The appearance of the first dandelion means spring has really and truly arrived. It also means that lawn mowing will not be far behind.

Because of a family obligations, and a joyous publication party for Carol Purington and Susan Todd’s poetry anthology, Morning Song: Poems for New Parents,  Saturday was taken up with family and friends. On Sunday we were eager to go out and play in the dirt. Some of the seedlings I have had out in the cold frame were ready to be transplanted into the Front Garden – Tango lettuce  and Amadeus broccoli.  In the meantime my husband was busy mowing along the old fence line. With the old barb wire fence gone we have to integrate new space into the garden.

We took a walk down to the Frog Pond and found that the overflow was stopped up and the water level in the pond was higher than it had  ever been, just starting to seep over the edge here where my husband and looking for the overflow which is hidden by the deep water. He successfully found the overflow, unstopped it and the level rapidly went down.

When we started the lawn chair’s legs were at the water’s edge. Now we’ll be able to walk along the edge and check the frog population.

We could see frog egg sacs sparkling all along the edges of the pond. Some of these eggs got caught up on weeds that were submerged – until Henry got the overflow cleared out.  We were able to get the captive sacs back into the water. We saw some pollywogs and lots of newts. Things look healthy down at the pond.

Having read Sue Reed’s book, Energy Wise Landscaping, we decided it was finally time to plant a windbreak to shelter the house from the winter winds. We began by digging up and transplanting three white pine trees and a small spruce. I am expecting 30 more conifers to be delivered this week along with some small ornamentals that will be planted on the house side of the windbreak.

It is not very clear in this photo but I have set out a pagoda dogwood that will be planted just where we can see it from the dining table in the Great Room.

My final task today was planting three more roses on the Rose Bank, Rugosa Agnes, Goldbush, by the hybridizer Kordes, and Gentle Persuasion, a Buck hybrid.  I had hoped to get the Rose Bank remulched with chips – but that will have to wait for another day.