CLEAN UP CONTINUES

The clean up is almost finished but I am stopped by the snow flurries and heavy rain. I’ve chopped the Siberian iris fronds, cut the dried peony leaves and pulled the hollow delphinium stalks straight up to remove them without taking out roots. I clear away last year’s leaves and the soft frons of the day lilies. I do not go near the places where the lilies are planted. One foot stomp on a lily nose and it will refuse to bloom this year.

There are few weeds under the tangle because I weeded well in the fall. I find surprisingly little winter damage but it will be a few weeks yet before I know for sure. I cannot tell yet if the roses or hostas survived. The worst casualty is the ailing daphne bush whose branches were trapped under the snow. It looks OK in spite of the necessary amputation of three main branches.