A Spring Walk and Pick Up Sticks

I took these pictures over the weekend as I walked around my yard. The forsythia is blooming in it's first year. I planted it in the fall of 2010 and picked a place for it in the woods.I was looking ahead to when I couldn't maintain the woods...My thought was to just let it go and grow huge and work as sort of a screen to block out the weedy area just behind it. It seems that my plan is working. It has grown so much in that short time and this is the first time it's bloomed. These little mini daffodils are at the foot of one of the saints in my garden. I didn't plant them there, so it's a mystery as to how they came to be. I haven't planted any daffodils in the woods. They are so cute...a gift...I love them.
Here is St. Francis with his tiny scilla flower garden. You can see bluebells just behind him...getting ready to bloom.
The little old boy from my mother in law's garden is surrounded by lamb's ears. I thought it appropriate for this little boy to seem as though he was enjoying his little fuzzy garden.
I went out just a short time ago and looked at the sticks in my yard. That river birch drops them when ever the wind blows. Joe's talked about cutting it down, but it is such a beautiful clump...a beautiful addition to our foundation plantings. I asked the kids next door to come over and pick up the sticks. They always like to make some money and have helped us in the past. As they grow older, it is hard for them to do this. They are so busy, like all kids today. Practices, sports, rehearsals, club meetings, studying, and traveling with their parents. Years ago it wasn't that way. We were glad to have something to do and often had time to help people out. Well, it rained a little this morning and then stopped about noon. When I walked to the mailbox, I noticed that they were gone. I looked at the sticks and thought that I would try to rake them in some piles. I got a plastic, soft, rake from the garage and started pulling the little branches into piles. It went better than I thought. I lightly raked the sticks out of the foundation garden and left them in piles for the kids to put in my lawn cart. Learning that I have to pace myself...I finished in about an hour and came inside. I have corned beef cooking and it is about ready, so I will have to stop this post and fix our dinner. I feel very pleased with myself and the way I am handling my gardening. Doing a little at a time isn't so bad after all.

Balisha