Spring!

I am sitting on my deck right now. Jude and Owen are arguing over the rules of their t-ball game. There are newly planted flowers in the corner of the yard below me. It's a good afternoon.

Last weekend a gardening friend took me to a native plant sale - every thing on the shelves likes living in northern Illinois. I'm told that means they'll be hardy and endure more operator error than most plants. I hope it's true.

We have a big yard with not much other than grass and some gorgeous maples and evergreens. I'm having a good time planning and planting but it's hard to focus my attention. Ben and I have put new flower beds outside the gate (the main path to & from church) and inside the fence. Below our deck is a square of lawn about 12x12 feet and I hope to eventually make that all garden. I came across a shade-loving variety of japanese maple tree this weekend and think something like that might work nicely.

I also want to pull out the shrubs by our front door and plant perennials (hostas?) there. And a tree at the end of the house. And get something going in the back part of the yard (sumac? chokeberry?). And fill in the 4-foot-wide strip between the fence and the parking lot. A friend says she has black-eyed susans to spare and they'd probably go there.

Someday it may all be as I imagine. Or, more likely, I'll change my mind next week.