Don't Be A Pansy!

I seriously DO NOT have the control to contain myself right now!  

Spring has officially Sprung today, March 20th, 2012- and I am in some Spirit to let my Muse- Beauty- inspire me and lead me to true Joy once again.  Except this time...and from Here-on-Out...I will be spending all of my adventures out in my own personal Backyard Oasis.  I call it: Murf-Land and it Rocks My World every year!

Don't Be A Pansy!

Spring graces us with her beauty and moderate conditions for such a short time- and then all we can do is bitch about the heat when it really rolls in...

Let's take full advantage of this opportunity and Celebrate!

Before we do, there are a few Housekeeping items that I always make sure to check off my list before I begin the true Dirty Work.

And it is in doing this prep-work, that I find a complete rebirth of Joy for this lovely Gem of a season.

Come on!  Let's throw a party for Spring!  A Surprise Party!

Plant Those Seeds!

As with any early Venturer like myself, it is always fun to begin a Step-ahead-of-the-Rest each season by starting important seeds indoors (a month before transplanting into the garden).  I try to select seeds that will do well indoors and that will give me some good strong results within 30 days.  Tricky starters will be grown directly in the gardenspace.

I always grow my seeds in a dense compost from the year before and place each set in the smallest possible pots...too big of a surface area when growing seeds indoors will usually result in rotting and molding.  Scanky.

Get Those Fabulous Bulbs!

And one of my favorite pass-times during the Waking Weeks of Spring is to purchase all my new and exciting bulbs for the season.  Not spring bulbs, but summer bulbs- like lilies and Gladiolas.

I just received my much-anticipated lily bulb order in the mail yesterday!  Soooo In-Time for my annual 1st Day of Spring Planting Fest!

What's fun about summer bulbs is that we can plant them in the current season- as opposed to Spring bulbs that we must plant in the fall.  The wait kills me!

Till that Soil!

I ALWAYS make sure to spend quite a bit of time in the dirt with my trowel and mini rake as I attempt to loosen up the surface of the garden and bring 'bounce' back into my soil.  I think it makes things look a lot more fresh and eager.  It's like a Sugar Facial Scrub for the soil!  This also helps get rid of any unwanted 'weedlings' (weed seedlings) and helps the dormant roots below find breath again!

Light Those Trees!

Another MurfMagic trademark every season is to carefully string clear Christmas lights around the branches of some of my larger specimens; like this climbing Rose, for instance.  This is a painstaking process because I must be very sensitive to the plants' new growth as I wind and wrap.

This is the only nighttime lighting I use in the gardenspace- and once the leaves fully form, a glow from within the garden softly illuminates the space around me...I feel like I am within the realm of Angels.

Note: this can NOT be carelessly done, or it will look like a Trashy Hooker lives in your backyard.  String lights with taste! 

Run That Water!

I know the garden season is upon me when my beloved little Faucet Fountain is placed and operating!

Just the subtle sound of running water in my garden is enough for me to want to retreat forever back here!

I always make sure to 'soften' the edges of any piece of statuary or sculpture in the garden with complimenting pottery and/or plantings.  This fountain needs to eventually look as though it is a fixed part of the garage it rests on...and after my plants fill the void spaces- I will be in business!

--Running water mysteriously falling from within the foliage and blooms: Pure Magic.

Place Those Pots!

I am slightly addicted to terracotta pots...especially old, chipped, cracked, and mossy ones!  So what better way to Celebrate the onset of Spring than with the precise placement of all my deteriorating Beauties?  I place my pots wherever I know I am going to need a little Color-Boost (and I don't mean for my hair).  Troublesome areas of the garden (i.e- too much shade or un-diggable ground due to stones or roots...etc) are great places to add a collection of pots.  The summer color in my old wagon here will certainly brighten-up my dark, under-tree Blackhole that never allows me to grow anything!

Add Those Signs!

So I gotta be honest here-  I am known to take things a bit too seriously sometimes.
...Well...all the time... 
And I have been teaching myself ways in which I can 'Lighten Up' a little.

I have created these adorable garden signs that are meant as little greetings for the promenade through my garden.  I tore down an old white picket fence in the backyard last summer, crafted these signs, and accented them with acrylic paint and polyurethane spray.  They are a silly, cheesy element to my other-wise serious standard.


I love my Pitbull/Shepard Mix, Diezel, so much that I have nicknamed him according to his energy levels. 'Cozy Cow' for when he is a cute, quiet, subtle, mindful pet...and 'Wiggy Piggy' for when he is a complete disaster.  He lives up to both names Beautifully!  These characters are fun surprises as we walk through the garden.  They bring a smile to my face every time.

 The Cozy Cow.

 The Wiggy Piggy

 Love Your Pets!

Diezel gets the Cozy Cow award for today.  He kept a watchful eye on me as I spent the entire day in the garden.

He enjoys laying in the sun and softly growling at birds and squirrels as they approach too closely to the yard.

Here, he poses with a pot of Pansies.

...looking at me as if to say,

        "Are you done yet, dude?"

 

Rejoice The Day!

It sure was a long and Beautiful 1st day of Spring today! 

80 degrees and sunny!  

By the end of the day, lots of little projects got checked off my list:

my seeds,

my soil,

my bulbs,

my garden signs,

my pots,

and my pansies.

And as the soft sun sets over the trees, a golden glow sets fire to the evening sky.

My favorite time of day in the garden.

Spring- I welcome you, Girl.  

and I promise...

I will NOT be A Pansy!

I will be your Magic!

Cheers!