Spring is in the Air

Okay, at least in Minnesota. In other parts of the country, you've been experiencing hot, summer weather, but here, we're just glad it's not freezing at night any more!

We had some nice warm days of steady temps in the 70s, but things took a cooler spell, and we've been in the 60s for awhile now. However, the weather today is gorgeous...perfect for doing weeding and other outdoors work!

Last week I planted flowers. Lots and lots of flowers, along with various herbs. Each year I try to plant several perenniels that are hearty enough to survive Minnesota winters without too much care. Of course, pansies are the favorite as they take no care at all and seed all over the place! I'm amazed where all I have pansies coming up each year!

Four years ago, I planted several dianthus. I was surprised the following Spring to see larger clumps of them where I'd planted the year before...surprised because they are classified as an annual. They are so pretty and delicate, so I make a point of adding at least one or two new packs a year...less work the following years! Different sizes, colors, all beautiful!

I was also surprised this year to see a mini rose that I'd planted last year start greening up...and today I saw that it had blossoms! Again, surprised because roses don't usually make it through the winter and especially not without being covered quite well...and this one definitely wasn't! It's my first rose to come back...with buds!...the following year!

I planted two types of celosia, lantana, marigolds (that Luke picked out because they are orange), three colors of nicotina, sunflowers, coleus, impatiens, double impatiens, new guinea impatiens, begonias, sweet peas, more pansies and dianthus, allysium (which smells GREAT!), but I still need to plant some snap dragons (a favorite of the kids). I also added to my perenniels a bleeding heart and a gorgeous columbine as well as a couple more hostas -- although the one I planted last year sent up 8 new shoots! There are also some things planted that, well, I'm not sure what they are, but they're pretty....

I planted a small garden here to have a few things on hand...we have four grape tomato plants and one yellow plum tomato planted as well as some green beans, sweet onions, and I'm trying my hand at potatoes, although I'm not sure if they'll come up or not! I still want to get some radishes and leaf lettuce in but can't until we have a fence around the area since we have lots of deer, at least one squirrel, and a very friendly bunny.

Today also, after getting home from town, I finished planting a few hens and chicks in the rocks outside by our fire bushes when Luke yelled out, "an eagle!" And sure enough, it was! There is an aerie some where near, because we see "our" eagle several times a week.

Yesterday, with the weather so cool and after more than a week of some rainfall each day, I mowed the forest we call a lawn. I'm not sure exactly how much of our 6.5 acres is grass (compared to woods), but the majority is grass and I had a blast zipping around on the mower. (Don't worry, Daddy, with the way the weather has been, it'll be ready for you to mow again when you're here next week!)


And with all the cleaning and cutting going on, I couldn't leave out the van....cleaning that out thoroughly today when the kids and I were in town. I also went a bit crazy with the clippers on Luke's head last week, after finding a wood tick attached to his scalp a few days earlier. The boy has so much hair on his head! Although it is much less, now. He took one look in the mirror afterwards and yelled out, 'NO!!!!!' But when you comment on his hair, he'll quickly reassure you (himself), "it's growing!" It really doesn't look bad!

Luke (but I WANT my face to look like this!)

Tony's getting more and more things planted as well as weeding, hoeing, and everything else involved with a garden. We have asparagus coming out our ears now, and it is yummy! The rhubarb is great, and the cucumbers are slowly getting ready to be picked. Everything is coming up late this year, but we hope to have an extended season and not an early winter.

So, that's the report from here! For now, at least!