You know it's spring when...

...the forsythia is blooming. This is the big forsythia that I trimmed last spring. I mostly trimmed from the bottom, making the bush less round but leaving it tall. This year, after the flowers fade, I plan to shorten it dramatically.

Forsythia on a sunny morning last week.

You may remember that last year I cut a second forsythia down to the ground. It was not as healthy as the first one and there was fungus growing on the ground around the stems. Since I cut it, it has come back and is now flowering. It's still very small, so we'll keep and eye on it. If it continues to be unhealthy, I may just dig it out of the ground. Or, at least, try.