• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Creatures and Critters
    • Potted & Pruned
    • Homegrown & Handpicked
    • Seeded & Sodded
    • The Christmas Cottontail
  • Speaking
    • Upcoming Speaking Engagements
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Social
    • YouTube
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

Squish, squish

March 1, 2011 By Carol Michel 8 Comments

Squish, squish.

With each step I feel how soft the ground is, how wet it is, how fragile and unstable it feels as it shifts under my feet.

It’s hard to believe that this ground is the same ground that was bone dry last fall and so hard that it took a pick axe to dig in places.

Squish, squish.

I can see water standing in the usual spots, as I walk about the garden, checking here and there for flowers. I can still count the number of open crocuses on one hand, but it is at least a start.

Squish, Squish.

I stop and look at the vegetable garden and wonder when it will be dry enough to pull out all the wood around the raised beds. I want to change the configuration of beds but remember what I was taught growing up. Don’t dig in that wet ground! You’ll ruin it and it will take a whole year, a whole cycle of freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw to make it right again.

Squish, squish.

No one told whoever tried to dig up this bulb that now is not the time to dig!

The nerve. No rabbit did this, which means that I have a new enemy in my garden. Chipmunks? Squirrels? I hope I am a worthy and victorious adversary over whoever it is.  And I wonder why we have to be adversaries at all. I wish I could just tell them, “Please stop digging”, and they would obey me.

Squish, squish.

I see that I left a lot of perennials and grasses standing for winter interest. It doesn’t look all that interesting now and I hope soon for a less busy day so I can start cutting everything back, before the first real flush of new growth.

Squish, Squish.

I look about the garden and it dawns on me that with last season’s changes, which included the new design and new planting beds, I have a new garden. It will be fun to start planting in earnest to fill all these new beds.

Squish, squish.

I finish my walk around the garden, leaving behind my footsteps and taking with me a list of “to do’s” and the wish for a sunny day in which to do them.

Squish, squish.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: gardening

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Finding My Green Thumb says

    March 1, 2011 at 7:53 am

    Great post! i felt as if i were in the garden with you, i hope you find whatever tried stealing your bulb.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    March 1, 2011 at 11:31 am

    We were right there with you as well, Carol! Good thing we were wearing the muck boots, that would have ruined the Uggs. Good luck with the battle if that is a squirrel digging. They are relentless. Chickenwire is the best weapon, held down around the edges with rocks. Good luck, and cute crocus! 🙂
    Frances

    Reply
  3. lifeshighway says

    March 1, 2011 at 11:54 am

    I enjoyed your post. I also did the round this weekend. So far I have not seen my own arch-nemesis: the deer. But I know they are there… and waiting.

    Reply
  4. Gail says

    March 1, 2011 at 1:02 pm

    Oh no, not squirrels or chipmunks! They are almost unstoppable. Good luck~gail

    Reply
  5. Commonweeder says

    March 1, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    I can't wait for the day I squish through my garden. I can lay down new cardboard and wood chips in my paths before I start to do an digging.

    Reply
  6. Theresa says

    March 1, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    I am jealous, I am getting impatient for the first "squishy" walk. Today's sunshine is a hopefull sign. Maybe soon. Thanks for the glimpse of what is coming.

    Reply
  7. Ramona says

    March 2, 2011 at 3:15 am

    It's just so tempting to get out in the garden isn't it..even if you squish around in the mud? I see the beginnings of spring bulbs coming up in my garden. Yessssss!!!

    Reply
  8. Kim says

    March 2, 2011 at 3:30 am

    I'm jealous! It'll be another couple months for those of us who live on the cold northen prairies.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,012)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2022 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.