Professional SAHM

I know that the "gardening implement" that I'm posing with is actually an ice pick, but I was too lazy to run to the garage for a rake. I'm not the only one to voice the fact that this April was a loser month to be a professional gardener. It snowed almost daily and temperatures rarely reached the double digits. BOOOOOOOO! Butt I did luck out and find Lois Hole's Trees and Shrubs book at the library so I have been post-it-noting the shrubbery that I like. I think that shrubs are the future of my yard; way less maintenance than perennials and less waste to clean up in the fall. NOW I'm thinkin'! I'll tell you what I'm leaning toward (and I linked the shrubs to pics): a Peegee Hydrangea in front of my bedroom window (summer flowering), or a double flowering plum and an orange or white flowering potentilla to go beside a sandcherry. And I love mock orange. . . actually, I have a mock orange but it's gnarly and hardly produces any heavenly-scented flowers, but the link that I just found says to chop it to the ground to "renew" it so I'll be doing that in the fall or next spring. Exciting!

Tomorrow I will transform into a naturalist and am looking forward to complaining about how hot it is on Sunday, when the temp. jumps to 21°C from the single digits. What does this city have against temperatures in the teens?!? I think that we'll go for a walk in the ravine!