Usually I celebrate New Year's Day planting spring bulbs. I didn't order any bulbs this year, but have spent the last two days in the garden. Don't know if I am late with fall clean-up or early with spring clean-up--but it sure has been a grand two days. It also really brought home the need to significantly downsize.

    The Bermuda grass has seriously invaded two large beds, and has got a really strong foothold in another two. The last couple of years I haven't had the money to buy mulch, and heavy mulch is the only way to keep the B-grass in check. (It takes two dumptrucks of mulch to cover all the beds.)

    There are larkspur and ammi seedlings coming up all over the place, and here and there poppies are beginning to sprout. My earliest daffodils and species tulips are peaking through the dirt and the reticulated iris leaves are up. Should have blooms in about a month.

    For Christmas, Mom got me an Earthway seeder. I was hoping the ground would be dry enough by tomorrow to try it out with lettuce and kale, but it is supposed to start raining tonight. So tomorrow I get to cozy in with the catologs again!

Happy New Year! 2006 is the year when the rain and sun and temperatures will occur just right so that we all have splendid gardens!

Janie