The snow is gone! And the weather has been warm enough that I’ve been out in the garden the last couple days, actually doing garden chores. It feels like I have been sprung from prison.
Mostly I’ve been cutting back the old foliage on the Lenten Roses (Helleborus orientalis) and pruning the ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens). It was gratifying to see all the flower buds on the Hellebores once the tattered leaves were gone.
Actually the rabbits got to pruning most of the Hydrangeas before I did, and the same was true of some newer Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) and Pussy Willow (Salix discolor). Standing on the deep snow enabled the little critters to chew the tender tips of the Hydrangeas. I protected the Chokeberry and Willow with chicken wire, but thanks to the snow the rabbits were able shear off the stems at the height of the barrier (24″).
Let’s see – I also pruned our roses, ‘Cassie’ and ‘Darlow’s Enigma’, and cut back the Clematis ‘Jackmanii’. And I got started on pruning the ‘Donald Wyman’ crabapple.
The other thing I’ve been doing is scouting for shoots emerging from the newly bare ground. There are lots of Snowdrops blooming now (Galanthus nivalis and G. elwesii). Many Crocus have sent up their narrow leaves, and a few have blooms. There are many shoots of Daffodils, and leaves of some the very early Tulipa kaufmanniana. It is all very gratifying.
My gardening muscles aren’t what they were, so I have to pace myself. Even so, it is a joy to be out in the cool sunshine. Each new leaf and bud gives me hope for a beautiful spring.
gardeninacity 
I am so glad to hear you are back outside – so terrific. Those cute little bunnies though?!
I’ve been told that Irish Spring soap is a good rabbit repellent. Might just try it.
I’m so glad you are able to feel the joys of spring again, being out in the sunshine and fresh air is so good for the soul. Your garden will be beautiful once more when all your bulbs start flowering. What a pain the rabbits are, I really don’t know what to suggest. Take care and pace yourself.
I know the feeling…seeing the new upshoots of crocus, daffodil and lenten roses. Hoping the rhubarb makes a bit of a pop soon. It is nice the snow is gone..!!
I wish we had a good spot for rhubarb!
I found some neglected corner and planted some last year, it’s just coming up now…perfect, cold, neglected and protected.
Love the snowdrops! Amelia
Congratulations on your photo spread in Fine Gardening! Beautiful!
I would love to get out and just clear broken branches from the ground, but the wind here has been fierce and going out even with ear coverings is just me asking for sinus and ear issues. Glad you were able to get out.
Aside from a couple days, wind here has not been too bad.
Glad to see you’re out in the garden puttering around! It does feel so good, doesn’t it? Curse those darned rabbits! They’re just incorrigible. Happy spring, Jason!
Just started using a new weapon on the rabbits.
So good to hear you are out and about. Those gardening muscles will return. As you say, pace yourself. Just reading your list of finished chores makes me feel like a slug. I don’t have any excuse for not doing more. ha… Speaking of slugs I saw some slug slime already. Argh…
Slugs are not a problem here, fortunately.
Hooray for you being out in the garden and welcoming spring.
Remember the old recipe for rabbit stew? First, catch a rabbit…. Glad you are out in the fresh air and sunshine and getting after it!
As you well know, gardening is good for the soul–and everything else! Snowdrops are lovely, congrats on the Fine Gardening spread!
Ya know the entire neighborhood is eagerly anticipating your tulip show! We can’t wait!
It looks like you might be a bit ahead of us. I haven’t seen and snowdrops but I have seen crocus blossoms.
We’ve been very warm here this week.
It must be so gratifying to see all that growth now that the snowy blanket has gone. Rabbits, less gratifying!
How wonderful that you are back outside! Those snowdrops are a delight. Sorry about the rabbit problem. I would not have guessed there were so many rabbits in a neighborhood setting.
It has really been a liberation. About the rabbits: they seem to live anywhere that you find squirrels, apparently. We also have the occasional coyote, tho not in our yard. They follow green belts, like train tracks. We also have possums and skunks. Rumor has it there are raccoons and rats, but I hope not.
Amazing how wild animals find a place among humans.
My sympathies on the rabbits, and my congratulations on the return to the garden, which appears to be ready and waiting for you! What good things popping up there!
I’m glad you are able to be back in the garden in spring…so many surprises coming up, it is one of my favourite times of the year. I’ll look forward to your Clematis ‘Jackmanii” flowering in summer.
Glad you’ve had a chance to enjoy puttering around discovering early spring garden friends. You have accumulated a lot of lovely snowdrops. Sorry the rabbits have taken the early advantage. I’m struggling with how to control them here. Last year was the first time they had been a problem and they were ruthless. A friend advised just don’t plant anything they like to eat (not helpful advice at all.) Rabbit spray proved unworkable last summer…Oops, I’m going on about rabbits. I still haven’t come to terms with them!š š š
Jason heard that shredded Irish Spring soap would repel them, so he is going to try that. We should know soon! We may just end up with a lot of soap lather. š
Hope it works Judy! I’ve heard of using Irish Spring to deter deer as well. Two for one use!
Glad to hear the snow is gone, and you are out in the garden again! Some trees are already in bloom here, and barring a frost damage this spring, we hope for lots of fruit this year.
How wonderful to get outside after snow. I am always surprised how behind ours your garden is in March and how quickly it catches up.
I can’t help but laugh at the rabbits. The thought of them using the snow as a stepladder’s just funny — although I suppose it would be less so if it were my garden. I saw some comments about your piece in Fine Gardening. It’s not a magazine I knew existed, and I certainly haven’t read it before, but their willingness to live online as well as in print let me have a peek: lovely! And I can’t wait for that clematis to come into bloom again.
In my garden it is the hares that are there – even in the snow- doing some early pruning for me! š¬ You will be catching us up so soon as our spring is very very slow this year.
Aren’t hares the same as rabbits?
Hares don’t burrow but live in hollows in the grass or undergrowth and they are larger than rabbits with thinner faces, longer ears and very strong back legs. They are also rather independent creatures preferring to keep themselves to themselves and the babies are sent out into the wide world really early in life to fend for themselves. Beautiful animals!
Looks like you are a couple of weeks ahead of us – I absolutely cannot wait! So excited to see some green emerge this spring.
Wonderful to hear that the snow has gone and that you’ve been pottering in the garden. Gorgeous snowdrops and a pleasure seeing all those shoots coming up. Shame about the rabbit damage.xxx
I’m glad you were able to get out in the garden again, even tentatively at first. There’s nothing quite like stepping outside and starting to get stuck in. I hope the Spring turns out to be rejuvenating for you.