We have had many days of gorgeous, warm, blue sky weather over the long Easter weekend and the entire town has had a collective smile on its face. Weather is always a topic of conversation around here but this time, for a change, it’s not a complaint.

Nothing for it but to head to the garden which is where you will find me all day long. The Fuchsia Ranch is getting into gear as all the fuchsias in the GreenHouse have awakened from their winter siestas and are leafing out in the greenhouse, repotted, shaped and fertilized. Likewise 3 Brugmansias I overwintered out there along with the big pot of succulents, two of which are spiking flower buds.

I stalk the garden centers where trucks pull up several times daily unloading new shipments of plants. It will be a complete frenzy there of needy/greedy gardeners, but only for a couple of months – by July they’ll be practically deserted. I’ve been buying things that will grow tall and fast to plant in front of the fences – big pots of bamboo, evergreen Clematis armandii Snowdrift, early flowering (now) and fragrant, and English Laurel. We planted a flowering currant shrub in full bloom for early food for the bees, who found it immediately. Hummingbirds have also been buzzing around, blink and you’ll miss them.

I murdered a hydrangea that was in the wrong place (dry and full shade) and moved other shrubs and perennials to other locations. I’ve been installing trellises and hanging pot brackets against the fences and working the soil of the north facing front garden against the house in preparation for creating a new shade garden.

I make lists of plants for this bed and that, then lose the lists. Generally speaking I don’t do lists anymore, so this is no surprise. Besides, finding what you didn’t know you wanted is at least half the fun.

‘Hood walks are lovely – flowering trees are out in white and pink glory and you can practically see the magnolia blossoms open before your eyes. Daffodils are everywhere in front yards because deer, our ‘hood neighbors, share our space, and they don’t eat them, unlike tulips and other early bulbs. Speaking of deer, they have been nibbling at one of the English Laurels I planted in the front. It grows like stink, which is the point, to shield our view of the driveway of the new house they built next door. My neighbor’s granddaughter swears by a homemade remedy. One litre of water, one egg yolk and a heaping tablespoon of baking powder – shake and spray, repeat after rain. I mixed up a batch last night, so we’ll see.

Back inside, sorting and processing 1400 photos from the trip still remains, the miniature projects in the Bunkie Studio languish and a pile of books to read gathers dust (along with everything else in the house). Too bad, all in good time. I’m heading back outside.