Spiders in Your Ears

There are three little words I long to hear: “It’s unseasonably warm.” And it is. That means the start of one of my favorite activities - spring clean up. Many think I am crazy to like the chore. Many understand my glee over spring yard work perfectly.

One of the most rewarding maintenance projects is cleaning out the dead parts of my lambs ears. No, I don’t have farm animals (yet.) I have several Stachys byzantina ‘Helen von Stein’ or Big Lambs' Ears.

Each winter, the leaves die and remain in place. The mushy, ugly grey matter serves as perfect protection from wind, ice and snow. Spiders love to hide in the self-made mulch. Cleaning out the dead leaves and revealing the new green growth can be perilous. Use a light rake and wear thick leather gloves to prevent bites from spiders hiding in your ears.

This job of clearing the cobwebs proves most satisfying. When I am through, the plants transform from ugly mounds of muck to something that resembles and poorly shorn sheep; or a lamb with a bad haircut - if lambs were green.