WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

Wow! I can't believe that I have not posted anything since Easter!
Spring hit in full force, and we have been busy. I am so tired when I get home at night, all I get done on the computer is check my mail. I really miss reading all of the regular blogs that I check in on. I haven't forgotten you, I just don't have much time right now.
I did get to spend the weekend in my own garden. Both days were absolutely perfect weatherize, so I couldn't resist. I am amazed at what a difference you can make in a day in the garden.
My herb garden did not get cleaned up last Fall, so it was first on the list for this Spring. I needed to cut everything back, and then cover the entire thing with leaves. The garden measure around 20 by 50 feet, so it's a large area. But I was fired up and ready to go Saturday morning. This picture shows how it looked last Fall, so you know that I had my work cut out for me.
I began by cutting off all of the dead herbs and cleaning out the planters. I had my husband dump a load of leaves in the vegetable garden that is right next to the herb garden, last Fall, so I didn't have far to get them to the garden. I used my trusty garden way cart, one of the tools that I couldn't garden without. When filled with leaves, it covers a pretty large area. I usually lay them about 3-4 inches thick, allowing for some of them to be blown away. Once the herbs start growing, they will stay in place, but while it is bare, they tend to fly around.
I am not very good at sticking with one job until it is completed and then moving on. I get bored, so usually do a job for awhile, and then do something else, and then back to the original job.
So, I would clear an area, cover it with leaves, and then continue like that until it's done. It took the entire day, but by evening, the job was done. What a relief! It is so much easier to do when nothing has sprouted yet. My cart can be pushed around without hurting any plants. If I had waited a few more weeks, I could not have used my cart, because the plants will be starting to grow by then, and would get trampled.
It is amazing to me that this garden can be completely bare in the Spring, and in a few months, be full, with some plants reaching 5-6 foot tall. Ninety percent of the plants in this garden are perennial. I plant Basil, Parsley, and Calendulas, but the rest of the plants come back year after year. I love herbs because they require very little care. I rarely fertilize them, and only water when it is extremely dry. The only other maintenance is occasionally dividing the plants that tend to take over the garden. I also always have fresh herbs for cooking. Many times I have run out to the herb garden for some lovage, chives, or rosemary to add to a dish.
But my favorite thing about this garden, is just walking through and running my hand across the tops of the herbs. And when people stop by, especially kids, I take them through the herb garden first. They always enjoy it the most.
I also have a swing in the garden, right across form the pond. it is a wonderful place to sit for a few minutes when I get home in the evening.
Well, I don't know when I will be back, happy Spring until then!