Spring!

OK. The mesquites are wearing their fresh green leaves, and even though the pecan trees are still shy about donning their spring greenery, I'm ready to do some planting. I've cleaned out the flower beds and trimmed all the dead branches from the plants that survived winter, so I'm anxious to make the yard pretty again. I'm also going to clean the pond and get some fish now that the waterlily has grown large enough to give them a place to hide. There's just something so wonderful about putting out new plants and seeing the colorful flowers and foliage change what was drab and dull into a spot of beauty. I want to be able to enjoy the backyard before the mosquitoes and heat of summer drive me back indoors.

Since I do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers in my yard, it has become a habitat of sorts for all kinds of birds and other critters. I'm going to apply for certification as a wildlife habitat since my yard meets all the qualifications. Every little bit we can do to help the environment helps us all!

A new season

March has arrived, more like a lamb than a lion. The temperatures have been very mild, and it makes me want to begin replacing the plants I lost earlier this year during the freezing temperatures we had in February. However, I've lived in Texas long enough to know that spring is not officially here until the mesquite and pecan trees put out their new leaves, so I'm trying to be patient and ignore the loads and loads of shrubs and flowers beckoning me from every nursery and home improvement store. I have cleaned out my flower beds, and already the river ferns have started raising their curly heads in anticipation of spring days. I just hope they are not too early!

I'm also anxious to replace the fish in my pond. Unbelieveably, my water lily survived the freeze and has started putting out new growth. I plan to wait until it provides more cover for fish before I add them to the pond. This year I plan to just use feeder goldfish to keep the algae down. I get too attached to the koi.