This came today from Jaquith Library in Marshfield:  LINK 

We've had a busy week and now I'm hoping for a quiet, warm, sunny weekend.  The rain is back tonight.  I measured only a trace this morning, but for the past week we've had a total of 2.25 in. and tonight we've probably gained another .25 in. or more.  That should go a long way in replenishing the water table, at least for a while.  

About a week ago we had Luke Persons come and dig a trench in the pucker brush in the wooded area above our back lawn, and that has made a huge difference in the amount of water out there.  Over the years water from springs in the woods above us found its way along tree roots and ledges to spill down on us, and each spring it seemed to get worse.  Now there is a broad ditch that is intercepting the water from further up the hill and running it into the swampy woods between our property and Jamie and Marie's driveway.  That  marsh was always there, but in recent years the path of least resistance had shifted slightly in the direction of our lawn, so it was time to reconfigure the landscape a bit.  I appreciate having a wet land filtering area, just don't want it around our buildings.  Luke will be back presently to work on the foundation of our tool shed that had taken a hit by overly wet ground freezing every winter. 

 
We have been trying to reclaim bushes and trees that winter killed last year.  We transplanted the holly, and that is coming back nicely.  The new growth is slightly lop-sided, but at least it's still alive.  There was a burning bush that got bigger than I liked anyway, so it was no problem that it winter killed and we cut that down.  There was a little new growth near the bottom, but mostly it was dead and looked awful.  Like the flowering quince we haven't been able to get rid of, even though we dug it up (didn't get all of it) and cut it back every couple of years, I expect the burning bush will revive in spite of our drastic surgery.  I also sacrificed some young maple trees that were growing too close to the house.

The blue spruce we transplanted last fall isn't going to make it.  I'm really sorry about that because it was a beautiful little tree - just was in the wrong place and we thought it would do better with more room - and we chose a spot where we would be able to see it from the living room window.  We won't remove it until all hope is gone, but right now it shows no sign of new growth whatsoever.

My perennials are all doing well.  Peonies, irises, lilies, sweet peas, astilbe and dianthus all thriving, and of course the lupines along the road are just bursting forth.  Out back I have lots of mint and forget-me-nots in what was the swampy area - however our recent successful ditching project may make it hard for them this year.  

I had my very first azalea blossom ever this year, and I've had the plant for at least a decade.  Usually I have buds that never develop, but this year I have at least two beautiful blooms.  I was thinking I should move that to the south side of the house, but now I guess I'll leave it and just try to protect it better in the winter.  Now if the black flies would just go away so I can get back out to work in the flowers, I could make everything look much better . . .