Spring 2014 is especially welcome.  You know why…we are all sick of winter.    Bring on the color!   After daffodils,  forsythia brings most of the early color to our valley

They look so pretty in the house. I usually cut some fresh branches and bring them in– but in this picture, well, you know...they are fake!

Yesterday it was 70 degrees.  We went to town and visited My True Love’s garden center. I bought some snapdragons even though it’s too early, because….because I wanted them! I will cover them when the inevitable cold snap occurs.

We also bought three blueberries bushes and installed them in the new raised beds. My former blueberry patch was doing terrible.  The soil was not amended properly and they were smothering in clay and just existing.   Mike and I moved the three best from that blueberry patch to the raised beds for a total of six.  With blueberries,  the first year they sleep–the second year they creep–and the third year they leap. I was at Year Five, and all I could hear was snoring. Hopefully, the loose soil amended with peat moss in the raised beds will change that for me.  Hopefully!  I do love blueberries!

I put this purple wave petunia in between the blueberries.  It will be so pretty when it spreads around.  Yes…I know it is early, but I’ll be careful!

Mike picked up three trailer loads of compost from the City of Bristol. Hey Bristol! Your garbage! My garden! They told him to get there early on Tuesday or Wednesday because they suspected they’d be running out. He got there very early and we got our compost. He and Neth worked all day putting compost around my plants.

They also pulled a few shrubs. Neth thought he could do this by hand, but the John Deere did a much faster job of it. I wrote about those funny looking shrubs here.

It’s a pretty place here at RiverCliff Cottage,  but we work hard to keep it that way.   For this year, we’re just getting started!