Spring, Again

We returned from Tucson on Friday, March 23.  The weeds were out of control.  We had a couple of decent days, so we both turned to and pulled the most critical ones, the bittercress that was blooming and days away from dispersing thousands of seeds.  Since then, we've slowly worked on the remaining weeds, so by now it looks pretty good.

We're eating carrots that were planted last fall, which are huge but still very good.  Also, we've had some leftover chard.  There are a few leeks left, but they are pretty big.  I haven't tried one yet. 

I moved the rhubarb to a bed in back, the better to care for it.  I sowed several kinds of carrots, chard, kale, a lettuce mix and snap peas.  And I planted a single row of potatoes, both yellow and red ones.

Last weekend Carolyn and Ken came for lunch.  After lunch, even though the weather was cold, windy and occasionally rainy, she and I went out in the yard and she showed me how to dig and divide dahlias.  Yesterday I spent all day working on them, and now they are all divided and replanted in the bed among the fruit trees and near the back of the garage.  It was a big project, but I'm glad I did it.  With any luck I won't have to do it again.  I'll plant something small along the path where the dahlias were.

I cleaned out the strawberry bed and they look good.  The peach and pear trees are blooming.  With all this rain, I'm afraid the bees won't be out to pollinate them.  So I went out with a brush and hand pollinate some of the lower flowers. 

The lilies that I had ordered arrived yesterday, so I've planted them among the new roses.  Whew!
Fortunately for me, the week ahead looks like rain every day.  Time to catch my breath.