March 2020: Working Remotely and Time at Home

Not sure about you all but I am getting a lot of unexpected time at home and I am enjoying the bird singing, the crape myrtles blooming and getting the chance to get outside with the kids and get my yard spring ready.

When I started the social distancing quarantine, my crapes were bare, leaves were on the ground and my yard had lots of dead winter vegetation everywhere. COVID made me stop and literally smell the roses and listen to the purple martins. I wish I was at home for other reasons, but I am using this time to connect with family and nature.

Over the last two weeks, everything has changed outside. We are beginning to wear sandals, the birds are building nests, the grass is greening up and with all the virtual school and remote working, we are running for the outdoors for a breath of fresh air and a calming sense of tranquility.

Thankfully, we are shedding the dead of winter to make ready for the spring that is already budding. February was my time for pre-emergents and soil sampling. I am now getting ready for my rule of thumb, tax day, April 15th, fertilizer application. Before my first fertilizer, I have a couple last things to do. I need to freshen my planters, get all the oak leaves and winter vegetation removed and do the first mow. The rake helps loosen up the winter dead thatch build up, and of course I forgot to sharpen my mower blades this winter. Nevertheless, my favorite mower is a reel mower, and the kids enjoy it also.

I take a quick moment to explain to my third daughter that an earthworm is not our indoor new pet but rather a sign of soil health, and she reluctantly puts her new friend back in his natural habitat, our yard.