Wish spring would get here

It’s 34 degrees here at noon on April 20^th –unbelievable.  I woke up this morning to a light covering of snow on the grass and car and snow flurries swirling around.  Had to pump out the basement again and the yard is half submerged in water.  The roads are wash boarded and almost impossible to drive on.  Come back global warming!

We did manage to work on some of our garden projects whenever the weather was nice for a few hours.  Between our old crippled bodies and the weather the gardening is going very slowly.    On Thursday before the storms arrived I managed to plant two grape vines.  We got the back lattice fence for the new vegetable garden up last week and early this week we got the forms for 3 new raised veggie beds put together.  I don’t know when I’ll get to fill them and lay the woodchip paths as the ground is saturated.  There are two more beds to be made.

The fence in back of the new veggie garden.

 

I planted strawberries in one of the old veggie beds and two Saskatoon plants where the old strawberry bed was.  The strawberries went where I had planted corn last year.  I shredded some of the old corn debris still there and put it over the dormant plants so when they start growing there will be a little protection. 

I keep getting plants that I mail ordered and it’s impossible to plant the potted, leafed out things yet.  It’s too cold and wet so I have them all on the back porch, which has good light and while it’s not heated doesn’t freeze out there.  A few small things are on the kitchen window sill.   I have plants from Old House Gardens, Jungs, Gurneys and Bluestone Perennials all sitting here.   I plan on potting some more of them in a few hours.

Outside the crocus in the outer beds are blooming and there is color in the early daffodil buds.  On Thursday when it was 75 degrees I noticed the forsythia buds were showing color.  I hope this cold shot doesn’t kill the blooms like the weather did last year.  The flowering quince was also showing color in the bud.  The maple trees are blooming.  I really want to get working on my plans for redoing the front flower beds but the rain, cold spells and wet ground are setting me back.

Re-cycled tube from construction site used as a birdbath base.

My son is the ultimate hoarder of such things as building materials.  He works at construction sites putting in heating-cooling systems.  He brings home every bit of unwanted wood, spilled nails and screws, pieces of left over metal etc.   He gave me two thick, sturdy round tubes about 3’ high.  He said they are from larger pieces that are put over timbers to make them look like pillars. They are pale gray but textured and will take any paint.   I have used one to put my cement bird path on, instead of the stump it was formally on.  Now I need to decide if I want to paint it or see if it will weather to a better color. 

New path in front yard.

I really want to get moving on the new plans for the front flower beds but the weather is proving to be an obstacle.  I wanted to see what survived winter and how crowded the beds looked before I bought new plants for the front, and I am still making some decisions.  But I feel the need to get the vegetable garden re-make done before I proceed to ornamental things.  Maybe I took on too many projects at once.  I sure am hoping that spring is here to stay now so I can get some things done.