away and raining

I was out of town most of March and since I've been home it's been raining. However, last weekend the rain stopped long enough for me to prune the Japanese Maples. Now that their "clouds" have started forming, I have a better idea of how they are shaping up. I also bought sage, thyme, peppermint, spearmint, a purple azalea, and a little lilac bush. I planted the sage and thyme near the driveway, the mints in the cedar on the deck, and the azalea and lilac up front. I also filled an entire yard waste container with ivy - the battle begins! I've been trying to mow the yard every week so that the grass will be less patchy and more able to fend itself from the dog waste. Was sad to realize that the brown leaves on the sweetbush is pee burn and has nothing to do with the snails. Was surprised how many snails are around - and how big they are, too.