Spring stowaway

In the first couple of years we were married we rented Great-Grandma Linford's appartment downtown. It happened to be the house next door to her that she had both the upstairs and downstairs made into appartments. We were lucky to have the upstairs.

GGL- (We'll call her Dott-because that's what her name was.) let me take over the yard to plant flowers and make it my project. This is when I got hooked on gardening. I never knew I had a green thumb! Before I knew it there were things growing left and right. And not just ANY things, they were the actual things that I had purposefully planted! It was glorious! Soon I was ordering bulbs from Holland (okay, Brecks- but they get them from Holland) and felt like a big shot. Because they GREW! They actually, literally and purposefully grew! Yes, I realize I used that big word twice. Go with it.

We only lived there two years before we were asked to move in with my Grandma Davis in her golden years. I had some gorgeous tulips and iris' that when we were moving I was so sad to leave behind! I asked Grandma Putnam (who was now in charge since Dott had passed on) if I could take my precious flowers with me. She easily said yes, so I gathered up the bulbs and moved (to Beverly... sorry, had to say it) them to my new residence.

Now my new yard was easily ten times what the other planter box size was. oooh- i'm going to go dig out old photos and scan them in... but I digress...

One of the favorite flowers I had were called Dwarf Iris. I had at least 100 of them all lined up in front. They are only about 4" tall and they pop up very early spring. I thought I had gotten all the teeny tiny bulbs. But alas- I didn't. *sniff* They were the perfect introduction of the flowering season. I also have some wild tulips that do the same. As I removed the 6 inches of leaves off the flower beds I found this guy. One lonely dwarf iris. Brendan though it was so cute! I need to find more of these. They really are striking, but more so when there are 100.

Here is another early bloomer that I have. It's a hellebore... aka lenten rose. I love the dark purple blooms.

With the weather so nice I have been able to get outside while Addison takes her long afternoon nap. Clearing out this yard was a chore indeed, since I didn't give a damn about it last year. I don't know if you know this- but I had a baby last year. Followed by "I don't give a damn about ANYTHING" disease. That hasn't worked out for me at all because now I have double the work. I have filled up two green waste cans and four garbage cans overflowing. ***Can't wait to see the garbage man's face. He has told me a couple of times to not have it overflowing. I even have chalk marks on the handles. I think these are demerits. Now every garbage truck driver in the city will know that I am not following proper garbage-can-fill-up rules. I feel so bad for the mechanical arms that have to move and carry such a heavy burden. Wah. Dude- You don't even have to get out of the truck anymore. You don't even worry about the garbage that flys out of the truck in my gutter. But hey Garbage Man- at least it's only overflowing with leaves and twigs and not poopy diapers.***

Addison woke up after nearly 2 hours and Jason brought her outside. She didn't know what to think of the grass.
We tried to coax her to crawl on it by taunting her with the headphones I had been wearing. She didn't want to put her other hand down on the grass. After this attempt she just sat up, reached up and started crying for her mommy. Her dirt-all-over-the-place mommy. She had to settle for daddy so I could go hose off.