Oh, how the time flies!

Who could have imagined six years on, we’d still be writing about harrowing adventures! Well, things *have* settled down quite a bit from those early days of home improvement demolition and reconstruction that’s for sure-

Yes, lately the seasonal tasks of garden maintenance have replaced the daily slog of home improvement. Not sure if we’ll ever get this old house fully completed as there are *still* several unfinished projects ranging from B.I.G. (staircase, vestibule, flooring, and all the  related drywall, trims & paint/stain) to quite small touch-ups including trim work, painting, etc.

When you’re living in a construction zone, its very easy to get complacent once you reach a certain point in the renovation process. My recommendation to anyone considering a whole home improvement project would be to never live there while the work is underway.  Being present 24/7/365 has a way of becoming a reason NOT to do anything instead of the original notion of being able to tackle it all since you’re there all the time.

The six-year anniversary really snuck up on me.  I haven’t given much thought to our WordPress presence, especially lately.  Our previous posts have become dedicated to gardening which is seasonally motivated, although our Twitter feed is active daily. We also started participating in a weekly online gardening trend called #SixOnSaturday, but this highlights happenings pertaining solely within the garden.

Thankfully, there are still so many reasons to continue writing & posting.  As we prepare for another season of garden renovation & (re)development we’re incredibly fortunate to be able to review/consult photos, thoughts and effects of our previous year efforts.  Thanks to WordPress and this blogging format we have a reliable communication vehicle which doubles as an archival mechanism. Hooray!

As stated in a few previous posts, our winter has been mild!

We were off and running quite early this year outdoors due to incredibly permitting conditions. Crazy Finnish weather aside, nearly everyone is experiencing something akin to bizarre weather patterns and unusual conditions.

We’ve enjoyed the little glimmers of joy which have popped up here and there throughout the garden.  For their sheer beauty vs. cost, there aren’t many things you can plant which offer such a welcome punch as those colorful early spring crocus blooms. NOTE TO SELF: Buy more #crocus- LOTS more!!!!

We weren’t sitting on our duffs all this time looking out the window! Our garden entails periodic maintenance with varying degrees of effort; from very hard work to easy,  but nearly all of it eventually becomes rather time-consuming. *But* all of it is beneficial.

So the yearly apple tree pruning commenced and concluded, just as the pruning of all the hydrangeas has also been done. Several loads with the trailer to the Lohja city refuse site where the local yard waste is collected and mulched for later purchase.  We’ll be hitting them up soon to buy back that mulch goodness! 😀  I’m patiently waiting on the forsythias to bloom before I begin pruning the roses, (which will likely net another load to the city collection site.)

Here’s a look at the hydrangea pruning situation BEFORE and AFTER:

There’s been a bit of transplanting and perennial division for the first time. Now, some perennial clumps, such as Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus‘ have reached good size and can be subdivided and placed in other locations.  Took a little while, but we’re getting there!

Pekka was busy planning and building a couple new trellises for climbing roses we planted last year.  The roses are happily performing as they should and will now have wonderful strong structures to grow on.

Last year I planted masses of daylilies ‘hemerocallis’ – this winter I ordered several hundred summer-flowering lily bulbs and 200 Liatris Spicata.  All those lilies and Liatris should look spectacular this summer!  It took me nearly a full day to get all those bulbs planted! BTW, 320 of these bulbs weighed in at 15.8kg!! Amazing!

Windows too got the usual spring washing treatment! Inside and out, sure makes a difference removing all the collected grime of autumn and winter let alone the cat prints, nose splotches, etc, ah! CLEAR!

Speaking of C.A.T. – here’s Greta showing what a sweetie she is :=)

So, while still social distancing and limiting our exposure due to #Covid19 we have continued to perform the usual chores and maintenance a beautiful garden deserves.

We hope our little home improvement/garden restoration missive reaches you on a high note.  Here’s hoping our combined well-being continues to be strong, that we all remain healthy enough to enjoy the next flower bloom, the next gentle breeze and that the warmth of the sun soothes us all for many years to come.

Until next time ❤ Vanha Talo Suomi