Time to Clean up the Yard

The mild winter, coupled with an early spring left our yard in pretty good shape. The lawn has started to green-up, there was no winter kill, and there are very few twigs and branches to pick up. With high temperatures in the sixties and seventies this past weekend, I decided to order and spread bark mulch. Typically this is a May project, but everything is early this year. Plus the benefit of starting in April  is that working outside is much more enjoyable when unencumbered by black flies.

First, I raked the beds, trimmed the shrubs and edged the lawn areas. The daffodils are in bloom, but some were adversely impacted by the cold and snow we had just a little over a week ago.

Drooping Daffodils

Daffodil leaves with white mold

Happy daffodil with some top dressing of bark mulch

Some other bulbs are starting to appear as well. Once the perennials start coming up it becomes more difficult to rake without doing damage. These areas involve hand clearing with certain parts left for Nature to take its course.

Silla siberica is an early bloomer

Unidentified pinks

In the area that abuts our woods, along a stone wall, a small patch of poison ivy has expanded over the past few years. It now prevents me from doing any maintenance including planting new shrubs or  flowers. This year I have decided to try and smother the plants. I first wet newspaper and layed it down several sheets thick. This layer was then covered with straw followed by bark mulch. For larger spaces, I used thick cardboard from as the first layer, then straw, and finally bark mulch.

Layers of newspaper, straw and bark mulch

I know that this won't control the poison ivy completely, but I am hoping that it will slow its growth and, if the vines keep growing, they will at least grow in the woods and not in my planting beds or in the yard.

By late Sunday, the beds around the house were done. It was time to relax and enjoy the scent of fresh hemlock and spruce. I hope to plant more perennials, including ground covers, which in turn will result in the need for less mulch. A win win for the garden, and my back.

Our dog Guster enjoys laying in the fresh mulch.