It’s finally here. Spring arrived yesterday at 5:24 p.m. EDT. Today was the first full day of spring, and it dawned sunny and warm, and oh, does it feel like spring! My first impulse was to get out in the garden and start spring cleanup. Unfortunately, most of what I need to is buried beneath a foot or so of snow or behind snow banks.

Still, there were a few things I could get to since part of the front yard is actually a strip less than 10 feet wide in direct sun between the house’s foundation and a stone wall next to the driveway. It’s the first place snow clears, and I’d already shoveled an area near the house to give the cable repairman room to maneuver when he repaired the line pulled down during last week’s storm.

That storm left the rugosa roses and climbing rose in the front yard with many broken branches. My loppers and heavy gloves and I spent around an hour pruning roses, resulting in a good-sized pile of thorny debris. Aside from the occasional stab from a branch fighting back, the time spent in the fresh air and sunshine felt marvelous after a long winter indoors.

I did discover this year’s first blooming spring bulb peeking out from beneath the rose bushes. The winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) beat the crocus this year, but the other flowering bulbs won’t be far behind – something else to look forward to.

At the end of the day, I am pleasantly tired from my first garden workout of the year. There are many more to come, and I’m looking forward to each and every one.