Spring is here!

My two sisters (much older than I) had 9 children in 7 years so I do recall those hectic holidays and it did feel like day care!

I will enjoy having a baby to cuddle again.

The sight of clematises in bloom is such a gardening pleasure. The blooms don't fall apart in three days or one day (as a daylily does) and when the bloom is done there isn't the mess of fallen petals (like roses - though I do have 30 of them).

I check them out all the time. I have to stop myself sometimes, thinking where in the world am I going to put them. But as one lady said one day as I was there, she felt like she was rescuing the plants...lol

Stores make it so tempting! I'm glad they're far enough away that I don't visit often.

Ahhhh the close-out deals at Lowe's - I need a 12 step program for that little adventure. I have taken to helping landscape the homeless shelter in town just so I can justify buying Lowe's clearance plants. Sad I know:(

I would say 'kind', not sad! Isn't it amazing when those little plants just jump into the cart?

My brand new 'Fireworks' clematis and my tried and true 'the President' for some reason this one always makes me think of Bill Clinton because I got it when he was in office:) And the last one is Niobe

LOL about the Lowes back rack, I have to admit when I'm there, I scope it out too. I have rarely found plants from there that I can take home, but I keep checking hoping to get lucky. The DH would be glad that I haven't been successful so far.

Here is is my Fireworks. I have had it for years, and it has finally started blooming properly.

Duchess of Albany is the biggest it's ever been, despite being pruned hard for this year. It's in the bed with peony Bowl of Beauty.

I really love Barbara J. She's really brightening up the driveway with her vibrant blooms. I'm going to have to get a bigger trellis for this pot.

Carolyn, I forgot to say yesterday that Winona, GA is about 4 hours from here, I had to look it up ;~)

CEM those are some gorgeous peonies - I could barely focus on that clematis for those - wow!! My DH can just hear the word Lowe's and he gets hives. What is bad is he really has no idea because the only Lowes is not even in the town i live and work in so I'll make ANY excuse to go to Bryant where the Lowes is located. Sometimes I need to drop off something for my son who lives there and sometimes it is just a stealth mission where I steal in and out without saying a word:) It is only a 15 minute drive over there but he'd croak if he knew how many times I am REALLY there. Shhhh let's don't tell now. Beautiful Barbara J picture as well.

I also love that white sib. iris!

I have one that seems to be getting too big for its trellis, I am going to attempt to move it this morning to a much larger trellis.

Happy Mother's Day to mothers and grandmothers alike. Plant mothers, too.

With the rains of the past few days and some warm weathers, the clematis plants are strengthening up their buds, getting ready to "pop." I'm sure it will be a banner year for fall except for the ones pulled out by the "yard guy" during cleanup. Three young plants that never did much are covered with buds.

To me, humus is soil. We compost, so our soil is pretty rich. Here's a bit of info.
http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=874

I remember using organic fertilizer last fall, just tossing it around and hoping it would water in, wondering if it would be an improvement, and I guess the answer is yes.

Sounds like some happy clems....mine seem to be doing well, too...just waiting for that first bloom!

Marie - how did you do with moving the big clem?

Marcia - yes, Happy Mother's Day to each as it applies and it certainly applies to our plants. A very nice guy on the tree forum speculated that, as far as my worries about my Paperbark Maple not leafing out, I was a "first time mother". He was right and it did leaf out on May 11th.

A next door neighbor pulled out one of mine telling me we "had" Poison Ivy but she and her husband "know their plants" and they ripped it out for us because they recognized the leaves. Couldn't they, and your yard guy, ask first?

Jack just made another bin of compost today. Amazing since he was given 4 to 5 hours to live the night of December 20th. We now have 3 bins filled, one in use, one empty and one more with branches for chipping that isn't filled yet. He will be 83 later this month.

Glad to hear you went organic. Between the chicken or rabbit poop and the compost, the clem's just love it.

Marilyn - it's such fun to see the first bloom! We may have had the plant for years and know the color and form but there is that pure delight to see them bloom, as though we had control over it!

It is doing great, I gave it a dose of salt drink and then we mulched it well. I have been using a all natural fertilizer in my yard and beds. The grass and flowers are liking it alot. I dont want to use any harsh chemicals now because of the cats. They are keeping my vole and mole population down. Good kitties. I watch them chase them and play with them around the yard and then go for the kill...lol My flower beds should be happy this year. Many Clems are putting out blooms. I will post pics as soon as I can.

So glad to hear the good news, Marie. I gave some of mine a big ES drink when I moved three a few years ago. One, Guernsey Cream, has just given me my first bloom since it was moved. It must be happy.

Good kitties! Wish my neighbor's cat (a feral) would be of some use to me here other than deposits I don't want.

When the cool weather finally departs we'll all have glorious blooms.

Freeze warnings here tonight.....hope the clems are OK....so glad to hear Jack is doing well.....

Last night we hit 33. I've had clem's blooming in the snow so I doubt they'll be harmed.

When is the real spring going to stand up..lol

I think we are being punished for last year.

My Ice blue showed up in between the two Venosa Violaceas, I hope I did't croud 3 in small spot, but they look happy. Etelka

The colors blend very well together.....

It feels too much like early March instead of mid-May.

Clematis colors do blend together nicely as do Japanese irises.

Etelka - yours are lovely, as usual. I have 9 in an area about 4' x 2' and they all manage to get along and survive. I try to give them a bit more manure just because of the crowding but don't always get to do it.

By the way, especially for Annette, the bag of Chickity Poo that was not closed while in the garage, does smell!

Here is the first batch of pics of my Clems blooming so far.

The first is of Avant Garde on its third year. After pinching it back all last year it is now 5 ft tall and growing. I am not sure of the rest of the names. I just like them.

New baby from last year, This is his first bloom so far and it is tucked way down at the base. Second pic is of my first patch of clems. Not blooming yet, but look at the growth and buds. Josephine is on the back. I can wait for her to bloom, she did not do well for 3 years. I think when it rains a lot in the spring she is not happy here. The last is my side yard with Jackmani on the right and an unknown but pretty on the right. Pictures to come when blooming. More clems in yard, but they are later bloomers, so not much to look at but green growth.

Your yard looks very pretty!

Thanks, it is hard work,but the results are worth it.

Beautiful clem's, Marie. Is that Omoshiro I spotted? And Pink Champagne? They're all so beautiful. Love your trellises, too. The side yard is gorgeous - very welcoming.

Yes Arlene, you are correct. I love seeing them in bloom. I am sure once this warm weather hits all those buds will be popping open. More pics will follow then. I just need to finish staining the deck so my back drop looks better..lol

LOL

I know what you mean. Friday I spray painted the old asparagus fence in a rich burgundy that we love. Had to get it done before Pink Champagne opened and spotted it starting to open tonight: close call!

I started it 2 years ago when I was off a week, but it was the July that it was getting close to a hundred every day. So it was getting too hit to do it very early. I got so far and was hoping hubby would help, but he did not. So I stopped. Now he says he does not like the color...lol

I can see the problems you faced!

Love your gardens, Marie.

Right now, my clems are growing everyday. It is almost like I can see the growth from one day to the next.

I still have a lot of work to do in my gardens as well. When DH started with health problems last summer, I just left everything. Now I have 3 times the work - at least his health seems to be improving.

Glad to hear he's improving, Carolyn. The clem's can take care of themselves until you can get to them.

Arlene

You make a good point - however it is the weeds that will be the end of me. There are so many of them this year and I always seem to have to run into a different direction. Part of the larger garden has been weeded and mulched - I am hoping to have the remainder done in the next couple of weeks. I am off for a long weekend for Memorial Day and I plan on putting that time to good use outside ^_^

Carolynn I have spent the past 2 months getting my gardens ready. Raking out leaves and pulling weeds. I was hoping if I got a good start on them I might not have as many this year. Creeping charlie is my worst night mare. It is everywhere. Take it a day at a time and do what you can, that is what I do.

You are so right about the growth. It seems everyday I go out , ether in the morning before work or in the evening, I can see more growth everywhere.

I started putting layers of newspaper under mulch last year. It's made a tremendous difference! There's still plenty to do, but much less weeding. In some places I even folded it and put it between groups of newly planted perennials. By the time the clumps expand and need more space, the newspaper will have broken down. If I decide to plant into it, it's easy enough to cut through it with a shovel.

I've never tried that, Pam. Anything to help conquer the weeds!