I love the peonies, but before they can bloom in all their glory, the beds needs to be cleaned out.

While it’s about 40F, a grey and windy day, I’m still itching to get outside. The snow is almost gone – a couple stubborn crusty patches in the shady areas still  cling to existence, but there are signs of life.

Last year I didn’t clean out the peony bed until April 10th,  so I feel good about being ahead of schedule.

Here’s where we start, Notice I don’t use the hoops, as this bed grows almost as a hedge and in this bed hoops don’t work well. The wire fencing works very well, supports the plants and disappears once the plants get going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lift off the screening, cut off the stalks, and rake it out. Some of the plants are already starting to come up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the screens back up. What an improvement!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleaned out the rest of the bed, back to the fence. In one spot, where last year I had geraniums, I decided to plant some False Indigo. The soil is gorgeous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got the seeds from accomplished blogger, author, and all around great human being Shawna Coronado. These seeds are way cool. They were once used to make baby rattles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Split open, they look prehistoric. Hopefully they will sprout and  in a year will bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I poked around a little bit, the crocuses are sprouting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tulips are thrusting up through the lawn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sedum “Hens and Chicks” wintered well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ll deal with that another day.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!