I can never resist the garden in the spring. Houston’s been in a false spring since January, and I’ve been outside happily cleaning and clearing and filling bare spaces with what I hope will thrive. I’ve watched many a season of what I like die or grow spindly from lack of sun, for the yard I work in is a shady one towered over by a very old camphor tree that is quite decided in what it lets grow beneath. I’ve been in a battle with that tree for years, and mostly it won. But with time, I’ve been able to edge the yard with things that thrive, ivies, gingers, cannas, iron plants. There’s a life lesson there….to make a regular habit of cleaning away muck…..and something about acceptance. To work with what you have. To bloom where you’re planted….but what if there’s shade? Then you green where you’re planted, don’t you?
What’s in your spring garden? Outside and within? Have you raked it lately?
Karleen Koen — writing life 
I’ll comment with my Sunday haiku. Wish I could add the picture. It’s on FB.
Sunday afternoon
sequestered poppy shyly
shows her glowing face.
A chance to comment about gardens alway is appealing, especially to us Texans who are deprived of normal summers with moderate heat and rainfall. Shade gardening is a real conundrum. We desperatly want to stay cool and therefore love the shade (we’re not fools!) but seem to have this genetic memory that makes us yearn for English gardens, sunny mediterranean vistas, or even those long ago gardens of youth. Oh well, as the song goes – Love the one you’re with! Long live Aspidrista
Judith
I’ve never had a “real” garden before- but that’s changing this Spring. I’ll be planting an herb garden (kitchen standbys like parsley, oregano and basil) and a flower garden of pansies, mini roses and daffodils. And on Earth Day we’re planting a tree- Japanese Magnolia.