As March, April, and May plod by under chilly clouds with temperatures steadfastly in the 45-55 range, spring in Seattle can feel like quite a slog. But then a sunny, mid-60s weekend arrives and all the joy of spring comes rushing out at once. That’s how this weekend has been–and oh, what good it does the soul.

My rooftop garden is coming along beautifully. The clematis has just started opening up, and the roses are well on-track for a glorious June.

My shade garden beneath the Japanese maple is looking as lush as ever. The redwood sorrel has filled in beautifully and I’m loving the look of the ferns. As much as I love a good hosta, after this season I might swap out the hostas for more of the ferns.

And I’ve introduced a handful of goldfish into the pond! I’ve spent the past month testing, heating, and preparing the water in the hopes of creating perfect life-sustaining conditions. I put two fish in three weeks ago, and they’re still as happy as can be. So yesterday I added a couple more.

On the ground level, my shady back yard is looking better than ever. Now that my roof garden is so well established, I’ve been spending more time down here amending the soil, adding new shade plants, and guiding the established plants into more pleasing habits.

I’m particularly pleased with the climbing hydrangea that I’m training up the neighbor’s fence. I planted it last year and it was instantly devoured by caterpillars. But this year I’ve zealously picked off the marauders and it’s looking good. The flower heads have started to open and I’m optimistic that we’ll have a nice showing in a few weeks.