27 April 2005

Spring Comes to New Hampshire--Finally

At last, we have had some beautiful weather--enough to get rid of the last remnants of snow. Until this past week, we had snow remains in a few shady spots, including the entrance to our cellar, prohibiting us from getting out the summer furniture. But now Spring seems to be here. Daffodils have emerged and are blooming everywhere--in the garden along the road bank, in the garden under the maple trees, and in everyone's gardens around town. The lilac buds are swelling too, in anticipation of warmer days to come. And the plum tree is getting ready to bloom. We hope that happens on a day when it is warm enough for the bees to be out so that the blossoms will get pollinated. Every year, it is always dicey with the plum blossoms. Some years (not often), we have a bumper crop of plums, which means lots of plum jam. Other years (usually), the plums are few in number and we have to rely on previous seasons of jam to see us through to the next bumper crop.
My new (last year) spring garden under the crab apple tree has come back. All of the bulbs I planted are coming up and it looks promising for a colorful show. I have also cleaned out the herb garden and done some weeding, moving, removing, and dividing. Mary Rose made it through the winter without any problems and the other roses look healthy too. I am thinking of adding one more David Austin rose to the northeast corner of that garden this year. I spend time looking at David Austin Roses.com last weekend, trying to decide which of the many enticing roses I might choose. There are so many wonderful options--all I need is space. I am also looking for new trellises for the roses in the dooryard garden. New Dawn is getting too tall for the fan trellis. I would like to find something freestanding and pyramidal, but haven't seen what I want yet. The small garden in front of the greenhouse is also looking good this spring. Both of the new roses escaped winter damage. Gertrude Jekyll has lots of green and buds, as does my Dick Hall rose. Harvey has cleaned up the veggie gardens and planted a square of mescun. The garlic that he planted last fall is peeking through the soil, as are a few stray shallots and some leftover lettuce from last fall. Surprises hidden under all that snow. I'd love to hear from other gardeners, especially those in this zone or those with roses. As I look out the window today, I see April showers, but know that those May flowers are not far behind.