Major advances this weekend, even if the weather is not cooperating.

The crabapple is in nice bloom. Sprayed btk on all the apple trees. The pears are breaking leaf.

Two trilliums have returned.

Bought olive trees!

Moved the pink rose standard to Astrid’s and gave it a good shot of hen manure. Bought four bags of cow manure from Home Depot. Roughly moved the peony from the edge of the patio to the rear with the winterberry. Roots on it like parsnips.

Composter is back together. Tidied up. Got the Berbers in the one urn and one pot. The colour. Stunning.

$78 at Home Depot.

Planted. Yes indeed and right on time. Turned and planted a bed in the veg garden; tomatoes, peppers, basil, oregano, tarragon… Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. A chilly day.

The big news was last weekend! Kevin, Dan , Rory and I fixed (?) the crumbling stone rubble wall between 82 and 84 Badgerow. And then Mark arrived form Montreal and Dawn and everyone got to put their name in the wet cement. Fabulous and really moving.

We even, by accident, left a crevice in the wall for a lone mud bee. He/She found the way back home. Seems to like the haskberry a lot.

First time to Loblaws garden center this year. $250 but that included three pots for the top deck and two soaker hoses.

And like every year, all that winter planning start to fly out the window. Raining almost every night this week.

Bruce tree came and pruned the sycamore and topped the row of cedars near the parking pad! Had them leave the cuttings. Then in cutting them up for mulch, you guessed it, sliced my thumb with the pruners. Ouch.

Had some good rain last week. Just loving the rhubarb this year.

Emptied the composter to make way for some wall repairs. Delighted to say there was some heat in the pile. Was really tempted to leave it cook, but the stone wall took a real beating this winter so something has to be done.

Just saw Julie and Jack in their yard. The rain today was brutal and cold. Worked in the yards Saturday and Sunday. Yes plural. Finally got started on cleaning up the beds at #14. Took down the chain link!

Even if the ground is still frozen about four inches down, spring is almost here.

Bought hen manure at East End. They don’t make good old 10-10-10 anymore apparently. Spread it around Astrid’s beds and a bit along the westerly beds on our side. Some up by the red bud, really hope it does well, this is its third year in.

Pulled and ate some green onion tonight. Nice but a bit strong. 15 bulbs of garlic are up and the rhubarb looks positively prehistoric. The deepness of the red stalk, simply crimson.

Little green shoots here and there. Overcast and about 15.

Found the muriate of potash at east end garden center. It does not call for much. Spread a few handfuls around. Put the winter fertilizer on all the grass front and back and rear of 14.

Ground is still frozen. Redid the front planters, put in pansies. A happy shot of colour.

Happy Birthday Astrid.

Dormant oil, by the directions. Well except I free poured the sulphur and the lime. I think I almost have it down. It does mean I have to keep the trees pruned to ladder height.

It was at least ten degrees and the night time temps are hovering near zero. Just had to put a few pea seeds in by the warm north west corner of the veg garden – in front of the figs. Fingers crossed. Used the last little bit of sulfite? on the blueberries. They are not looking too bad.

Prosecco with Jon and Astrid and Virginia and Dan on Astrid and Jon’s deck. John opened the cafe. Ken has a chest cold.

>

First full day of gardening! Cleaned up hither and yon.

Bruce Tree Experts.

Put two tablespoons of 17-17-17 on each of the pears and around the cornus venus’. The ground is frozen, the compost is still icy from the snow I put in there this winter. The mulched leaves are a powerful insulater. The tree onions and the strawberry leaves are green.

Bought a pair of Easter lillies.

Got a six hundred dollar quote to have the sycamore and the cedars pruned. Should have done that years ago.

First day of actual puttering. Everything is frozen solid.

I think I have found it. A copper pipe trellis design

>

This event keeps getting smaller and smaller every year it seems. A few hundred forced bulbs does not make for a lot of inspiration. Really a shame.

All I could find to take home was some trilliums!

$30 for six from Humber nurseries. I think I will pot them up now as I won’t be able to get them in the ground for another month or more and they are likely to start to sprout before then.

At least it’s another day that does make it feel like spring is on the way.

Showing the lower unit as they cut concrete next door. A fog of dust, even in our kitchen.