Spring is here!!!

Mar. 29/07
Daffodils blooming, tulips on their way...ahhhhh, spring.

Laundry room/greenhouse

In an experiment this spring, I decided to try and start some seeds indoors! I planted oregano and coleus on March 15th, and have been storing them in my laundry room on a shelf. It's working quite well to my liking so far...with very quick growth. There is a bit of what looks like mold starting on one of the egg cartons which disturbs me. I think the seedlings should be ready to plant out on May 1st. Which means I'll need Nu to dig up that new garden for me this month....hmmmmm....

Lupine

May/07 - just starting!

Mar. 29/07

Name: Lupine 'Russel's Hybrids'

-this is the plant from last summer which survived winter, while it's neighbor did not..unless a miracle occurs. there are 5 little seedlings that look alive to my untrained eyes all around it, 3 of which were planted, 2 of which came from the 'mother plant.' i'm hoping they make it!

Bloom: June-July

Height: 3-4'

Exposure: Full sun-part sun

Notes: Do not move mature plant,

seedlings do not bloom first year.

Save-On-Foods Roses

i got three lovely miniature rose plants from my hubby last year on my birthday. he got them at Save-On-Foods. good thing i kept them because 2 out of 3 are coming back nice and strong and bushy this spring, even after being outside all winter! and i haven't even fed them. amazing.

Clematis 'Multi-blue'

Mar. 29/07

Name: Clematis 'Multi-blue'

Height: 6-8 ft

Bloom: late spring/early summer and late summer/early fall

*2nd year, bloomed end July/beginning of August and had reached the top of the pergola by that point.

dark violet blue

Pruning: Group 2

Prune immediately after flowering.

Winter yr. 1 and 2: Cut each stem 1" above the lowest pair of active buds.

After yr. 2 cut each stem back to a pair of strong buds and remove dead/week branches.

Bleeding Heart

Mar. 29/07

Name: Bleeding heart

Latin: Dicentra spectabilis

Height: 2-3 ft

Bloom: April/May

Exposure: Part-full shade

Sweet Woodruff

my new favorite plant. i was sure it was dead, but it sprung up from beneath the pine needles, in a dry, mostly shaded area. love it!

DO NOT PLANT! Overgrows everything. Pretty in wild spaces though. sept.08

Not crocosmia...iris!

Irises with sweet woodruff

Mar. 29/07

3 blooms only this year. boohoo

no blooms 08...moved

Astilbe Amethyst

Exposure: Partial to Full Shade

Height: 36"

Bloom: Summer-Early Fall

Planting: May 1, 2" deep, 15 " center to center, shoot above ground

almost-springtime

today is the first day that our ornamental cherry tree has shown off its blossoms! it seems like winter has dragged on so long that spring would never come, but it's showing promise!!

rather disappointing has been the fact that my crocuses have been ready to bloom for weeks, but have only opened a few times due to all the rain, and now many have been beaten down to the ground. only a really really sunny day may still save them.

there's nothing like seeing some spring blossoms in your garden, especially with all this rain and grey skies. i am longing for the warmth of the sunshine.

you can see in the above picture where our new rock wall and fence are supposed to go...the old one is so decrepit the rocks are tumbling down the hill!

i won't bore you with many pictures of cheery green shoots coming out of the dirt, but suffice to say that there are daffodils, tulips, a mystery-tree, crocosmia, iris and lupines all on their way to blooming around my house. happy almost-springtime!