Hello, Hellebores!

Today is the first day of the year that, with 67F, we can be outside without coats, hats and gloves, so it was time to go exploring in my garden. And sure enough . . ., covered in 6 or more inches of show less than two weeks ago, I found three Hellebores reaching for the sun today!

Needless to say, there are better Hellebore picture galleries to look at, but at least I'll have a few blooms of my own to photograph soon.

In some parts of my garden, the Daffodils are also beginning to pop out of the ground. Can Spring be far behind? Well, yes, actually, it can. But there are hopeful signs in my garden this 29th of January, 2011!

Catalogs

Pity the companies whose catalogs land in my mailbox the same day Renee’s Garden’s arrives; they will be lucky to get a quick glance.

What makes Renee’s Garden’s so outstanding? Well, first of all, it is pleasing to the eye. It is also well-organized. And . . ., I guess it does not hurt that a seed packet is bound to accompany it. Great marketing tactic!

From last year, one of the garden flower seeds I liked best was Cerinthe ‘Pride of Gibraltar’. Not having heard of Cerinthe before (remember, I am still a relatively new gardener . . .), I had no idea what to expect. Well, this plant made itself at home in my garden and persevered as others wilted in our hot summer of 2010.

In the vegetable category, the lettuces were my masterpieces and made welcome appearances at my table – both in Spring and in Autumn.

So, what am I ordering this year? More lettuces, of course, also an arugula, and a white lavender I have not tried before. There is an Alyssum mix I’ve got to have: ‘Summer Romance’, and I am confident that the Zinnia ‘Bling Bling’ will be an asset to my garden this year – keeping my fingers crossed that the humidity keeps itself in check! And, I am going to test Renee’s Garden’s ‘Easy to Grow Container Herb Garden’. Many of my neighbors complain of having been born without a green thumb and I hope my trial of this combination of cilantro, basil, chives, dill and parsley will set them straight; I can’t wait to take my containers to them as a welcome to our local garden club.

Everything's Growing Like Crazy!

The Sedums 'Autumn Joy' look as if they're ready to send up flower stalks already, the Thyme is gorgeous, the Gaura are all above ground, the Obient Plant, which was one last year is now more than a dozen, the Phlox (above) looks spectacular, the Lemon Balm (top) is bright green and three times as big as last year. Wow! As long as this hot weather does not last too long (low 80F, high 20C) and we get another few weeks of "normal" temps, my May garden will be delightful!

Puny Tulips

All ten of the tulip bulbs I planted last November have come up (I had feared that the fall and winter rains might have done them in), but they are pretty puny looking. The blooms should be open soon. This photograph was taken March 28, when it was still cool. Today it's 81F/27C and tomorrow's forecast is for 84F/29C. It seems as if we've gone from winter to summer with nary a pause for spring.

Spring Approaches - day by day

My favorite Maple (right) is beginning to develop leaves. There is still a lot of garden work to be done. A butterfly bush still has to be cut down, and a rose pruned. Dead, woody branches of several lavenders have to be removed, and the lawn (Bermuda) has to be scalped. Sedums (top) are popping out of the ground everywhere, day lilies are getting taller by the day and if all goes well my garden will be full of Shasta daisies two months from now. Before then, though, I'd like to see the daffodils and tulips in bloom. Winter is still hanging on, it seems.

Spring Approaches

Today is March's "Bloom Day" and apart from one Daffodil, the Viola in the masthead, a few Pansies the rabbits have not yet eaten and a Helleborus that has been in bloom for a month now, there are not many blooms to photograph. So, I am using a clump of Chives to illustrate the day.

Lithodora diffusa

This Lithodora is a pretty, early bloomer in my garden. Small when acquired, in a 4" pot, it is now several feet across and makes a nice splash of color in early spring. More often used as a ground cover, I have this one as a single specimen, close to some Daylilies and Azaleas.

Viburnum Carlesii

Another sign of spring! I had been afraid that this Viburnum Carlesii had become a victim of Tuesday night's freeze, but apart from the leaves, which have not quite unfurled, looking a little ratty, it seems to be in good shape. Certainly a lovely flower in April, and the shrub is full of bud clusters. Another week, and you'll see it from miles away! O.K. - so, not 'miles", but certainly 'yards'!

Thyme in Bloom

After two very cold days, it's beginning to warm up again; today I spotted a Thyme in my garden that is bursting into bloom - a welcome indication that we will still have a spring this year.