This years winter was long and rich in snow, but suddenly, in just a few weeks, it all melts and spring arrives for real. Lulu the snow dog is the only one who is sad that the seasons are changing, as she loves the snow more than anyone I know, whereas I rejoice at watching it disappear. It has been fascinating watching it literally melting infront of my eyes, with a few meters of the snow blanket disappearing each day and it all vanishing within a week.
Outside the red house there is an ugly electricity box that blocks the view of the house like an irritating eyesore mocking me every time I take pictures. I've planned to build a garden obelisk around it for quite some time, but when ideas meet structures it is not so simple... The end result was nothing I imagined it to be but I had good fun doing it! Later on in the afternoon sunshine and my daughter helped me paint it, and it was just a lovely thing to do together. Later on in the year (or in a few years time) when I have planted climbers and they start to hide it with their greenery it will probably look quite nice, I think.
Next on the to-do list came raking up the leaves loitering in the grass around the borders. It is incredible how quickly and almost ferociously nature springs into action as soon as the weather warms up! Regardless of how much leaves I put on the compost in autumn, there are always drifts of them in spring in all corners of the gardens. Though I try to clear the lawns, I leave the leaves in place in the wild garden borders to slowly rot down into compost. The layer of soil here is thin, and as ground elder has invaded the area and crowded out most decorative perennials I feel it might as well be left to nature to figure it all out.
The bulbs don't mind the layers of leaves. First to poke their head through are the snowdrops and crocuses, and I rejoice at the sight of bees waking up and having early spring breakfast. I plant more bulbs every year, but there are simply never enough of them...
As soon as the snow melts I burn the couch grass thet has been spreading behind the house at Humlegård. Burning the couch grass needs to be done at the precise moment it has dried out enough to burn, but while the ground is still wet or frozen enough to not cause a forest fire. Of all the spring chores, this is perhaps the most oddly satisfying one. It is such a strong growing wild grass that I know I will loose the battle in the end, but I try to keep after it to give the Sedum carpet space to grow for a few more years.
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