in my garden: things to notice and things to do

I finally got to work in the garden yesterday. The wet snow melted enough to allow me and my Felco pruners to eat away at the base of some old perennial stalks and tall clumps of native grasses. They are things that I had let die “in situ.” Not everyone likes they way dead stalks look in their garden, but I do (especially the remains of Texas star hibiscus, obedient plant, switch grass, and purple coneflower).

I also picked up stick arms and Mardi gras beads from our Saturday snowman. He didn’t stay together for more than two hours after the sun became bright. And last but not least, I mulched the muddy track that my two big dogs make as they tear into the front yard on their way to the northern pecan tree….the one that sometimes has a squirrel.

So, what else is new? I decided against pansies along the front walk and am looking around for some other stuff to try for my late winter containers. I threw some seeds of winter rye grass into two large pots that were filled with last season's soil and the dormant roots of something called "wire vine." By itself, rye grass looks a little spare for my taste …..Maybe I will add a clump of oregano. Besides oregano’s obvious merit in the herb garden, it is a cheap and plentiful groundcover. I like it because the chalky green leaves hang in through the cold months. I will post some pictures in a few weeks, after the rye sprouts. If the wire vine also sprouts, then this container may have some staying power. Overall it was a good day outside. I am looking forward to more ahead.