Yesterday was a good gardening day. It was warm enough to work in a short sleeve t-shirt while pruning roses (ouch!). Here are things I accomplished in the garden:

• Pruned the Ruby Meidiland roses in front to about 18″ high.
• Planted the English daisies and pansies I bought last week along the front walkway.
• Cut out the dead remains of last year’s chrysanthemums and asters along the front walk.
• Pruned the Arctic blue willow bush by the driveway.
• Pruned the linden tree.
• Pruned one of the cherry trees, and the other one looks like it doesn’t need any. I put two spacers in the branches of the one to spread them out, too.
• Finished pruning the butterfly bushes down to about 12″ high.
• Pruned the caryopteris bushes to 12-18″ high. I did that at 10 PM with my new floodlights!
• Removed the remains of last year’s morning glory vines on the front arbor. Quite a few seeds fell off of them, so I expect I’ll have some again this year.
• Looked at the golden rain trees and only lopped off a few branches. I don’t think they need any more pruning.

I noticed my crocuses blooming — they have actually been blooming for a week or two now. I also noticed for the first time this year a clump of Grecian windflowers (anemone blanda) blooming in the front flowerbed.

I haven’t taken the bare root roses (Nearly Wild) out of their packages yet. I’ll soak their roots for a day or so before planting them next weekend.