There is nothing like spring in the North Country!!!
And I love all the wonderful friends that come out to greet me each year. The Oriental Tree Peonies in my garden are just magnificent this year. And with the rain drops clinging to the white fragile pedals, all I wanted to do was watch them for a few hours this afternoon as they gradually opened up to their frilly best.
But, sad to say, those few hours were not spent observing and conteplating. Too much work to do in the spring. We have just begun to get the flower beds in town ready for spring and summer. Weeding, mulching, and weeding were the first priorities. The vegetable garden needed to be tilled and when we were finally able to spend an hour or two tilling, we finally had to concede that our tiller had come to the end of it's life. So out to the street it went only to be picked up almost immediately and brought to a new home. Perhaps that optomistic young man has more time to tinker with it's motor and gears.
We did get the vegetable garden tiller with a borrowed tiller and a helpful young man. So the peas are in, as well as the kale and green peppers. The potates were in a bit ago in the raised beds which are much easier to take care of. The onion sets are in the the lettuce is up. And the garlic planted last fall looks like it's almost ready to harvest....mild winter. Perhaps next week, the beets, beans, acorn squash, butternut squash, zucchini and yellow squash, and cabbage will go in. The broccoli and brussel sprouts are still growing in the garden house.
A Litengard guest who has stayed with us a few times, brought me five wonderful looking tomato plants. New species that I have never planted. I hope to plant them this weekend. We don't plant tomatoes here before June 1st usually. I have a few guests who love gardening and especially love the different tomatoes I've grown. We get together and compare notes and share tips and advice.
This spring all our energies were spent getting the Stuga ready for our first guests. But now that almost everything is done on the inside of camp, we can concetrate on the landscaping and fencing. I'm meeting with someone tomorrow who will put in the new lawn at Litengard on the Lake. And I've dug up scads of evening primrose to be planted behind one of the back retaining walls. Jon's lovely stone walkway and pation are surrounded with white astillibe and varigated miniature sedum. It's all fun, but lots of work. And in a few years it will look like it's been there forever.
