I was disappointed this week watching the daffodils fade already. It seemed they only lasted a week. I had expected them to bloom longer. Fortunately, the ones in the shadier areas of the yard are just coming into bloom, so I should be able to enjoy them for another couple of weeks.

My grape hyacinths are blooming, and the regular hyacinths may bloom next week. After the vole infestation of a couple of years ago, I don’t have many hyacinths left. They didn’t eat them, but their tunneling destroyed the bulbs. 

The crabapples have really come into color in the last couple of days. Unfortunately, high winds are expected, and the blossoms may get blown away. The red delicious apple doesn’t seem to have any blooms at all, while the old-fashioned apple has just a few. It may be that the flower buds were pruned off when I had the trees done. Other than missing their lovely display, I really don’t mind the lack of flowers. Less flowers means less fruit, which means less work picking apples. This may also mean fewer yellowjackets on rotting fruit on the ground.

Lovely to see are the purply-blue violets taking over the lawn. They grow so low that my husband can mow right over them without hurting them. All the violets in my yard reseeded from one or two volunteer plants of many years ago. Now there are hundreds. While some people want a pristine green velvet turf, I’m not one of them; not when I can enjoy violets. I even welcome dandelions because their color is so happy.

I spent the morning trimming back the dead leaves on the crocosmia. I wait until spring before doing this to remind me where the new shoots are so I don’t step on them. After I cleaned them up, I marked their location with flags. They are still too small to see above the sedum they are growing in. I also cut off the declining daffodils. 

Then, I got out my watering can and the water-soluble blue fertilizer made famous on TV, which shall remain nameless, and gave all my flowers, including the daffs, a good feed. It is definitely time to fertilize the lawn too. 

With the hotter weather, I have been irrigating every other day with both the high pressure in-ground system and the low pressure drip system. I read that rain and snow may be coming, but the probability of significant precipitation is minimal. 

Hurrah for Spring!

— JoAnne Skelly is an Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Emerita, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at skellyj@unr.edu.

Related

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A coalition of progressive groups is planning a series of rallies across Southern Nevada on Saturday, including a downtown Las Vegas event that organizers say will focus on unity and resistance.

Indivisible Las Vegas will host “No Kings Las Vegas” in partnership with 19 other local and state progressive groups.

Organizers say people all over the country and world will join up for a day of unity, resistance, and resolve against a corrupt, incompetent regime acting illegally and unconstitutionally.

No Kings Las Vegas is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. downtown at the Federal Courthouse. Speakers and performers are expected to deliver messages about building community, equality, diversity, and empathy.

The event will include a march and is set to end at 7 p.m.

Additional rallies are also planned Saturday in Henderson, North Las Vegas, Pahrump, and Mesquite.

Top performances

Baseball

– Ryland Gregorich, Clark: The sophomore went 4-for-4 with a home run, a triple and two RBIs, and also was the winning pitcher in the Chargers’ six-inning 12-2 win over Eldorado.

– Kayne Horibe, Pahrump Valley: The senior went 4-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs as the Trojans beat Virgin Valley 9-4.

– Benson Ornelas, Mater East: The freshman went 3-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and five runs scored to help the Knights stomp Sunrise Mountain 35-0 in three innings.

– Dylan Othick, Faith Lutheran: The senior struck out nine while pitching a complete-game two-hitter as the Crusaders rolled past Durango 7-0.

– Mark Raborn, Shadow Ridge: The junior reliever pitched three scoreless innings, allowing the Mustangs to rally past Dixie (Utah) 5-3 with a five-run seventh inning.

Softball

– Ava Koenig, Palo Verde: The senior struck out 11 while tossing a complete-game one-hitter as the Panthers defeated Doral Academy 3-0.

– Sophia Ortiz, Las Vegas: The freshman went 3-for-3 with two RBIs to help the Wildcats beat Chaparral 20-5 in four innings.

– Natalie Tapia, Western: The senior went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs as the Warriors outlasted Canyon Springs for a 16-10 victory.

– Gwen Thewes, Bishop Gorman: The junior went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs to help the Gaels overcome a six-run deficit to beat Green Valley 8-6.

– Peyton Williams, Arbor View: The freshman went 3-for-3 with a home run, a triple and four RBIs to lead the Aggies past Coronado 11-1 in six innings.

Boys volleyball

– Jeremiah James, Sierra Vista: The senior logged 15 assists to help the Mountain Lions defeat The Meadows 25-13, 25-21.

– Ethan Natanel, Durango: The senior finished with 38 assists and two blocks in the Trailblazers’ 25-18, 25-18 win over Mater East.

– Toller Trummell, Foothill: The sophomore posted seven kills and seven digs as the Falcons defeated Las Vegas 25-22, 22-25, 15-10.

Scores

Baseball

Arbor View 9, Snow Canyon (Utah) 5

Mater East 35, Sunrise Mountain 0

Pahrump Valley 9, Virgin Valley 4

Rancho 16, Desert Pines 1

Shadow Ridge 9, Taylorsville (Utah) 1

Shadow Ridge 5, Dixie (Utah) 3

Sierra Vista 4, Bonanza 2

Western 10, Cimarron-Memorial 1

Softball

Arbor View 11, Coronado 1

Bishop Gorman 8, Green Valley 6

Las Vegas 20, Chaparral 5

Pahrump Valley 6, Virgin Valley 2

Palo Verde 3, Doral Academy 0

Round Mountain 15, Laughlin 6

Round Mountain 11, Laughlin 2

The Meadows 16, Democracy Prep 0

Western 16, Canyon Springs 10

Boys volleyball

Arbor View 2, Moapa Valley 0

Cadence 2, Las Vegas 1

Centennial 2, Virgin Valley 0

Centennial 2, Legacy 0

Central East (Calif.) 2, Tech 0

Coral Academy 2, Sierra Vista 1

Coral Academy 2, Liberty 1

Coral Academy 2, The Meadows 0

Del Sol 3, Amplus Academy 0

Desert Oasis 2, Cadence 0

Durango 2, Mater East 0

Foothill 2, Cadence 0

Foothill 2, Las Vegas 1

Sierra Vista 2, The Meadows 0

Silverado 2, Durango 0

Sweetwater (Calif.) 2, Losee 0

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.