Dirt Under the Fingernails

The first crocuses are blooming, which as far as I am concerned means spring is here.

Time to start cleaning up the garden beds. Time to mulch, to keep the weeds from coming on stronger than the plants. Time to choose seeds to start inside.

Yesterday, as part of my effort to baby myself, I went to the Fred Meyer gardening department and bought four bags of bark mulch and some potted bulbs--daffodils and tulips. One pot of tulips, the purple ones, is inside against the pumpkin walls of my dining room (Have I said that I love color?). The pink tulips are outside in a pot next to the daffodils by the front steps--a "welcome to my house" greeting, if you will.

Outside, the bulbs I've planted over the eight years or so since I bought this house are just starting to bloom: the crocuses, a few here and there, and a tiny purple iris that I planted last year. But most of the daffodils and tulips have just barely poked their heads above the soil. Time to get out and ruthlessly murder slugs and snails, before they eat the tops off of everything.

I'm an organic gardener, so I just cut slugs in half with whatever tool I have in my hand at the moment, and I step on snails. Awful, I know. I also surround attractive plants with coffee grounds, the slugs don't like those. Good thing I drink a lot of coffee!

I dumped two bags of bark in the backyard in the areas the dogs use. That keeps them from tracking in mud from bare dirt, and also keeps down the doggy smell.

The other two bags are going to go on my beds out front, but I'll leave that job for tomorrow. Time to take a sauna, shower, clean my nails, and walk Connie.

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

Comments

[Carver]

I'm glad you got by the garden center. My crocuses are also blooming although a bit of sleet didn't do them any good. Still there are the early signs of spring here and I'm glad you are getting some of them too. Happy gardening!

[Jacqueline]

YOU'VE got me so excited about Spring!!! When you're here maybe you can help me plan my window boxes!!! I'll try to have them built by the time you get here.

[jeanne]

I can do that! Do you want flowers or vegetables or both? We could plant peas and beans and put in a cherry tomato or two. You could also grow lettuce or spinach.

I need to make those reservations. I've been dragging about everything lately.