More extra-early gardening

It's really hard to stay inside when this abnormal warmth continues outside.

And while you're outside, it's really hard not to get busy.

Thing is, you can get into trouble if you go around thinking that it's Spring.  Oh sure, the ground (which NEVER froze this past winter) is loose and friable and begging to be planted.  But wait.

Nighttime temps in the 20s are coming.  More rain (this time cold rain) is coming.  Snow flurries in the future.

Nope.  Not spring.  But....

You can always always find something to clean up.  I trimmed back the big Montauk daisy in the arbor bed, cut back the H.F.Young clematis and all the dead New England aster plants (lots of new growth at soil level).  I loaded up the hatchback and took it all over to the yardwaste depot - on opening day no less!  Talk about hitting the ground running this year.

Then I did take advantage of that lovely loose soil, chilly or not.  I dug up the Meyer lilac in the swing bed and planted it in the arbor bed.  I dug up the rooted Montauk daisy cutting from the overwinter bed and planted it in the Sargeant crabapple bed.  Finally, I dug up all the Palace Purple heuchera and the lace-cap hydrangea in the swing bed.  I centered the hydrangea where the heucheras were, then used the heucheras to make a nice border between the hydrangea and the rubber paver path.  

There.  I'm really ahead of the game right now so I'll have no qualms keeping inside during the cool/cold/ weather coming.  

And talk about coming!  More like charging!  Yesterday the wind was 20s w/gusts 35 mph.  Today the wind is nearer to 40 mph and almost steady at that rate!  One gust actually blew open the plastic taped over one of the leaky front bay windows.  Wow!

Hope things are a little calmer where you are.  

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Hey. I've put up several updates on the sidebar pages (household adventures; garden projects; flowers; and plant propagation).  Lots of action going on there. Check 'em out.