Hi Peoples... Springtime's getting closer, so my hands are getting grubby! 
Over the past few days I've put a quince tree and a pear tree into the garden, along with some rhubarb and a few "pretties". The English Snowdrops have finished flowering (my winter pick-me-up plant), hellebores are flowering, and I'm watching flower buds developing on my tulips. The almond trees and some of the peach trees are almost flowering. Blood orange is fruiting, but they're little and thick skinned. It must be hungry. I've planted some extra asparagus crowns rescued from my Dad's veggie patch, and I bought a hazelnut plant today that needs to go in ASAP, along with a second one that's been in a pot for toooo long.
The weeds are totally mad... tree planting requires that first I clear a space in the lush long grass. One of our chookie girls died over winter, so I need to look into a better pen because the current one is a bit too small for the new "friends" I'm hoping to bring in for her sometime soon. Also if I move her to a bigger pen, I can get all the bedding out to fertilise the spring plantings. I've used up the stockpile of old composted bedding on the before-mentioned fruit trees and asparagus. Plus they also got composted bunny poo and coffee grounds from our local bakery. My sister has been saving her pistachio shells for me; they'll be going on the asparagus bed as a slightly salty mulch. (Asparagus actually likes a little bit of salt.)
So has anyone else got green thumbs that are getting itchy?
@Former-Member, ours is a total mess too. I wonder what the other garden club members must make of it. We're in the centre of town, half a block from the little local supermarket, so we're very visible. I take heart that they all know that despite the mess I often pull out some lovely fruit and vegs or flowers for our monthly mini-competitions, and for the local ag. show. And they're nice peoples... no-one's said anything negative.
My hubby's not a gardener either, but he's very appreciative of what I grow. He used to buy me flowers when we were courting/newlywed... he gave up when he realised I was growing nicer ones anyway, so instead he's happy for me to spend up on plants. When he needs time out, his big unwind is assorted "toolwork" projects, and so in turn I'm happy for him to spend on that. Pass him a damaged antique tool, and he's likely to restore it to near new working-order condition.
I bought a pear tree and a hazelnut the other day. End of season specials, because they're practically shooting. The pear is a Corella, to replace one that died down our driveway. I planted the original one and a Fascia Rosa a few years back as cross pollinating varieties. I'd lost the name tags somehow, but I did a Permaculture course shortly after they were planted, and as part of that drew uop a garden plan. So as long as I've got the plan accurate, I've replanted the right one... hope so. 
The original two were on dwarf rootstock, this one's regular stock, so I'll have to be diligent about keeping it pruned to size.
The hazelnut went in today, along with another that has sat in a pot for way longer than I intended. I think I bought it about the same time as the two pear trees! I haven't grown anything (except the dread weeds) in the bed I planted them in for a couple of years. I did find the labels from an unsuccessful onion crop while I was pulling out said weeds. 
So yeah... I'm trying to get properly back to it. You know things are hard when the relax-pastimes are too hard to face. Hope you "get there" soon.
I have to put barriers of some kind around all the trees, otherwise the local wallabies ringbark them. In the long run, I want to have the garden properly fenced, but that will have to wait for the necessary time and energy to be available.
@Smc @Appleblossom @Faith-and-Hope
Can feel things starting to stir in spite of Mr Darcys set back and I think I might just have to pay for some help.
Appleblossom, F&H, going by what you said in another thread I think what I need, apart from a crisis proof garden is a "shabby chic" garden - perhaps at the moment mine is just a bit shabby but from what Smc has said, I am sure that hers might fit this bill, I don't think that a garden needs to be manicured to be beautiful.
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Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.