Robins, Swallows, Tadpoles, Near Fullness...

It never ceases to amaze me how fast things happen once the spring really comes in. We haven't had a night below freezing for a couple of weeks, and it doesn't look like we will for this season (knock on wood).

The toads singing in the pond joined together and produced an amazing number of eggs, which now are clumped up in the shallow end of the pond. I took a few into the house in a large vase, and those have matured faster, probably because of the higher temperatures inside. They are swimming around a little. Outside, the ones in the pond are still in rows, not yet emerged from their gelatinous casings. But I bet they will do better in the long run.

Bill was off on Monday, so we had a three day work week. We got a lot done. Friday I cut the lawn after a couple of hours of yard work. Saturday was cold and rainy, so we shopped some and found some Rhododendrons for the front garden. I had been to Fernau's on Friday, and already had broccoli and leeks and onions to plant whenever the garden was ready.

Sunday we worked very hard. In the front garden we divided the grasses, a huge job. Once all of them were replanted, smaller and ready to be vigorous, we put in the three Rhododendrons that we bought Saturday. That doesn't sound like much, but it took most of the day. We did find time to work on straightening up the stem of the corner Juniper in the evergreen garden. The view of it from the house has been distracting for some time, and I hope we can successfully straighten it up.

Monday, Bill revved up the roto-tiller, and to my amazement it started on the first pull (though Bill later told me he had been working on it and trying to start it for some time before I came to be the anchor weight for a full-out pull.) I don't know that it has ever started that well. I pruned bushes, tried to pull the dead stuff out from the Alpine Clematis on the gazebo, watered plants, took out dead branches from the Hydrangeas on the east side of the hou se. Once Bill was done with the tilling, I planted the broccoli, leeks and onions in the new garden. Bill brought out the outer hose, and we got it strung out under the yard t hrough the PVC tunnel out to the island. Then he brought out the screens and put most of them up, with a tiny bit of help here and there from me.

We won (bought) a very nice plant stand for the deck at the Rotary Shines event last Tuesday. I've got the cacti out on it right now, but I don't think they will be the final sum mer residents. It is very pretty, and I look forward to seeing it later on.

This week I brought the Rex Begonias up from the basement, and put them out on the front porch. The planters are ready, and I will put them in shortly, I think. All of the basement plants, except for a couple of begonias I'm keeping safe just in case, are up and out now. And most thinks are out of the kitchen and living room also.

Newly Blooming this week: Jack in the Pulpits, Rhododendrons, birch, willow, Tulips!, Prairie Smoke, Apples, Serviceberry, Choke Cherry, Lungwort, Trilliums, Violets, Potentillia, Grape hyacinth, Ninebark, Bleeding Heart, Forget-Me-Nots, Magnolia, Marsh Marigold, Primrose, geranium sanguineum, Bergenia cordifolia, ....

I'm so happy to find the Forget-me-nots, given to me a number of years ago by Marsha Dawson. They tend to grow where they want to grow, and not necessarily where I choose to plant them. These have migrated from the garden to the woods, but they are coming up each year somewhere. Never can count on them, but can't forget them either.

Sprouting newly this week: Liatris, Joe-Pye Weed, Japanese Maple, Hostas coming on big time, Butterfly Weed, Russian Sage, Dill weed seedlings, Cleome seedlings, Leaves of the ninebark, ash, and many other trees, Oh, pretty much everything is showing signs of life.

Things are speeding up, and now is the time I wish things would slow down so I could enjoy every minute of the changes. I do love the growing season.