flyfisher51's Blog

Happy Saint Patricks Day!  I am sitting on my deck having a couple glasses of Guinness and enjoying the 65 degree temperature at 6:00 pm Eastern Standard time. I pulled the tables out of the shed and the chairs out of the garage and I am ready to be rid of this winter. I am staring at the place that used to have a Douglas Fir. I will miss that tree. It gives me a direct view of the apple tree which will have to go this year. The Cedar-Apple rust affects the tree worse each year. The disease affects the leaves with yellow brown oily spots before they fall off. It also causes the fruit to be spotted and "narly" looking. Unfortunately this does not keep the deer out of the yard. They still come to feed on the apples. My hope is that if I cut the apple tree down the disease will vanish from the 30 Cedar trees my neighbor has bordering our properties and the deer will find other gardens to dine in.

Putting all the depressing news aside, the gardens are alive with dafodils and tulips racing out of the ground to bloom. They are all less than 3 inches tall, but I still see potential. They are as thick as thieves, I should thin them this year and expand the gardens. From my vantage point I can see about a weeks hard labor getting the yard into the shape I want it to be in. Bushes to be trimmed, spaces to be filled,  lawn to be reseeded, and all of this before I start my gardening. I can't wait to get started, cabin fever begone!!!

I hope everyone is well, Happy Gardening and Welcome to Spring!  

John