Spring is Here!! Well Maybe Not.

Spring has been here in bits and pieces so far this year. Last weekend we had temperatures in the mid to upper 50's. I checked the buds on most of the flowering trees and even saw a few buds opening on the Star Magnolia (magnolia stellata). Mid week we had a low of 19 degrees. Most of those buds are now a dirty brown. It has been a chilly rainy weekend so I spent my time looking at some older pictures and realized that this time last year we had lots of bloom.

 

Prunus subhirtella



The weeping cherry was in full bloom.

 

 

 

There were tulips blooming. They must be planted close to the house to keep the deer from eating them, so they are always special when I get to see them bloom.

 

 

These were the blooms I could see from my kitchen window last year. There are only a few green leaves up this year.

 

These photos were taken on March 22 of last year. Even though there is part of me wishing this is what I was seeing outside today I know that it is probably better to wait a while longer because I also remember the late freeze we had in April of last year that ruined most of the first rose flush and so many other plants that were rushing to bloom because of an extra early spring.

 

I will be content to wait for the weather to warm just a little more, and enjoy the pictures that I took last year to remind me of what lays in store. Spring just has to be around the corner now!

 

 



Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day March 2013

The Ice Follies daffodils are beginning to bloom and there are still lots of buds to open....

 

 



 

More of the older unknown daffodils are still blooming too.

 

Ivory Prince

 

 

The 'Ivory Prince' hellebore is beginning to bloom. I've read that the old leaf stalks should be cut down so that the blooms are more visible. I didn't have to do that....something did it for me. So far they haven't come back for the blooms. We know there are herds of deer on our property, but there are also lots of rabbits, and other wild critters. There are several other hellebores in the garden but the others did not fare as well from being eaten back.

 

 

 

I am probably too anxious for more blooms since it is still just the middle of March, but I am still searching for signs of buds on any warm day. Until there are more I do have a few moth orchids to enjoy inside.

 

 

Hoping your enjoying your gardens and thank you to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the bloom day each month. There are so many beautiful gardens to see.

 

Sue Ellen

Spring!

Spring must be here!! Though it offically won't be here for a few more days it certainly looks and feels like it around the garden.

The daffodils that we planted last fall are beginning to bloom.

These violas were also planted last fall. It has been so mild that they have bloomed off and on all though the warmer days of winter and now they are really putting on a show.

This is the first time that I have planted a hay basket type hanging planter in the fall but I am so pleased with the results that I am sure that I will repeat this again this fall.  I may put even more of the violas in pots since that keeps them out of the reach of the rabbits.

The hellebore's are in full bloom in the shade garden under the pine trees. It is wonderful to see blooms there this early. In a few weeks this area will be full of hosta and astillbe.