Happy Spring!

I know it isn't official yet - not until March 20th, in fact - but for me, Spring begins today. Hip, hip, hooray!  The days are getting warmer and longer and I'm itching to spend more time outdoors. Some of the things I'll be doing in the garden before the official start of spring:

Finish pruning woody plants.  A few shrubs need some light shaping, and the grape vine will get cut back severely. Here's a link to a great grape growing manual (pruning info begins on page 32). Although it's geared towards vineyards in Western Colorado, the manual has excellent information for the home hobbyist as well (and it's free!).

grape vines in need of a good whacking

Cut back ornamental grasses. I have LOTS of ornamental grasses, and I like to get them trimmed as short as possible before the new growth is tall enough to be in danger of getting whacked off too.

love my Fiskars shears for cutting grasses

Later in the month will be the time to:
Rake planting beds clean of their temporary winter mulch. All the leaves that were thrown into the beds last fall will be gathered up and sent to the recycler/composter.

Transplant a few perennials that need to be relocated. My pink Maltese cross (Lychnis chalcedonica) in particular, have been slowly enveloped by shade and need to be moved to a sunnier spot.

I hope you're able to get out and about in your garden this month too. Yea, Spring!