Blooming season off to an early start?

What an impaired lot we are. That Pneumonia threw me for a loop. Started right after the flu the end of September and didn't go away until almost mid February. Then my Diabetes went haywire and wrecked havoc with my other organs. Roses, you are so lucky to have Rob, I'm sure he will help you quite a bit. Just don't try to push that arm too much.

Anyhoo, yes I definitely think my garden blooms are ahead of schedule this year. I had poppies in bloom on May 1st. That's about 3 weeks ahead. Some of my oriental lilies are 4' tall already and over half of my tb iris are done blooming. My mums are all over a foot tall and will need cutting back in May. The bleeding hearts were finished over 2 weeks ago. The Allium are starting to fade already. Usually they last all through the Iris season and I have two peonies blooming now. There Salvia May Nights are just starting to bloom and the Walker's Low Nepeta is in full bloom. Roses are all popping now.

I had a really difficult time getting photos of my beds this year when the bulbs were all in bloom. That early heat wave made the trees leaf out so early that the beds were always in shade and full of shadows. In all of my photos from last year, the trees were completely bare when the bulbs were in bloom.

Ric, I did a bit of snipping and filing too. Used some mole skin around to thumb. Exercising and moving the fingers as much as i could helped and working lotion down as far as I could. Talk about alligator shin when the cast came off. LOL
Stormy, I guess you could call us the walking wounded.
I think a lot of my plants are early, and the trees did leaf out early this year. But it is still to early to set out anything tender, I guess I'll have to start some of my smaller combo planters in the basement just to make room, and do a few more hanging baskets.
With the weather being chilly, I don't like being outside, I get cold too quickly. I know the weeds are having a field day in the beds, and some plants need trimmed back but I catch up a little at a time.

I think last night was our final almost-frost! Forecast shows tonight's low as 40, then no lower than 50 for the next couple of weeks. I think we're on target for planting out peppers around memorial day. I'm going to try to get tomato plants in this week. "Big Ben" (son of "Digger Dick") is coming this afternoon to till up the beds. Yes, I have a mantis. Yes, I'd rather pay to get it done quickly & easily this year! LOL

Oh Critter you are such a wise woman, to have freed yourself from the idea that "you" have to do it yourself.
It is 50 and sunny outside today. Still a bit windy but I expect to head out a bit later. I want to finish that bed and start on the roses & clems.

I'm just trying to simplify this year, both by doing less and by seeing what tasks I might be able to farm out to somebody else. :-)

I'll still use the mantis... have an idea about plowing up a little row behind my rear DL border so I can plant some taller sunflowers etc. back there. (Those are the DLs from Nancy that run along behind my fruit trees with a backdrop of my neighbor's leland cyprus)

Sounds like it will be a great addition, Critter.

This message was edited May 10, 2010 10:48 AM

I DID go to Rawlings last Friday and 3 of us sat there for 5 hours un-potting all kinds of bulbs that got put in those big, black, plastic crates....We put a good dent into this job. Still many left to do.

The ones that were done--went to the "Market Day" at Cylburn. I think they were selling them 4/$1.
The ones still to do will go to the "Herb Festival" at leakin Park on 5/29.

I went to "Market Day"--just walked around. So many same-old, same-old kind of vendors with all their booths.....

Of course, closer to the Mansion there were all kinds of Garden Clubs represented with a lot of plants for sale....
It was so windy! not at all pleasant for many of the vendors...Some were just holding on to their tents...

Mostly--I wanted to see if they were selling rooted cuttings of my "Maya" Brug i gave away to them last Fall. They were......I looked up Scott (the G-House supervisor) and he took me inside and showed me my now cut-back Maya.
He said he really liked the "Maya" as it was robust and a good grower....
I told him that my ONLY "Maya" cutting rotted out.....He gave me one of the growing potted cuttings for free....
Nice! .

Here's a shot of the Mansion..

Here's a picture of some of the plant shoppers....