The signs of spring are all around us. The Daffodils have been blooming for several weeks and the Tulips are about ready to open up. I planted several more Tulips last fall., I'm anxious to see how well they turn out.
In recent weeks I have been very busy starting seedlings that will eventually go in the ground. Here in central Kentucky, our last frost date is around May 10th. Hopefully that will provide enough time for my young sprouts and seedlings to grow strong enough before they are left to survive on their own. The good news is that all of the pruning I was working on last month is complete. New buds and blooms on the trees and berry bushes are encouraging. Fingers crossed they produce abundantly this year. 🤞🙏 I'm a little sad because my plum trees were in full bloom a couple of weeks ago and then we had a hard freeze that pretty much wiped them out. 😞 Hopefully a few late blooms will appear so that we at least have a few plums this year. 🤞🤞
Another project that we (Craig mostly) has been working on is trying to eradicate the invasive honeysuckle bushes/trees that have enveloped our property over the years. Actually.....it's not just our property, but a good portion of the Nation as a whole. Several years ago someone got the bright idea to bring in the Asian Honeysuckle bush as an ornamental plant as a way to help with erosion control. Here's a tip..... people need to do SERIOUS research before introducing a new plant or animal into an area that is not its native home. 😡 Here in Kentucky, the state has started a campaign trying to save our wooded areas because the Asian Honeysuckle is smothering the forest floor. They are encouraging land owners to do their part in getting rid of the invasive plant. Native trees that naturally re- seed themselves are not able to do so because of the lack of sunlight and oxygen. It's a very real problem. There are fears that some of our native trees will become extinct. That would be horrible! It's actually advantageous to strip them out now during early spring before all of the leaves from the bush as well as leaves from other trees grow out and impede the removal process. We won't finish getting them all cleared out this year. There's just too many....😩 However, we've gotten off to a huge start so hopefully by next spring they will all be gone. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the progress. Until then, happy growing!
The picture above shows on the left how invasive the honeysuckle has become.
The right side shows what we have cleared so far.