A sunny Sunday for yard chores

We had a wonderful mild and sunny day today.  And although I could only find a couple hours to get out into the yard, it was a delightful and productive time. Not only did I get some plants moved and pruned -- I managed to murder 7 snails in the process.

So far I am nervous about pruning my existing fruit trees so I have left them alone (though they have only been in the ground for a year so I think that is okay.)  But I do find it incredibly satisfying to clean up my perennials like the hydrangea below.  In turn I removed dead wood, long-spent flowers, and old/mis-shapen canes to set the plant up for its growing season.  I imagine once I overcome my ignorance of fruit pruning and gain some experience, I will feel the same way about tending to my apples, pears, blueberries, and kiwis as I do these inedible plants.

 

Somehow the trim makes the yard look so much spiffier -- and that much readier for spring.

The warm weather is supposed to hold for tomorrow.  And with the help of a neighborhood teenager this afternoon, my soon-to-be-updated fruit bed is weed-free and ready for planting.  I am hoping to take advantage of tomorrow's weather (forecast says 60 degrees and sunny in Seattle) to get my blueberries and strawberries into the ground.  Since it is also predicted to start raining again on Tuesday, this is about as perfect as I could have dreamed.