Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Wakey, Wakey!

The garden is starting to wake from its winter slumber and guess what that means. The gardener is responding accordingly. What a mess to tackle! 

Raise your hand if this looks familiar.

As I tackle the clean up nightmare, I'm moving plants. Several that got too big last year needed better placement. The soil is a bit muddier than I prefer for such an undertaking but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right? 

Here's a few plants that don't look too bad, all things considered.


Hebe 'Shamrock'

I wish it would keep that pretty pink blush all summer but alas this is its fleeting winter finery.

I finally got a halfway decent shot of an Edgeworthia blossom. Why is this plant so challenging to photograph? 

Edgeworthia crysantha 'Nanjing Gold'

Thanks to a very mild winter, we're headed for an early spring! I usually start seeing Honeysuckle buds in early May but there are actually a few already forming. 

Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica 'Halliana

And thanks to that mild winter, the foliage on Geranium palmatum is gorgeous! I'm really hoping it'll bloom for me, finally. I sowed the seed last winter and since it didn't bloom last summer it's going to be either a biennial or perennial. Time will tell.  

The older leaves are as flushed as the aforementioned Hebe, see?

Geranium palmatum foliage

But the new green foliage is equally captivating in its design and markings. I'm thinking that even if it doesn't ever bloom, it's an acceptable foliage plant. 

Geranium palmatum

And then with the Sobaria, we've also got a pink blush, but this time it's not on the older foliage but on the new foliage. 

Sobaria sobarifolia 

I love the bowing heads of the Euphorbias. They're fixing to bloom!

Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae

Euphorbia x martinii 'Red Martin' (I think)

Crocus 

A very rare "hooded" Crocus waving to the camera (Smile)

Pulmonaria 'Reginald Kaye'

Observing deciduous plants breaking dormancy can be so delightful. It's really quite miraculous when you think about it. 

Ribes sanguinium 'Pulsborough Scarlet'

Ribes sanguinium 'Pulsborough Scarlet'

Thanks to the mild winter, all but one of my Clematis vines are budding out on their stems. Even the vitacellas and texensis species clematis that typically die back to the ground. 

Clematis 'Ernest Markham'

Ditto for the hardy Fuchsias!

Fuchsia magellianica

And, the Berberis is so bright and cheery! I love those bazillion tiny yellow leaves.

Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'

Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'

Finally, my daughter Beth and I went to the woods and dug up a fresh clump of native grass to pot up for our indoor cats. They love it. The things we do for our furbabies. The pot is almost too heavy to lift. I think I went a little overboard. But that's how I roll. 

"Cat grass" Yummy!
Please tell me you're seeing signs of spring in your garden too!  

13 comments:

  1. Spring is busting out in my garden too right now, and I haven't cut back a single dead branch yet. Besides still recuperating from my surgery, I'm just not feeling much in the way of spring fever. Hopefully in another couple of weeks, I'll be up for a little garden work. Right now it's an overwhelming mess.

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  2. Even your foliage plants are tinged pink! My own garden is speeding through spring to throw itself into summer mode but I remain hopeful that El Nino will eventually discover SoCal and pay us a visit.

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  3. Love seeing your garden waking up....and love the Hebe 'Shamrock'!

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  4. My hand is raised, but I'd better pull it down and put it to good use following your shining example.

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  5. Oh yes, it is fun to watch the shrubs and trees break dormancy! Your garden is coming to life. Very exciting!

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  6. Signs of spring is not in my garden yet. Snow fell again today. In Poland, once the winter time early spring. We worry about the plant. You have a beautiful spring garden. Regards :)

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  7. So much going on there. Not much here yet besides crocus. Going crazy - I can't wait!

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  8. It's offw, I need an Edgeworthia in my life.

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  9. Gracie girl are you kidding me ?... we are under snow and will be for some time ... BIG sigh ! ... STOP teasing me with your pretty garden !! LOL
    Joy
    PS ... Lucky cats !!
    PPSS ... is "Victor" finally going to get it ? LOL

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  10. My sorbaria has bit fat buds but no flowers. I do have a few crocus up and my geraniums and heuchera have beautiful deep purple foliage but your garden is months ahead of mine. Love that hooded crocus! What a renegade. ;)

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  11. It's probably the difference in our climates, but after our (usually) long winter, I find getting out into the mild spring air to clean up the garden a pleasure rather than a chore. It was 50F here today and the snow is melting fast; I walked around the garden and was tempted to begin spring clean-up (but it really is too soon -- no new shoots showing yet). -Jean

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  12. You know we're always going to be a few weeks behind you, but there are many signs of spring here too! My first iris and crocus both showed up this week. Yippee!

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  13. Yippee! I am so excited to see the gardens in warmer zones come to life. I have a few hellebores starting to bloom, and a few clumps of crocus. I am planning on starting the clean up this weekend. I did a few things today, but didn't make it back out when Ruby went down for her nap.

    You are the second person I saw mention spring coming early because of a mild winter. I don't think I've heard of that before. Can't the winter be real cold, and then stop being cold in time for an early spring? Hmmm...

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