After a long cold winter, it’s nice to walk around the yard and see the shrubs and garden stuff come back to life!!
Let me show you what’s happening!
April 10
It’s been nice enjoying the sunshine! Many of the trees and shrubs are showing signs that perhaps spring has arrived! Most shrubs are coming back to life but the burning bush and raspberries are not showing much of anything yet, but it is quite early!
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
— Margaret Atwood
April 20
It’s been warm these past few weeks, around +8C to +15C (46F to 59F). It’s been sunny and we have had some rain which is nice.
Here is what has come back to life in the front garden beds. Both rhubarb are sprouting. The chives are growing again — we just trimmed it back in the fall so it’s exciting to see it growing again! And the garlic chives are growing as well!
These are the shrubs in the front yard. The honeyberry (haskap) shrubs are budding out which is nice to see! The blueberries are growing new branches and are starting to bud too which I’m glad to see because the rabbit decided to eat it all winter long. The snow was so high this winter that the rabbit began to eat the apple tree, half way up the tree!! So we had to cut a couple branches and my daughter was applying some goo to dress the wounds on the tree. The Fall Red Apple tree is budding but the Goodland Apple tree which the wasps ate doesn’t look too good yet. The burning bush looks toasted and the chokecherry is budding which is good to see but unfortunately the rabbit had a feast!
The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies.
— The Bouqs Co.
April 23
Here is the Victoria Rhubarb. It’s leafed out so much more these past few days!!
Here is the rhubarb we replanted from the community garden. I am not sure exactly what kind it is – possibly Canadian Red. It’s looking good!!
On to the backyard!! A couple of the strawberries are coming back but the others look toasted! And of course the weeds are thriving!!
Here is the gooseberry bush. I can’t believe how much it has budded!!
The cherry tree is budding too. I was worried since the dogs decided the cherry tree was a fabulous toilet!
The saskatoon and blueberry shrub is doing alright. I’m glad to see there’s signs of life after the harsh winter!
The honeyberries are doing great and are leafing out nicely. There’s 3 in the backyard — one Boreal Beast and Aurora in the middle and another Aurora at the end.
April 24
We have been watering the shrubs and they’re doing really well!! The raspberries are now budding out and the mint in the small garden bed is coming back too! This is the first time the mint has ever come up in the spring – I always leave it, but usually have to tear it all out.
The south side garden beds and back bed still need dirt – we didn’t finish last fall. The north side garden beds need a bit of dirt – there’s something sprouting in “L’s” garden bed so we won’t top that one up yet until I know whether it’s a weed or a radish! The small garden bed is good, but the garden bed where I planted the strawberries definitely needs a lot more dirt. I will be transplanting the strawberries to the front since the back corner against the house simply gets too hot. The big middle bed needs more dirt too. All the dirt really sunk over this past winter. So, over the next couple of weeks, we will be replenishing the dirt!
This spring we will also be adding more mulch. Around the garden beds there just isn’t much mulch left, and after a couple years, I think it’s time to spruce that up too! So, we have a lot of work on Our City Homestead — but I am looking forward to it!
How’s your trees and shrubs doing? I’d love to know! Please share in the comments.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours