Crabs et al

It's been a terrific year for the crab trees - we had no ice/snow/sleet/freeze/frost on the blossoms this year.  By the time the last (very light & no freezing) on the 14th, the blooms had been mostly gone anyway (persistent heavy winds).

It's just wonderful to watch the crab bed fill in with all those shade perennials I installed last year.  They could sure use some rain though.  We've only gotten 3/4" this May and only 4" all April - less than half what we got in 2014. 

I was admiring the bed this morning and realized that the crab trees are getting heavy.  They needed a trim to keep them in shape and (ironically) to allow light and air circulation for the shade plants.

Here's the before and after pics.  You can see that the arbor bed can now be seen in the background and there is a bit more light under the trees.  I'm keeping the crabs in check - I've seen how rangy these things can get.

On a sad note, the yoshino cherry tree planted in the front lawn 3 years ago is dead - the deer just kept at the poor thing.

I pulled it out yesterday and cut it up.  It made such a sad little pile.  It never had a chance.  RIP

Then I went to Marcs for some groceries and right there, outside the door amongst their spring plant selections, was an 8-foot-tall potted SNOWDRIFT CRABAPPLE tree.  My favorite crab!!  And only $20!!!  Be still my heart.

With the help of a willing stock associate, we tenderly loaded up the the tree into my hatchback.  (Gotta love a hatchback!) 

I'll plant it where the cherry used to be.  Hopefully this one will have better luck.  I'll be diligent and beef up defenses.

While I was on a roll, I tried out the new pump on the rain barrels.  Here's the post on the Garden Projects page.

And, finally, a sad tale.  There is a lonely male mallard duck frequenting the feeder these days.  He's obviously lost his mate since a couple weeks agao and will be 'batch-ing' it until he finds a willing hen (although this time of the mating season, I doubt he'll have any luck).  At least he's cleaning up the spilled seed.

Meanwhile, up in the attic, I'm replacing a vent screen.  Check out the story on the Household Adventures page.