It Feels Like Spring! :)

I was out in the yard yesterday, and I even sawed off three overgrown forsythia that I've been wanting to remove. After cutting them to the ground, I pushed them back some, but left them in place to provide cover for the birds. One or two branches that had been in contact with the ground had rooted which made it rather difficult to move this one unrelenting trunk.

It was around 50, and I had to take off my jacket and go around in a T-shirt, but it wasn't until today, which is colder, that it really reminded me of spring. I think the sun had a lot to do with it. :)

I planted two more dogwood in the area (a total of three) and a black gum seedling. I wanted to cut back the forsythia (and remove its roots in the spring) to keep it from shading the black gum. Although the deer don't tend to do more than "lightly" browse" the black gum seedlings I put in the first year here, I put more twigs from the forsythia around it to protect it. The sooner it can grow to sexual maturity the better. I want berries to feed the birds. Like hollies and some other trees, the male and female flowers are on separate trees. I have no way of knowing at this point if this one is male or female. So far I have seven black gum on the property--all of which I planted. I planted five the first year, lost one, and planted 3 more this year.




before

after