The cadence of the garden continues. It is now tree seedling plucking time. Maples of different types, linden, and cherry. This year does seem lighter. Our Amur Maple threw a lot of seed, but not as much as I remember. I am thinking the squirrels harvested a lot. And now we will not have it going forward. We lost it in the big ice and heavy snow storm. I am tempted to save one seedling. We will see.

Usually I get seven buckets like this. I doubt we will have more than two this year.

Just about the time each year that I am plucking tree seedlings, the pines begin to show new growth (candles). I noticed today they are starting.

And the forget-me-nots are starting to bloom. They bloom on last year’s growth – they are biennial. I planted them the year my father-in-law passed, and they bring me great joy.

I am careful to keep them contained, as, like the joy they bring, they can take over a garden and move onto a lawn.

And today I moved the purple shamrock out from the protection of the patio, to it’s summer spot under the linden.

I am ready, and I know that after it goes through it’s normal transformation to being used to the outdoors, it will again look like this

Finally, it is time, I suppose, to cut the plastic back again from the base of the linden. She is so much bigger every year. I have toyed with moving to mulch in that area. Maybe next year. For a mulch garden spruce up at the historic cemetery is where I landed for my “all summer” project. But that will be a story for a different day.