clearing the garden, clearing the mind

There's something therapeutic about clearing out a particularly weedy spot, just as it can feel therapeutic to clean the house.  I like the feeling of order afterward.  Remember this?

Well not long after taking that photo I lost my patience and went through like a crazy person.

Now when I walk down this path instead of feeling annoyed and stressed, I feel much more relaxed.  Not that I'll ever enjoy pulling weeds, just as I'll never really enjoy cleaning the house.  But it feels good to see a job finished.

the pretty and the ugly

Took a few photos of this and that around the garden this weekend and things slowly awaken to spring.  This is in the big square raised bed (formerly goldfish pond) that holds a rapidly-growing vitex shrub.  I planted dichondra silver falls two years ago and it's spread beautifully (the light blue, small leaves).  This autumn I noticed some common violets coming up in the back corner of the bed and thought, why not?  They're a bit weedy but they love the shade and they're hardy.  So I let it grow, and got a surprise - it's a white violet!

Also in this corner of the world, the oakleaf hydrangeas are starting to wake up.  I love how they keep their burgundy leaves all winter long, only dropping when the new leaves emerge.  And the first flower heads are already starting to develop!

I've also seen the first flower heads forming on my new daffodils, I can't wait to see how they look!  And my good old clivia have put up their flower heads too (no photos yet though, there's not much to see).  Although our unseasonably warm week is over and it's back to winter temperatures, the plants are still gearing up for spring.

And so are the weeds, if they ever really stopped.  I'm sure every gardener has at least one "ugly corner", that bit they wish would go away, that bit they try not to look at.  This is my ugly corner. 

Ever since last year's flooding I've had a lot harder time keeping the weeds down; the mud and debris from all my neighbours deposited weed seeds between every pebble.  And this part of the garden, next to the compost bin, hot water and clothes line, has never been very pretty.  First I let the self-seeding alyssum go because at least it was something pretty.  But now it's gone crazy and so have all the other weeds.  I don't like letting weeds go nuts, because once they seed they never stop coming.  I really need to spend the time to rip it all up.  Maybe next week...

what a funny weed

I keep finding these funny little weed sprouts around the garden.  They're one long stiff blade and when you pull them up, they look like they're sprouting from a coffee bean!

It turns out after a bit of help I learned that they're baby Canary Island palm trees.  There are a few nearby so the birds must be carrying them into the yard on occasion.  Who would have imagined I would one day live in a town where weeds include palm trees?