Signs of life

April – the month that tries the souls of the hardiest gardeners, especially in the northern tundra.  While many of you in the comfortable world of Zone 6 and above are already seeing signs of spring – crocuses, daffodils, snow drops, perhaps even signs of bright green on trees – we are STILL buried under unsightly piles of snow.  The good news is that the last several days in the 40s and 50s have caused a great deal of melting, and yesterday’s rain certainly helped.  We can actually see some ground in places at this stage, which is progress.  Just not enough progress for my taste.  The beds in the backyard are still buried under snow or swimming in 6 inches of slushy water; the pasture, much to the sheep’s chagrin, remains snow-laden.  The hens are slightly happier since they at least have exposed pathways with plenty of mud in which to scratch and dig.  

My greatest hope of seeing anything with color in the near future lies with my front borders.  The snow has melted and I can actually see the little red and green tips of tulips peeking up out of the mulch.  It’s not much, but it’s all I have to hold onto at the moment.