Doing some tiny gardening...

Another freakishly warm day - probably the third straight day of record breaking high temps.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  And when I went outside this morning I was delighted to see the first little splash of purple next to the house - the first little bunch of miniature iris have burst into bloom.  Looking back in my Blipfoto journal, this seems to be about the normal time for the first blossoms.  They are hardy things so even if it snows, they'll be fine.  

Inspired by the iris, I decided to do some garden clean up and several of the Tinies insisted in coming along. They are not to be denied, so I set them loose in the garden to do their things.  As you can see here, one of them managed to climb up onto the iris - crafty things!  Later, I found two of them working on a little patch of salvia that's just breaking ground.

While the Tinies did their thing, I cut all the buddleia back (this is best done in spring to encourage healthy growth), cleaned up birdseed in the garden, cut and hauled out all the spent bee balm and phlox and did some other general cleaning up.  I discovered that the bee balm is already starting to come up, the Montauk daisies are putting out green leaves at ground level and lots of other little signs of reawakening are going on in the garden.  Very happy.

A friend of mine arranged to bring her therapy dog, Willo, over to see MIL and the other residents today, so I met her there just after lunch.  Willo was a big hit - it was heartwarming to see how people just lit up when they saw her.  And MIL, who's always had dogs, was delighted.  

Thunderstorms in the forecast for this afternoon --- in February.  That's crazy.  And I was out with a short-sleeved t-shirt on today.  In February.  

Thanks so very much for all the love on my bluebird yesterday.  Although I didn't see him today, I heard him singing so know he was out there somewhere.  I checked to see when they started nesting last year and it was mid-April, so we've a ways to go yet.  It's not uncommon, however, for them to shop for real estate in the winter and to guard the house against other would-be renters until they are ready to move in.  

xo
Debbi