Recent temperatures have been in the 80s. It has been a veritable “parade” in the garden since the temperatures began to rise.

By parades I don’t mean cute little kids carrying baskets of colorful Easter eggs, but packs of coyotes, deer, turkeys, fisher cats, rabbits and squirrels (some people call them “tree rats”), in addition to moths, spiders and armies of ants. Recently a turkey crashed through a large window of a friend’s home causing extensive damage.

Spring blossoms offset our naughty visitors and we are presently enjoying gorgeous daffodils, hellebores, scillas, forsythias, hyacinths, trilliums, snowdrops, muscari, bloodroot (Sanguinaria) and crocuses. It’s interesting to see that many of the crocuses are not where their bulbs were originally planted. Some have been dug up by the squirrels and deposited/buried in other areas of the garden.

On a positive note, the robins have returned and we hear that hummingbirds are on their way north. Speaking of hummers, we plan on getting more feeders for them this year. We recently saw a PBS-TV special where it was mentioned that the more feeders one has, the more hummers and more frequent visits.

Chores include cleaning up a bit and pruning the roses and spireas. If there’s time, I may divide some of the daylily and hosta clumps before they get too big. It’s easier to do it before the leaves get too long. We must remember to apply some tick spray before venturing outside.

Soon we’ll be setting up the peony hoops and bringing out the amaryllis bulbs that have wintered in the cellar.

In the vegetable garden, chives, green onions, lovage, parsley and rhubarb have returned and are doing well. Soon we’ll be sowing our lettuce seeds.

The pollen season has arrived and so have the allergies. Before we know it, the season will spring into summer!