Clean and feed.

Having not seen her property since last November, I wasn’t sure what to expect entirely. An established landscape with mature trees was showered with downed limbs and debris from hard battles fought with a forceful winter. My first few minutes was spent walking throughout the beds and along the perimeter…where to start? I settled on cutting back the ornamental grasses which had provided a visual winter interest and a rest stop for birds…now only a sad reminder of the past season. Next, I raked the leaves from the bases of shrubs and tops of emerging bulbs and perennials to expose the soil so that the first application of organic fertilizer could be sprinkled and raked in. They have to eat too! My oversized tarps were filled and emptied five times, dragged to the back border to add to nature’s compost pile. A warm day and an encouraging start with obvious progress made, though the limbs will have to wait til the next visit, I had to get home and shower before book club!