Putting winter behind us

I have a miniature Chinese holly tree (I bought at Gibson's 27 years ago) in my yard. When we moved to our current location 25 years ago, I brought it with us. Its now 20 plus feet tall. So much for accuracy in labeling, right? We also have a Japanese blueberry tree that we bought at Maas nursery that was supposed to top out at 12 feet. Its more like 18 feet tall and still growing. Today, the cedar waxwing birds have arrived to start harvesting the berries on the holly tree and this is how I know we have put winter behind us - well, and the trees are blooming. Pollen is in my eyes and nose too.

The birds land in my loblolly pines and the neighbor's Shumard red oak by the hundreds and in 2-3 days, they will have picked the tree clean. Evidence of their feasting will be berry stains on my driveway. I don't mind.

Valentine Day's rose trimming and the arrival of the cutesy birds signals my time to begin extensive shrub pruning and although I took on this task at least 3 times last year, the heavy rain days we're having mean we are going to have a rabid growing season, just like we had a cold winter. Wasn't winter amazing this year? I say amazing, for lack of a better description. Three snowfalls and at least one sleet storm and I can't remember seeing that here before.

Each year when my bride trims the roses, I feel I must issue a warning about those thorny devil stems being dropped and we've already made peace on it this year. I like the flowers but I hate the thorns, especially when I discover one stuck in me 2 months later.

The number of gray and depressing days have made this past couple of months depressing to many of us. I didn't sign on for Seattle or London, okay? I want sunny Houston weather. I asked my gardening bride how much gardening she is planning this next season, as I need to know how much work is ahead for me. We have a half acre and I mow the pipeline behind our place and a lot of it is landscaped. What I used to take care of in one day, now takes me 3-4 strategery attacks to complete. "Some," was her reply.

The head is willing - the body not so much. I now have to be "in the mood". A few years ago I wrenched my back and it was about this time, so I contracted a lawn service to do this chore. $500 later, they didn't even cut the lawn. I vowed that I will buy equipment over paying for minimum wage labor at journeyman's pay scale. It took 2 slow-moving workers 2 days to do what I know I used to do in about 6 hours.

So, this year I spent $800 and bought a powerful chipper/shredder and I will mulch everything I can to put back in my flower and shrub beds. I will also bag my yard and pour the cuttings and pine needles into it. Like one guy told me, "Buy tools, not labor," and he is right. Am I going to pay a lawn service a ridiculous amount of money 2-3 times a year to do what I can still do, given the right tools? I think not. Sure, loping those shrubs is labor intensive, as is feeding the branches into the shredder, but guess what? I like it. I will hear money going into my piggy bank every time I operate it.

Real happiness and satisfaction doesn't come by having more free time. It comes from fulfilling our duties. I'll say that again. Real happiness is earned. How many times have you paid a "professional" to do something and you look back at their work and realize you could have done a cleaner, better job? I change my own oil. I want it done right and I know the guy who is doing the work on my expensive rides.

My nomadic little birds are binge-eating as I write this and I don't want to disturb them. They have a long way to fly yet. I'm just happy I dug up that tree and brought it here for them. Like I said last week, its the little things that make us happy. Now, if I can just get the sun to shine through those gray clouds.