This spring has been about two things for me:  weather and maturity dates.

 

The first because, ‘Oh-my-gosh!’.

The second, because a ten-year-old lives in my house. And because we got our garden plants in the ground late. And because most of our plants have a 60+ day maturity (the time the plant needs to successfully grow), we won’t see vegetables before the end of June. The jury is still out on the 10-year-old.

Meantime the amount of rain has been formidable and the garden has never looked better.

But summer is coming. So before you close the doors and blinds to everything outdoors, here’s my hit list for what to do NOW:

Get outside.

Whatever you’re doing, do it outdoors. Find a bright spot to read or do homework and enjoy some vitamin D and fresh air. Gather cuttings from all that is blooming in your garden now.

Have parties. We spent the entire Mother’s Day afternoon on our patio. We didn’t even turn on the fan. That will change soon.

Protect yourself from mosquitoes.

Wear insect repellent with a high percentage of an active ingredient (like DEET) for longer protection.

Cover up; avoid humid and grassy areas where mosquitoes hang out and don’t attract them to your yard with even small amounts of standing water.  Keep mosquitoes outside by leaving windows and screens closed and using air conditioning. More mosquito info here.

Plant things.

Cooler temperatures and all this rain leaves the window open for planting. Check to make sure what you’re planting is not only hardy and beautiful, but right for your gardening zone.

Prepare for the heat.

Start prepping now for the warm temperatures we’ll have very soon.
Invest in a rain barrel and harvest water for hand watering beds and gardens during periods of drought. Mulch beds now (while it’s cool) with a layer of protection from summer’s heat .

Watch the sky.

This weekend the May 21 full moon will give us a Blue Moon: the third of four full moons in one season. This Blue Moon and the red planet Mars will shine together from dusk May 21 until dawn May 22. The moon will be blue in name only. but Mars will be noticeably reddish in color.

Closer to home, the bird-watching has been most enjoyable. We have spent hours watching the wrens and doves nesting in our patio birdhouses. Check out this graphic for just how frequently birds are moving through your area.

To be part of the tracking, get involved at eBird. After looking at this, I might put out a hummingbird feeder this week. (Thanks Blanco, Texas bird counter.)

 

Enjoy spring! 

Because this gorgeous weather will not last forever. (Nor will the sass and occasional Linda Blair-like head-spinning of the delightful ten-year-old who still enjoys our company.) Share your bird sightings, favorite picnic recipes or outdoor excursions with me in the Comments.