Spring Cleaning 2014



Pulling up chicken wire I placed over all the bulbs last fall. I think it's safe to do so now. Stay away, squirrels! The wire was placed and secured with landscape staples and then I piled on shredded leaves for extra protection. *I'm a bit worried about the Bowl of Beauty Peonies in this tiny bed... I planted two and have yet to see any signs of life (my other peonies are already up). Hopeful they're just late risers.


Rollin' out the roses for a watering and assessment. Green/pinkish buds are apparent so that is WONDERFUL! I was dreadfully worried about the roses this winter. I basically shoved them all in the garage with no protection or insulation and watered them twice. They were covered in a layer of sawdust from all Workerman's projects. The next warm day I have off work, I'll wheel them out for some sun, clean them, top dress the pots with shredded leaves and compost, and then wheel them back into the garage. My Rose Chat friends say to continue this hardening-off process until the last killing frost date (which is usually around or before May 10th).


This is what I found after uncovering our planted rosebush. Yikes! Not good. I believe this is called Stem Canker; something to be dealt with immediately - usually happens after a sever winter. I snipped off these canes and tossed then into the garbage. I think this rose has been growing on our property for a good many years, so I'm not worried about its recovery. It should be fine.


A good panorama of the cleaning progress in our foundation bed. This part of our landscape needs a design overhaul, but I'm not quite sure what to do yet. The Sester's Dwarf Blue Spruce is our main "to stay" element. It's quite a tricky spot because of the awning; snow accumulation slides off and onto plants unless you sweep it off within an hour of a snowfall. Lots of snapped branches in this bed. There are several herbaceous perennials planted here for that very reason. If you have any suggestions (which do not include removing the awning), feel free to let me know - we need all the help we can get!

This is also a good shot of our walkway to the side/back yard. Something magnificent has to happen here - again, not sure what.


Cleaning iris and cutting down Walker's Low. If you look closely, you can see life on our climbing hydrangea (base of brick). I'm very happy this came back and I look forward to seeing it grow this season.


Rabbit protection to the max. I had trouble with bunnies nibbling on iris in this area last year. Never. Again.

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you found a chance to get outside and enjoy spring this week(end). Everyone in Minnesota knows it's a fleeting season. I look forward to sharing more on my blog as my garden wakes up for the year.







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Sarah Brackney is R&S Garden. A gardening fiend. She is no expert, she just gardens. Her gardens are her art. And yes, she has weeds in her garden; she just chooses not to show them to you. Thanks for visiting.