SPRING WORK

This has been a busy week! Sunny, beautiful days! We are working on lots of cleanups and mulching gardens. One property that we worked on this week is going up for sale in the next few days, so the owners want it to look good. We spent a few days sprucing up the beds, and applying a fresh layer of mulch. We have worked on this property for several years and every time that I go there I am happy that I do not have to battle deer. The picture below shows a row of Yews that are nearly destroyed every winter from the culinary habits of the local deer population.
They munch these yews down to almost nothing. The first time that I saw this, I told the owner of the home, that I did not think that the plants would recover. He stated that this happens every winter, and that they always come back. Sure enough, they did recover. But, then the next winter, the same thing happens again. When I first saw these yews I thought that they were some interesting new variety. If you look at the closeup picture, they do look very bizarre. I wish that I would have thought of it earlier, I would have taken a few of the products on the market that are supposed to repel deer, and sprayed these plants. What a great test plot this would have been. Many of the other shrubs on the property also show deer damage,
but nothing like these yews. I guess that I will just keep fighting my rabbits, and be happy that they don't do this kind of damage, and are a little easier to control.
The forecast for today was rain, so I did not plan to work in the garden. It didn't end up raining much, but it was overcast with off and on drizzle. I did spend the day in the greenhouse. I got lots done, mostly potting and repotting. It looks like tomorrow is supposed to be a much better day for gardening, so I plan to spend the afternoon doing just that. I don't like to work on Sundays, but I often make an exception for yard work. It just doesn't seem like 'work' to me.
Friday was the first day back to my 90 year old friends garden. I check in on her often through the winter months, but Friday was the first day back in her garden. She is not able to do much, but I am always amazed at what she does get accomplished moving around her garden with her walker, and her bucket of tools. She already has her tomatoes potted up and outside against the house getting toughened up and ready for planting. As I was pruning her 'Dortmund' rose bushes, in order to install new trellises, she was standing with her walker watching me work. After a short time of silence she said to me, "you sure do good work". I said, "well thank you, I try". Without missing a beat she said, 'well, I guess I've taught you everything I know". What a character! I look forward to my Friday's with her.