Enticed by the warm 70 degree weather in mid March, half of the orchids were put outside in the gazebo. Coleus cuttings growing really well were also put outside in a small plastic greenhouse. During the day I would open the door so they wouldn’t get cooked, and, most of the time, I remembered to close the door at night when temperatures dropped.  And then there was the day I forgot to close the door and there was frost. Oh well, most plants survived, although they did look the worse for wear. The orchids outside are crowded together on my comfy chair, surrounded by pillows on three sides and covered with a blanket during the night. So far so good; no losses among them and soon enough (I hope) I can stop coddling them and leave them out on their shelves. 

Maintenance was completed early on in the garden, but then there was the rest… four large shrubs to dig up, revised pathways, other plants to be dug up in what would be new paths and moving several archways to other areas of the garden. Of course, each archway had clematis growing on it, and they needed to be moved as well. For years now I have noticed new clematis plants popping up here and there and this year each new (as well as existing) seedling will be dug up and moved to an archway as well. Once that was all done, six cubic yards of mulch were dumped in the drive way and I was ready to start spreading it on all the walkways and in the beds. The Spouse, my favorite under gardener, helped moving those large dug up shrubs, relocated archways without so much as a complaint and moved mulch at the direction of this head gardener. One of these days, when the wind stops blowing and it warms up again, I might actually sit down in the garden and enjoy the early flowers before they fade and others take over.

It may still be too early to stop and smell the roses, but it is never too early to just stop and enjoy the moment before it fades. Take a few minutes to enjoy those spring blossoms and spring flowers and admire the flower petals as they seemingly rain down from the sky.