Although Spring officially arrives this Sunday, March 20, the last few days of winter always seem to drag on forever. This in-between season in my city is messy…the winds leaving a trail of broken branches and twigs along with the mud and slush from the freeze-thaw cycle.
But as the snow melts away, the promise of life and rebirth soon emerge. The birds are singing, the squirrels are scampering…and Charlie, happy to be back in the garden, is busy looking for something (everything) to get into. Green, the colour of Spring, is the tonic gardeners thrive on.
Green is the dominant colour in my front garden, along with a dappling of white. This area of the garden hasn’t received the attention it needs and this year I plan to rectify that. I want to fill the many gaps in planting material in the beds behind the boxwood parterres to create a lush, layered look. I’ve been watching YouTube videos, spending hours on the internet and Pinterest looking for inspiration. The greenhouses can’t get their perennials and shrubs in soon enough!
Last summer was brutal for the garden because of heat and drought. The arborists were out last week to prune out dead limbs and branches from the struggling weeping willow in the front garden. Their recommendation is for gallons and gallons of water this coming season if we want to save the tree. Hopefully, the hydrangea and other shrubs I planted last year have survived the winter.
As I look outside, I see white, lots of white…not green! The daytime temperatures are rising above freezing, however, Spring seems to be a ways off. I’m getting anxious to get going in the garden.
Perhaps I’ll have to adopt the attitude of the gardener in the photo (left)!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all my Irish friends and those you wish were Irish! I am 25% Irish, but I’ve always considered myself an Irish lass. With my maiden name, Murphy, I think I can own it!
xox Judy
I also can’t wait for spring (and for a picture of you gardening in the snow)!
Hi Cathy, Since I rarely have my photo taken, it’s safe to say that there will not be a picture of me on the blog! Looking forward to getting the angels back into the garden! xox Judy❤️
You have always been so much more organized than anyone i know. I am ready mentally for spring although you’d never know it by all the current projects I’m working on. I guess I have a couple more days before it’s here. I could live with a picture of you out gardening right now though But today … I’m enjoying my 1/8th Irish heritage by NOT going out and gardening in the snow! . I’ll sit on my deck with a wee dram of Irish whiskey and wait in anticipation of seeing your beautiful garden.
Hi Joyce, You are the reigning queen of organization! So happy that it is a beautiful, sunny day for you to celebrate being Irish…Happy St. Patrick’s Day. xox Judy❤️
☘️Happy Saint Patrick’s day Judy ☘️always look forward to reading your blogs 💖
Hi Bonnie, From one Murphy girl to another, have a fabulous St. Patrick’s Day! xox Judy❤️ I will be thinking of you and the rest of the clan!🍀
Hey, Judy, I did not realize you were a real Murphy. You belong in the pub on Whyte. Always love your post. I have not seen a spoof before and I loved it. Was it you in the picture? I also cannot wait to see you in the garden. Maybe see Charlie this summer? May the lucko’ the Irish be yours. See you soon friend. My friends were the o”Byrnes. And the Murphys too. Your home looks dazzling, even in winter.
Hi Rhonda, That was not me in the picture but I would love to meet her! She is my kind of girl. I’m sure Charlie would love to greet you in “her” garden when the weather warms up. xox Judy❤️
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Judy! Anxiously awaiting this snow to go as well. Soon I will be don my knee high rubber boots, and start shoveling the snow from the shady to the sunny parts of the back yard to get ride of it faster.
Hi Karen, Like you, I was out today chopping ice and moving snow around. It’s a perfect day today and the sun is so warm, it is teasing us that Spring is here! xox Judy❤️
Happy St. Patrick’s Day Judy! I too am 25% Irish and loving it! As a fellow gardener you’ll understand how ridiculously excited I was to look out my kitchen window today and finally see some of the cobblestone patio stones under our pergola….yay 🤗🤗some signs of spring and the promise of gardening to follow…at some point🤞😂!! I may even pull off the furniture covers and have a coffee outside if it warms up enough this weekend…after shovelling a path to get there🥴. You’ve inspired me once again!! Hugs, Karen xo❤️
Hi Karen, I hope St. Patrick’s Day was a happy day for you. You have inspired me to shovel a path of snow, as well as the ice below, to bring my patio table and a couple of chairs to a sunny spot in the garden. Cheers, xox Judy❤️