Stuff To Do While We Wait For Spring

Sorry to be such a bummer but the slow start to spring makes me feel like Oscar the Grouch.


This is not animal abuse. He LOVED the garbage can and dressing up.


There are ways we can get out in the yard and be productive, but since the grouchiness has a hold, I'll tell what you should not do. Don't rake your lawn.

Raking too early when soils are still cold and muddy can uproot healthy grass plants and compact your soil. Wait until soil has is dried and grass has had a chance to grow.

In the meantime, cut back anything you left for winter interest or didn't clean up before the early snowfall, remove winter mulch from emerging perennials and spring bulbs but don't put down new mulch. Allow the soil to warm and then add new mulch.

Prune hedges and summer-flowering shrubs and check for damage and prune broken branches. Remove tree wrap (I'm leaving the white plastic guard on until there's more green stuff for the rabbits to eat) but already took off the paper wrap. If left on too long once it warms, paper wrap provides a great place for insects to hide and disease to develop.

Or stick a few primroses in a tired winter container, that will cure the grouchiest grouch.

A happy grouch.