2021 - April is a Time to Renew and Grow

Finally moving towards a normal life after pandemic restrictions which began in March of 2020.  No April Fool here as caution was still a priority until a couple weeks after personally receiving the second vaccination.  No active COVID cases in my county and vaccines are readily available for most people this month.  Right now I am seeing more people going without masks but respectful for those that choose to keep them on and the larger public businesses that still encourage it.  Larger areas like Springfield, Missouri still have city-wide ordinances in place.  As active cases keep dropping and more people are vaccinated, getting back to normal routines are getting more liberal everyday.  The weather is fickle this spring with early above average temperatures then a couple below normal cold snaps.  Fortunately, my gardening experience has given me the confidence to wait until mid to late April to plant.  Moving forward...

View from our carport of our main garden areas.

Terraced gardens are complete this year.  It was over 40 years ago that the first one was constructed and several of the early ones have been redone from the original wood to masonry now.  The newest one now is for strawberries.  Most plants that come up now are established from previous years and include many natives.  The lawn to mow has been reduced to 30 minutes edged with perennial plants.  The open areas are filled with vegetables we eat and annuals we love for color and scent.  Gardening is a real joy now and provides just enough exercise and fresh air to keep healthy.  It took a lot of work over the years to get to this point.  There likely will be more changes in the future just because that's what we love to do!

Bobi Kitty turned 8 years old and got a new tunnel thingy along with fresh catnip in all his toys.  He is our Garden Kitty and a real joy as he inspects all the work we do which I'm sure he thinks is all for him.  This busy month allowed for time with my granddaughter which is the biggest joy of all as she is so much fun at nearly 4 years old.

I love that she loves puzzles like I do!

She likes to do this puzzle again and again all by herself!

Riding her bike...

...scooter...

...pulling her wagon...

...and building with her Magna Tiles kept us busy and having fun!

On Easter Sunday we had Mass for the first time in well over a year.  I wish they would continue on Sundays but the majority seems to like Saturday afternoons which doesn't work well for me.  Here I am in my first dress for the season with our new deck and tavern-height table and swivel chairs.

Our new poly outdoor furniture consists of a glider chair and footstool for me and my husband wanted the glider-swivel chair.  We are very happy with our choices!  The gardens look lovely from here!

Bobi Kitty owns the yard and has many places now to hide and sleep.

The view from my front patio of the yard shows all the spring blooms.  These tulips were from the original dozen and were successfully transplanted last Fall.

April is the best month to view nature along the river trail near our home.  The 3-mile trail has so many areas I have come to enjoy off into the nearby woods.  Here there are so many Mayapples...

..and Wake Robin (aka Trillium)...

...and Cut-Leafed Toothwort...

...and the first morel mushroom of many this year.

Below the dam are large fields where young people have begun to come out and play soccer.  Soon the area school track teams will be running all over the place.

Cleanup time at our Master Gardener Volunteer Project  - Settlers Village in Wheatland, Missouri.  My husband and I do the center gardens between re-settled area log cabins.  

This is the Heritage Garden in Settlers Village that I plant mostly in native prairie plants.

Dogwoods are blooming all over including in my yard.

Excess Lily-of-the-Valley and Ajuga in my yard are put together to take to the gardeners in my Silver Sneakers Gym Class.

This area is under the redbud trees in my yard which needed a lot of weeding and transplanting ajuga because the lily-of-the-valley got away from their designated area.  

 

Also transplanted were 10 Cora Bells under the redbud trees.

On the right are the lily-of-the-valley.  That is where they can stay.  On the left of the sidewalk are many Hosta varieties.

This is Bobi Kitty's Garden of Pleasure between the new strawberry garden and my swing area.  I planted catnip and cat grass for him.

It was a good year for finding Morel Mushrooms!

Wouldn't you know it would snow!  Then a cold spell came and some things like the Hostas needed covered.  I am a seasoned gardener and knew not to plant too early!  Nothing in my yard took a hit.

By the end of the month, orioles and  hummingbirds were coming to my feeders.

Time to have fun in my yard as all work and no play...

...with lots of new blooms everyday...

...makes for a delicious taste of life with steak and morel mushrooms eaten...

...with pleasure from our new deck overseeing the fruits of our labor!

Nature is showing off her beauty everywhere.  Here is a Rusty Blackhaw bloom...

...and a Dwarf Larkspur.

A Summer Tanager follows me around while I'm finding morel mushrooms in the woods swooping down and scarfing up newly hatched flying insects to eat.  We both are happy and thankful for this time to renew and grow with all that Spring has to offer!