Look at those beautiful buds! Finally, at long last, Spring is here! I have most definitely been impatient. I grew up in Southern California and never really acclimated to winter. Anything below 60 degrees Fahrenheit is too cold for me. Spring has just been flirting with warmth – every time I think it will FINALLY be warm the temperature drops and we are below freezing once again.

Trying to figure out how to dress each day is a real challenge – each morning I ask “Alexa” what the weather will be but “her” answer is usually less than adequate – she always forgets to calculate the wind chill factor. BRRRRRRRRRRR.

One thing that I am excited about this year is being able to spend more time outside in my yard and gardens. Since I was a little girl one of the desires of my heart has been to grow flower gardens. I’ve always wanted one that begins blooming at the beginning of spring and continues with beautiful flowers all through summer and fall. Now I have a huge yard with room for anything I would care to grow. I thought one just puts seeds or plants into the ground, give them a little water and fertilizer, and VOLIA! A beautiful flower garden from which I could cut blooms to fill my house with fresh bouquets. I originally started with a butterfly garden in the back. It was quite lovely. Then I added flower beds in different areas all around the house. Here are some of the flowers that planted. I was ecstatic!

Little did I know that the deer, rabbits, and groundhogs were just as excited as I was.

I have high hopes for the area where the deer are currently eating any and all tender shoots that are sprouting. I want to create a cottage garden. Through trial and error, I found that some of my favorite flowers the deer regard as candy to be sampled at any and all times they cut through my yard going to and from the river. Sometimes they sleep overnight in my yard, too. Or just bring their little ones for their naps during the day, then mosey along back down to the river. They feel very safe with us!

This is what I HOPE the garden will look like…

I can only hope! I’ll have to figure out how to keep the critters from deciding the garden is their own personal salad bar. Any suggestions or recommendations? Any and all help you are willing to provide will be received with extreme gratitude! Wish me luck!