March 2013 Blooms

Is it really mid-March already?  I feel so far behind.  I haven't started seeds yet (except the peas); I haven't prepped the veggie garden (except to plant the peas); I've barely begun to cut down everything from last year.

Fortunately, my yard is a bit slower than last year to wake up, too.  The crocus are mostly done, except this little patch shaded by a euphorbia.

 

not yet fully awake this morning - must be the shade

 The rest of the crocus have given way to the daffodils:

The large patches of daffs I showed off this time last year are still just starting to come into bloom. 

The trailing Euphorbia myrsinites is just thinking it might be springtime:

In the front parking strip the crocus are finishing, the daffs are still budding, one anemone is opening, there are some random flowers on the moss phlox, and this:

Of the 10 or so squill bulbs I planted two falls ago, only one remains.  But it is a cute one.

Over on the north side is the periwinkle. So much periwinkle.  I planted it in two spots in my yard, before I knew better.  A few years ago, I successfully dug out one 5x5 patch (formed from just three original plants) to plant strawberries.  But this patch I haven't dealt with yet.  It has smothered a mini azalea, invaded my window well, and started to grow up the house.  But it still makes me smile when covered in flowers: 

One tree is in bloom, too.  My maple tree doesn't have showy, or even pretty, flowers, but they are there.

This time last year the plum tree was in full bloom; nothing yet this year.  I haven't been keeping records long enough to know if my yard is "late" this year, I do know it was earlier than normal last year.

I hope you'll visit May Dreams Gardens to see more March blooms. If you found me from there, welcome!  And thanks for visiting.

Signs of Meteorological Spring

Happy (Meteorological) Spring!

I've been mostly ignoring the yard and all things gardening-related all winter, so not it is time to come out of hibernation. Like these spring bulbs:

Purple/white crocus in the front parking strip

One of the few times in the year when my "neglected bed" is showy

Not just yet, daffs, but soon!

Tulips aren't reliably perennial here. But if these purple triumph-types bloom again, it will be year #4.

Tulip sprouts

I left some lettuce unprotected in the garden over the winter.  Looks a bit frosty, but growing!

'Tennis ball' lettuce

The tall sedum knows it is March.

This volunteer euphorbia is mostly a goner after the winter, but it made some vibrant red stems!

The butterfly bush is leafing out already.  Time to dig out those loppers!

If it starts out 8ft tall, how high will it get?

Inside, I celebrated the first day of March in my usual way, by sprouting peas.  I don't have any new seeds this year, so I'm testing out packets from 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2012.

February 2013 Blooms

What's blooming in February?  Some usual suspects and a fun (for me) surprise.

It's crocus time.  Mostly yellows, a few purple, and one just-starting (unpictured) white.

It's the first week of Lent - a good time to show off the Lenten roses (Hellebores).  I have several plants.  The greenish-white-flowered one blooms at the end of last year's stems, showing off the flowers:

The purple hellebores send up new flower stalks from the center, so the flowers get hidden behind last year's leaves.  Especially this year - the mostly warm winter means those old leaves are still pretty vigorous.  I had to dig to find the flowers.



What is exciting and new this year:  some of my self-seeded hellebore plants are finally blooming.  These youngsters are 3-4 years old and putting out their first flowers.  One of the white variety and one of the purple:

(Also blooming this month:  some rather un-showy snowdrops, rue (still), pansies (barely), and winter weeds.)

Happy February Bloom Day!

(I finally posted January's blooms, too. You can see them here.)

February 2012 Blooms

The theme of February:  early spring bulbs.  Starting in the patio terrace, here are some yellow and purple crocus:

 The neglected bed doesn't look quite so forlorn when it has a carpet of purple crocus:

The front border has crocus, too:

And a new bed (that maybe I'll post about someday) has some new white crocus:

Love those purple edges!

It also has a few snowdrops, a new bulb for me this year:

And don't forget the promise of daffodils to come next month!

 

(also blooming:  purple and white hellebores, creeping phlox, and assorted weeds)

March 2011 Blooms and a Brand New Bloom (for me)

Bloom Day* has rolled around again, and my yard is finally starting to wake up and embrace the oncoming Spring.

Hellebores that were just emerging last month are now in bloom. Here is the white one:

Lavender and purple hellebores are also blooming.

Crocus have gone through their bloom cycle

And are wrapping up their color show. My first Spring in this house (5 years ago), I was delighted to see crocus popping up in several places in the yard. Last spring I actually planted some more. Now I have some white ones to go with the yellow and purple blooms:


The early daffodils are brightening up the front:


The ones in the side garden are waiting for Spring. I’m ok with that. I want as many daffodils for as long as I can get them!

New this year: Anemone! I’ve planted these bulbs several times over the last few years, and never had any results. Last fall I planted them in four different places, hoping they’d like at least one. Whatever I did this year worked, and they’ve all come up.



I thought I’d planted mixed colors, but all the ones in flower are blue. I’m ok with that: I never have enough blue flowers. (Trust me, these are blue. My camera just doesn’t like to photograph blue things, especially blue things in sun.)

The only problem is, these plants are small. Since I’d never had them before, I didn’t really know what they’d look like in the yard. I think now I should have planted all 30 in one spot so maybe a mass of them would be visible. Right now you can only see them if you know where to look.

Time to go see what's blooming in your yard!

*hosted by Carol over at May Dreams Gardens. Thanks, Carol!

Purple

Purple crocus emerged today:



And so did the purple hellebore buds:



The lavender hellebores are just starting to come up. They aren't picture-worthy ... yet.

February 2011 Blooms

So January's Bloom Day was a bust for me. Is February any better?

I'd hoped to have some hellebores. Not yet, but I have some buds.



I don't see any buds on the purple ones yet. Strange.

The warm weather over the past few days has revived some of the long-suffering pansies. Look: Blooms!



Lots of crocus foliage coming up. No crocus yet. Oh, wait! I see one:



And what's a wrap, folks. Think Spring!

March Blooms

Here it is, my first time participating in Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted at May Dreams Gardens, and I feel like nothing is blooming! Oh, and it's been raining for four days, so that doesn't help much. Daffodils are popular with GBBD participants today, but mine are still about 5" tall and several days from blooming. I have crocus:

Rather, I had crocus, last week when it was sunny. Now they are tightly closed, fending off the rain.

Hellebores got smushed by all the snow in February, but they are blooming anyway:
Here's a close up of the pretty purple one:


That's it for flowers so far, but I do have some trees in bloom. Not the fruit trees yet, but I do have maple:
and willow:

Happy Bloom Day, and thanks for visiting!