Happy Easter - March 31, 2013

The First Day of Spring - March 20, 2013

It doesn't look like spring here in the garden. The sky is blue, the temperatures are hovering just over freezing and all is covered with a nice, soft white blanket. It doesn't matter. The season will progress and under this blanket of snow there is an abundance of green shoots. I do like a slow spring. It gives the gardener time to adjust to the changes although it is hard to rake with snow on the ground. There are seeds to be started, pruning to be done and today there is a birthday to celebrate. My son, Ben, has a birthday today. He was born as a new season started and while spring is cause for celebration for a gardener, there is no greater celebration than the annual festivities of a child's, now a grown man, birthday. Happy Birthday, Ben.

Bloom Day - March 15, 2013

The blooms have finally begun. The snowdrops have been tightly wrapped until temperatures hit the 50's on Wednesday. I always get muddy knees trying to get a good photograph of the little bulbs and their flowers. The tommies have popped up. These were planted the fall before last so it is their second showing. The newer plantings have not shown their tops yet but they are in a bit less sunny position than these. They are showing color but are not yet open. The winter aconites have started with bright yellow blooms as well. I see daffodil foliage popping up but it will be a while before they bloom. Spring is a few days away and the temperature today was in the low 30's which keeps everything in suspended animation but that will change. It has to as spring is in motion. I can't wait to see what is blooming in your garden. Thanks to Carol of May Dreams for hosting yet another Bloom Day.

Buried Buttercups

Well, they are not really buttercups but the winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis, is a member of the same family as the buttercup, Ranunculaceae. The one above is currently being buried by yet another layer of snow. Snow which will not last long given the prediction of fifty degree weather for the coming weekend. I hope this is the last snow of the season but, if not, the thought of the cheery yellow aconites and the clear white snowdrops snuggled under this newest downy blanket waiting much more patiently for a warm day than this gardener will keep me hopeful. Spring's march is often slow this month, more like a toddle or a shuffle but soon there will be no holding her back. Spring is an action word, after all.

The Tide Recedes

The snow is disappearing like the tide. The edges are clearly visible. Each day a bit more snow is chiseled away. The back south facing border is now bare of snow and I am wondering why I didn't add a river of snowdrops to this border. I can picture them weaving under the trees and shrubs. Note to self: Plant snowdrops under the shrubs in the back border. The fishpond is still frozen over and looking to the west along the long border and then on to the sunny border, quite a bit of snow still covers the gardens. No matter. This gardener is often overwhelmed by huge tasks and finds it much easier to approach the garden cleanup one bed at a time. A good mantra for anyone. The winter garden is in dire need of a good cleanup having been neglected last year. Goldenrod and briars are getting a foothold. Full battle gear will be required to uproot these thugs. Today it was sunny but cold and the wind was whipping around tearing the scarf from ones neck and slipping its tendrils down the collar and up the hem.
Today's gardening chores involved finishing a seed order and reading a bit. Still, the garden beckons. The skeletal paper blooms on the Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' are still standing strong for the most part but in the next couple of weeks this shrub will get a rather severe haircut. It is not unusual for 'Limelight' to push five or six feet of new growth in one season and clipping it hard in mid-March just serves to encourage bigger blooms and a wider girth which is desired in the garden if not the gardener.

Note: All pictures in this post were taken on 3/4/13.     

March 1, 2013

The first day of March cannot go unnoticed here. Goodbye February and as for winter, now you really have your marching orders. Every year is different and this March begins with snow covering most of the garden. Last year there were crocus in bloom in February and snowdrops in full bloom around the first of March. The winter aconites were also starting their sunny show. Only one small patch of snowdrops is even visible right now but there are warmer days ahead. This post is here to encourage the blooms. With a bit of warmth it takes just a short time for color to show. Let the games begin.