New Children in the Garden

It is always exciting to have something new happen in the garden. Whether it is a new plant, shrub, tree, or flower- even a new bench- it is exciting to me. Last fall, we ordered a couple of Pecan trees. I am unsure whether they will do well here, but the write-up on them indicated that the climate would be acceptable. And we have good drainage in the soil. That is important because Pecans don't like wet feet or wet leaves. We found one that could deal with the coastal fog well, so we are pretty confident.
Our soil is compacted sand. You can eventually dig a hole in it by scraping away 1/2 inch layers, but it is not very fertile or chemically rich. So, we dug as best we could. Other trees around us- Macademia, peach, apricot, pine, citrus- all have found a way to get a grip on this soil. I have great hopes for these pecan trees and their ability to tap a way into this soil. But just in case, we amended heavily. That way the roots have a reason to grow and it will seem easy at first.
That was the bulk of our weekend work. We had two new babies for the orchard. There was some other work too, like harvesting onions and turnips, gathering wood and debris from the last rain, but for the most part we have been relaxing with the trees and garden. We did most of the pruning a few weeks ago. Put out a bit of fertilizer for the avocados and citrus. Then we just closed our eyes and forgot about them.
So imagine my surprise today when I found the first PEACH BLOSSOM. Yes! Pink and pretty and that means- fertilizer, raking, and no time to spray for curl. How did the time get past me? Is it really blossom time already. Well, the apple is in bloom, but it blooms year round so I haven't really counted it as a time piece. But the peach is my Spring alarm clock. And it went off just as we were planting the pecans.
Nap time is over and the garden is getting exciting with new trees, new fruit, new leaves, and new energy. I think I am about to wake up from hibernation, too. I am ready to have lunches outside and barbequed dinners. But I have to admit that I don't yet have the urge for spring cleaning. Maybe next month.