Its Spring!

This is a good picture of the whole bed. I can plant ONE Tomato between the shed supports, which are 4' apart.

There was no time to go outside today. When I went to work, I passed my crocus border. I saw ONE gorgeous bloom!! It was the highlight of my day!

I have been too busy to get outside running here and there then picked up a bug, better today but the rain is coming in sometime soon. Well I can work in the house when I get back from PT. I have been re-potting the house plants and moving the few remaining upstairs down. Getting ready for my seedling plugs coming in 2 weeks and want to get some of the seeds started. My Lamppost bed is just full of lav crocus and now the bright yellow are starting to pop out. Holly

Crocus tomassiniannus (sp?) have exploded here. Small but mighty ,
SNowdrops too.
Bigger crocus not yet, but they yellow I have are always the first of mine.

We had a hellebore open overnight, looking a little bedraggled from all the snow, wind and rain.

When I came back from my vacation my Witch Hazel "Arnold Promise " was in full bloom . It is so fragrant that the whole block is scented. Last year I though that it was going to die it had contracted some sort of mildew. Anyway after numerous treatments with Bordeaux mixture it made it, and here it is. It has been waiting a month to bloom (snow) this has to be one of my favorite trees.... In the background my corkscrew willow still laying on its side , it has been too muddy to do anything about it. Another plus the snowdrops are blooming and so are the dafodills and the lenten roses .I think that spring is here

Orchid, your Witch Hazel is lovely. It has been way too muddy for much venturing in the garden here too. The Bordeaux treatment sounds quite interesting. What is it?

Boy, I wish I had that Witch Hazel and some hellabores!! But I have a bunch of old yellow daffodils and mulit-colored tulips poking out now, lilac and forsythia buds ready to burst, and those tall orange daylilies that bloom every June on the button sending up many new leaves. Also, my little pansy area is lush with green leaves. Soon the "Caramel Spice" and traditional purples and yellows will show their cheery faces. My cherry tree is ready to break out very soon, and the roses--oh they have little green "hairs" coming on. Very soon they will be lush with greenery. The flowers usually don't break open until around Mother's Day. Oh, the Pierus--they are getting ready to bloom after all. The branches look scraggly and beat up but nonethless are standing tall again. Joy, joy!!

Today I got out there to clean out beds and debris. I didn't mind the drizzling off and on at all. It felt sooooo good to be outside and smell the "earth" for a change!! I need to get all of the beds cleaned so they can be properly mulched and look nice when the flowers pop.

Bordeaux mixture is basically hydrated lime and copper sulfate (blue stone). It's one of the oldest fungicides around. Ric

Thanks, Ric. Is it something that you usually mix yourself?

Diva, I'm jealous of Orchids' Witchhazel too. I tried 2 of them and both died. Your garden sounds as if it's bursting with as much life as you!!! I'd love to have a nice cherry tree. My mother had a beautiful one that got split in half in a storm. Pansies are coming alive here too.

I swear these Montauk Daisies would survive anything!

Everything is just popping out took this yesterday when it was cloudy so the crocuses weren't open. Looks like today might be a bit more sunny.

I haven't cleaned up this bed yet and there is some snow damage that I haven't cleaned up either but I just couldn't pass up posting this pic I think there might be a dozen blooms on this hellebore.

The sun is shining and the crocus have opened. Some bright yellow

Crocus Pickwick

These might be Blue Pearl

Your hellebore blooms are particularly lovely. Your yard is certainly welcoming spring. Lots of goodies.

Thanks Ecnalg, I am pretty pleased with what I see coming up so far. I was very surprised to see quite a few of my Pansies coming back. They were planted last spring and somehow made it though the summer. I also have some snapdragons coming back. The Black Pussywillow I planted last summer has it's pussies out. LOL My friend Vickie brought me buckets of cuttings from her Black Pussywillow so with luck I will have more for the swaps this spring.

I think Holly meant to say catkins. LOL Ric

This message was edited Mar 16, 2010 10:40 PM

A few of my newer Hellebore are flowering isn't this really pretty?

Stormy, you can mix it, but it is old, common, and has a number of names. I think sulfurated lime is one. Check the ingredients: copper sulphate and hydrated lime or Calcium hydroxide. This may help. Ric
http://msucares.com/newsletters/pests/infobytes/19990915.htm

Thanks, Ric!

Definitely a pretty bloom. Love the speckles. And what a neat Black Pussywillow. I don't recall ever seeing one in person.

When I lived in CT, some years pansies and snaps would make it through for another season. Some of our snaps here are back for their third season. Nice to have them again as a bonus. Your yard is really waking up.

Like the red branches on that pussy willow too.
Crocus are blooming here too, and snowdrops. Need to get some pictures today.

Snow drops

A nice bunch !

finally!!!!

Allison, Gosh, what took you so long ? LOL

that's why I say I am north east.. way behind all of you

It is so hard to get a photo of a hellebore--as the blooms point down.
I was shooting this "blind"--like, sticking the camera under the blooms and not being sure just what I will get.
What i got was an out-of-focus shot--but you get the idea....

I got this is one a couple of years ago in a trade with someone. Different--no?
Don't know the name.....

A clump of Crocus by the old Birch tree stump.

Here's my white/pale green hellebore by the birdbath----
Hmmm....I just have to get a better camera! My elCheapo one just does not pick up colors too well......

Here's the purple one in bud--will send a better picture when they all open--should be any day now.
This one is on the other side of my Bird bath.

Here's the cuttings from my initial cuttings of my Coleus from last year.
Gotta say--they are all doing great!

I am not going to take cuttings again--but I may pinch out he growing tips.

Took a better picture of them---in more natural light.....

they look great!!!

And--Tadahh! Here are the Mama plants that I took the above cuttings from--regrowing all bushy!

I am VERY pleased! Will do this again for sure!

Last one----

Lookie!!!!!!! One of the 12 divisions I have from that big pot of Clivias I "butchered" last Summer is blooming!!!!
Not robust, big blooms--but it is the only one that is blooming.
These have spent the Winter in my shop--on top of a table under one shop light.

There IS hope!!!! G.

I was drooling at the atlock farms table when I was at the flower show... when I saw those

Very nice Gita. Everything looks very healthy. If you started putting a price tag on all those Coleus you would have a lot of $$'s there.
Should be interesting to see how the natural light will effect the colors

Looks really nice Gita, I was happy to see the hydrangea you gave us with a few leaves open. Hope it does well in the spot we picked for it.

A bit too cool outside for me to be out too long but I did get a picture of a new bloom.