Spring garden clean up. The harsh and not so pretty truth.

It's so pretty and clean inside, isn't it?Not so much outside in the back garden.So, while the sun is out, I put both of the cats and my citrus tree outside, (Morgan went quietly, but Milo was hauled out unceremoniously from under Chloe's quilt), and spent three-plus hours spring cleaning the garden.Oh yes! Raking and pruning resulted in two green bins full to the brim, ready for next Monday's pick up.Morgan helped me take stock of the general state of the plants after a non-existent winter.The roses are all doing extremely well and greening up like crazy. It was high time for a prune and that's exactly what I did. The Julia Child rose is outgrowing all the others so I had to trim that Dame down to size.Both the rosemary bushes are vibrant with blossoms. You wouldn't think it in a northern climate, but it's true! I saved both of the plants from construction sites and they are rewarding me with abundant and luxurious growth. (Note to self: find more rosemary recipes)Morgan, who is my gardening companion, took a sudden interest in the boughs of the ancient apple tree.Ah, so that's it. I've been trowing the Christmas nuts out to the squirrels and they've been around me in the garden every day.Under the apple tree there are tons and tons of violets.I love violets so much. Isn't it unfair that, once you smell their sweet scent, you have to go smell coffee or wait for several minutes to smell it again?I think it's high time to candy some again for the year.And here are the June bearing raspberries. Last year was the most incredible season for them. I hope this year is a repeat.Morgan is judging my rose pruning.My very small collection of garden statuary is still fine. The little pig and the cherub are ready to adorn the garden beds again this year. One hangs out under the raspberries and the other under the climbing hydrangea. My granddaughters love them.The clumps of mini daffodils are my Old Faithfuls. They were those kinds one buys in pots in grocery stores, and once they bloomed out, I planted the whole bunch of bulbs straight into the garden, where they naturalise, multiply and bloom each year. I've done that very successfully with grocery store bought crocuses, irises and hyacinths as well, and, although the hyacinths don't come back as full as the original store bought ones, they're taller and just as fragrant, so actually better for the vase.One little disaster from last summer's drought is that a giant and old hedging cedar tree died, and I decided to remove it plus the two cedars beside it to the South because they were just too wide and closing off my path to the shade garden. Unfortunately, I lost a bit of privacy from my neighbour, but I like my neighbour very much, and plan to extend a small pergola which supports an enormous clematis Armandii.So that's my garden clean up for today. The most wonderful thing is that now I have a cleaner garden and this beautiful little bouquet of violets beside my bed tonight.I hope your garden is springing up where you are...or winding down with tons of flowers and produce if you're down under like my friend Julie. Gardening is so rewarding. Don't you think so? I'm really looking forward to this spring season. I hope it's a good one.