Planting the New Yard

Such a spring.  After all of the cold and the snow in May, summer has finally arrived.  Oh, I know summer is officially a month away, but with 90 degree weather, it feels like summer.

It has been interesting to see what has come up in the yard at our new house.  The beautiful tulips and iris have put on a show.  The bulbs that I brought with me made the transition and are putting out leaves and flowers.  The only thing that didn't make the move was a high bush cranberry, but luckily there were two here in the yard already.

Grandpa and I have torn out several sprawling half-dead spirea, and we have replaced them with daylillies and canas we brought with us and monarda that I bought at the nursery.  We've torn out dead evergreens and replaced them with hydranges and lots of mulch until we decide what to plant.  Around the mail box we've created a rock garden with phlox and lilies, lavender and lambs ears, daiseys and coneflowers. creeping phlox and Russian sage.  It should be glorious when everything blooms.

I noticed this morning that the blackberries are blooming.  It is usual for them to bloom this time of year, but we also usually get "blackberry winter" when the temperature usually cools off for a few days when they bloom.  So if the 90 degress we are having today is "blackberry winter", we may be in for another long, hot summer.

Destruction

Beware the ides of March is what Caesar was told.  It was a warning I should have heeded too.  Today the power company came to exercise it's privilege of right-of -way.  There are transmission lines running over the front corner of our property near the road.  For 20 years no one has said a thing.  But today the men in the trucks came to clear 100 feet under the lines.  We lost two beautiful, big white pine trees, two big bald cypress, a short leaf pine, and two trees from the orchard.  It was so sad.  I feel worse about these tree than I felt when the dog died! I think of the habitat for the birds, the carbon they were storing, the shade a beauty they gave us.  It makes me weep.  But at the same time, if a storm blew them into the power lines and the little man down the road couldn't use his respirator, or a sick child had no heat or air, I would feel terrible.  I have to consider the trees my sacrifice for the greater good of the community.  But still I am incredibly sad.

So time to replan the space.  Nothing can be planted there.  But wildflowers might work.  They won't bother the power lines, and they will still add some beauty.  I will have to think about this, but I think wildflowers or big sunflowers might work.  They are seasonal like grass.  Of maybe I can plant grasses for quail habitat.  There are possibilities.  When one thing is destroyed, we must mourn it for a while and then plan and create and grow something positive from the dust.

Redbud: Edible Beauty

My redbud is in full bloom right now, and April is the perfect time to take those tiny pink blossoms and add them to a salad.  They are quite edible and add a unique splash of spring color to a green salad.  Watch for the young green pod that will form later on the tree.  These are also edible and can be cooked and used as you would snow peas!