April showers bring...

Suddenly, it's the end of April. My birth month is nearly over -- with a total eclipse on my birthday, and a visit to Puerto Rico, this month has been full of sunshine. With the dusty roads and dry fields surrounding the city, I found myself wishing for rain, and finally we have some this week. The grass is green and the leaves have popped out of their buds, bringing spring allergies along in full force.

I am looking out at my garden, and here's what I notice:

I still haven't clipped the dead tall grasses from the fall.

The bulbs I planted last fall are joined by generous donations from the squirrels.

The perennials are emerging from the ground and ground cover is spreading nicely.

There is space for annuals, which will provide a pop of fresh colour.

This makes me think of the work I need to do to prepare for whatever comes next:

In my perennial space, I choose to undertake general maintenance:

• clean out the clutter (what can I let go of?)

• consolidate (what is available to me now?)

• fertilize (what will nourish me?)

In the space for annuals, I choose to add new growth with:

• bright colours (what will create zest?)

• space filler (what will fill in the gaps?)

• quick hits (what will bring a quick, and low maintenance, return on my investment?)

"April showers bring May flowers". It's time to start planning for new growth in May.