Plans, slowed by time, and now finding a new way to shape this piece of land. While we still like roses, they don't do well here. The cultivated plant don't either, and our 'pile of rocks' really is a glade. Native plants and native roses really should do much better here.

Spring, slowly arriving here. We have seen crocus, and now daffodils, and a few green leaves on the shrubs and trees, and roses.
Many look dead, I'll check further in a few days, but it is good to see some of the garden waking up after a very long winter.
The hummingbirds haven't arrived either, they might be a bit slower as well, but the buffalo currant is just starting to bloom so they shouldn't be too far off.

Another morning with sunshine, this is a good thing after so many days of grey and ice. We had about 1/2 inch of ice total over four days, and at least we didn't have any wind with the trees covered with it's frozen lacquer. It is very beautiful with the sun behind it, flashes of brightness that capture your notice. We never lost power, but we did lose time being outside being so cold.

We saw a news story about the demise of the Monarch's habitat, and the use of Roundup Ready crops, I need to make sure to work on the native plants around here, I have plans to add some native pines, the Shortleaf pine being more drought tolerant than the Loblolly.

I found a old land survey of our county done in 1900 with areas of the different species of pine trees painted in different shades of green, each color indicating the expected board foot yield of that area. For our area it would indicate that there would have been 10 to 20 trees per acre, grouped nearer the top slopes of creeks and ravines. The land will look more like it should when those trees are finally realized.

A new year, a new earth, for all of us.

Not so many Japanese beetles this year, but they have found the ironweed, I hear they like echinacea as well. Someone needs to invent a safe spray that is non-toxic to bees and butterflies.