Winter Moisture

It's been dry most of the winter -- I watered everything at the end of February. 

Last night and today we got a couple inches of snow and rain and it's been melting nicely into the ground and dripping off branches and from the canales.  

Very welcome winter moisture just as we leave tomorrow for a week away in Tucson.

Pruning for Control

Windy, windy, windy today with gray skies. Not cold, but windy with big gusts.

Butterfly bush shrubs don't need to be pruned hard each year, unless to control the size and encourage flowering below just the top. I have cut back this butterfly bush in the corner in past years, but I might let it go this year. 

The form is vase shaped and upright, the blooming is not only at the top, and the size is still good. I should cut off the dried flowers, but leave the stems and branches uncut.

But good god, what about the pyracantha in the corner at the side of the house? Those tall vertical stems are where I cut this shrub last year to control it.

Now half the shrub is mounded gracefully and half of it is a freakish explosion of tall stems. 

It's in a spot where I don't see it much. From the other side of the fence, looking down the side alley past the ironwood tree, I see only the tall upright stems above the fence. Not attractive, but not in the way.

Will those tall branches settle in and drape over eventually? Should I just let this go? Pruning it to control the size hasn't worked at all so far.

Suddenly I Feel the Rush

It's March now and suddenly I am feeling pressed to start getting things done. 

I have all this coming week before we go away for a week to Tucson, and I want to get mulch, compost and liquid fertilizer laid in for after we get back. And I need to get a new watering can.

I need to dig out the anemone so there's a spot when the pink rose comes. I need to move the rocks that cover the tulips by the garage wall to a spot under the canale spout. 

There's more cutting back and clean up to do. And tending and refreshing pots and containers. 

It's not that much, really, and there's still the rest of March and all of April after we return. Lots of time yet. 

But boy do I feel rushed now that March is here!

False Spring

More days in the 50s and 60s and today was sunny, still and 65°. 

But it's only March 1 and this is false spring. There will surely be more wintery weather and winds to come. 

I got out and did some clean up, spread a little bit of compost around plants under the aspens, and trimmed the lavender in front. 

That was a fragrant chore. The lavender spikes are winter dried but still smell wonderful.

It's been dry and I need to water again.