Green!

Got home to find all sorts of stuff budding out around the yard today. A few warm days and a bit of rain has daffodils popping open with hyacinth right behind them.

Strawberry leaves are pushing their way up through the mulch (most of which I pulled off the needs the other day), while the Japanese plum trees sharing their beds are loaded with buds (which will be leaves and which will be fruit? ).  Last year an early warm spell followed by a return of traditional freezing weather meant zero plums - maybe I'll get my first fruit from the trees this year?

The dappled willow is showing little green buds all over the place, as well as a ton of vertical growth that I really should have pruned back last fall. It would be a smart idea for me to prune that sucker back and thin it a bit before we have some strong spring storms- the tree is a grafted standard (think shaggy lollipop), and I worry there will come a time where strong winds will snap off the top. It's a very attractive conversation piece when people are over and I'd hate to lose it.

While I'm still not seeing any pea sprouts, I noticed the radish, lettuce and Asian greens are starting to sprout up out of the ground. I planted them the week before Easter, and today's small shower was the first real water they've had, so I'm not too worried.