceptively deep, and the water under the ladder is almost 7'. I never thought that the cattails would root into the bottom at this end, but I guess time makes fools of all.
The hostas are just starting to push their tough little spikes above ground. We have a small variety here, all of them gathered for free from family members or my job sites. Last year the varigated varieties came up a bit too early and got frost-bitten at the tips, so this year I gave them some extra mulch. So far, so good!
A few of the smaller ferns have unfolded some tenuous fronds already, but these larger ones that I get fiddle-heads from are still waiting. I'm hoping I'll be munching on some of these crispy shoots soon.
Our non-edible things have been doing good as well. These daffodils have been teasing me for days, and I was really hoping some would open up before I sent this post out, but it looks like I'll have to wait at least another day.
The fragrance of the hyacinths are what really let me know that spring is here for real. This is why I haven't moved any of the seedlings outdoors yet, even though many of them are frost hardy. I don't care what the weather forecast says, if the hyacinths aren't willing to come out, it's too cold for the brassicas! 馃槀
The wild violets are another good indicator of when it's safe to start taking things outdoors, and these ones are still feeling a bit shy. Violets are another wild edible, and I like adding them to salads. They have an amazing crunch and a slightly sweet, flowery flavor.
Fruit trees will also get their own post, but for now here's a pic of the new pear tree we picked up a couple weeks ago. This one had the healthiest looking root ball when I put them in the ground, and seems to be settling in and stretching itself out quite nicely.
Spring is also a good time for kicking out old brush stumps. Rather than try to dig these stubborn suckers out when I cleared the woods, I just cut them off low enough to mow over and wait a few years. Eventually, I can give them a couple good kicks with my boot heel and they pop right out. If only this worked as well on the trees! The blackish lump is one of the stumps, the little 12" chainsaw is there for scale.
I always get a few good vines when I get to cleaning up the woods. This one is a parasitic vine that grows on the ash trees, and isn't strong enough to use for building projects. I usually just burn them or make them into vine wreaths. This one is almost 50' long, and should make a pretty impressive wreath.
I was able to get another twist in the trunks of my 'rescue' cherry tree this year. I got this tree, another cherry, and a white birch as throw-away seedlings from grounds maintenance at a local food bank building almost 6 years ago, all of them less than 5" tall. The birch is now almost 8', this cherry is about 6', and the smaller cherry is about 3' tall. They spent their first 3 years in small pots under lights in my basement, and have been outdoors for the last 3 years.
I'm going to press pause here, before I get too carried away. This seems like a nice post now, there's no need for me to use all 45 of the pictures I moved into the folder for it! It's one of the well known secrets to success in entertainment, don't give everything away in the first act.
Another one, and much more important in my opinion, is to always leave them wanti