This month, as in all Mays, we are in positive swivet of activity, from reseeding the lawns to amending the planting beds to coaxing along countless trays of seedlings destined for glory in the ground in what will now be a matter of weeks if not days. Despite what seems to be an abnormally high pollen count, which makes me rather dopey, it’s been blissful work as spring beauty abounds.

The reseeding of the lawns just turned the corner form tedious to triumphant as we’ve started to rake up the hay we scattered over the reseeded lawns two weeks ago. This year, this was a major project, especially on the slope above our largest pond, which the ducks and geese use as their marching ground when they are not “flap-running” down it into the pond, wings and feet slapping the air, with our young hound Chester in playful pursuit.


At any rate, this large area had seen so much use that it was virtually bald, with the roots of the trees poking like knees and elbows through the ground. We had to haul in a truckload of topsoil first, rake it over the offending limbs, then seed, then top it all off with a good mulching of hay, not only to help keep the seeds damp but to prevent the geese from eating them. Today, two weeks later, we started raking up the hay and, mirabile dictu, there was the yearned-for, lush carpet of green, which I thought fairly instant on the gratification scale.


Now is also the time you should be eyeballing your perennial beds with an eye to editing the sprawlers and filling in the blanks. Start making a list in preparation for the frost date (May 15th), always remembering that a cluster of three or five of any given cultivar will always be more effective (and instantly gratifying) than the lonely single specimen.


And, finally, I’d like to dedicate this column to the memory of our dear dog Casper, who we had to put to sleep 5 years ago this month. In moments of contemplation, I go and sit with him on the hill above the summer borders, where we buried him. This is infinitely calming to me. Although we are fortunate to have the new and much loved presences of our most recent SPCA adoptees Zack and Chester, I still do not garden a day without wishing Casper were there beside me.