Spring, spring, wonderful spring

Tuesday, 6:28 pm

Apr

15

2008

Spring is about to burst wide open tomorrow. The weather forecast for the next several days calls for sunny skies and mid-60s temperatures. The days have been gradually warming (finally!) and the trees have taken note. Almost every tree I see displays really big buds now. The occasional tree has even shed its bud casings and bloomed. Not many, but there are a few in choice spots...like the tulip tree in front of city hall. It receives southern exposure and is backed up against the brick building, protected from the cold north and east winds. It’s a cozy spot for a tree and, so far, is the only tulip tree in town that’s blooming vigorously. Sure is pretty. There are a couple of cherry trees around that have burst into bloom, too.

And my baby redbud trees show signs of life, too. This is a milestone! Maybe, just maybe, I won’t have to replace them again.

In anticipation of genuine spring, my neighbor, across the street, removed the glass from her storm door this afternoon. She replaced it with the full-door screen. There’s a chilly bite to the air today, but she apparently wanted to get a jump on tomorrow. The unfortunate part, though, was that this is the first time that her Lab pup has had to deal with screens. When he saw a cat walking boldly up the middle of the street, he charged through the screen. Well, so much for that idea. She was just a little peeved with him.

My screens are already in place and waiting. I hope to throw all the windows and doors wide open tomorrow and simply bask in the warmth and sunshine. And I’ve made a list of things to do while the weather holds for the rest of this week....

1. Spread lime on the entire yard—front, back, and side. I went around sticking one of those pH meters around the yard and found the soil is extremely acidic this year. I haven’t spread lime in a couple of years and I now know why the grass struggled last year and why the weeds proliferated. You’d think being this close to the ocean, with frequent bouts of salty fog rolling in off the ocean, the soil would be more alkaline around here. But, I guess it doesn’t work that way.

2. Find some pelletized (and sterilized) chicken poop fertilizer for the lawn. It’s the best stuff going and, while it has a mildly funky odor for a day or two, it adds tilth to the soil and never burns the grass. And boy does the grass love it.

3. Clean out and turn the soil in the raised beds to prepare them for planting.

4. Get a new compost pile started.

That should keep me occupied for the rest of the week.

Although I do plan on getting rid of some grass this year, there is no sense in fighting with what will remain. If I have to have some, it had darned well better look good this year.

Battling the elements is hard enough, but last year I also had to cope with the landlord who owns the house next door. He and I have had our little spats over the years, but he does try to be thoughtful once in a while. Last summer, as I was struggling to get my new grass growing, he arrived one day and thought it would be a nice gesture to fertilize the entire front side lawn...the one that runs between his house and my driveway. And yes, that was a nice gesture, but he doesn’t know much about lawn care. By the time I saw what he was up to, he’d dumped enough fertilizer out there for three lawns. And, consequently, the remaining healthy grass burned to an absolute crisp. I have to repair that damage this year.

If I see him anywhere near that part of the lawn this year, I will chase him with my shovel. Okay, well maybe not, but I’d like to....