Monday, February 22, 2016

Harbingers of Spring: Pansies, Violas and Hellebore

Happy Monday!

This weekend we had our first beautiful couple of days. With temperatures in the 60's it was the perfect time to do some yard cleanup. So, on Saturday I cleaned up the herb garden (in which I also grow daylilies and coneflowers, if you follow this blog), and then worked on the little garden that grows along the stone path leading to our deck.

Yesterday we had to go to Lowe's for some stuff that Mr. Perch needed for his current project, so I spent a few minutes in the garden section. It's always fun to see the early arrivals that usually make their way here after mid-February, namely pansies and violas. So who could resist?

It felt great to be out there for about four hours each day, but my muscles and back are singing a different tune!

Pretty purple pansies...


...and whites and yellows...


Sweet yellow and blue violas,
which will self seed and pop up
where you least expect to see them
in the years ahead...


These hellebore have been growing in
our shade garden at the base of our deck
for about six years now.
They actually started to bloom in January,
and will continue to do so until the weather
turns really hot.
They get better every year...


Below is the little area along the path
to the deck.
The daylilies are just beginning to pop
out of the ground,
but until they really grow tall and bloom,
I decided to plant some of the pansies and 
violas between them to give us some color.
This little area doesn't look like much now,
but in the spring and summer it is
quite beautiful.
I won't mulch until I can see what
is really coming in...


Then yesterday I cleaned out one of our
daylily and iris gardens.
It always takes a while because we have quite a few
plants, and I keep markers in the dirt identifying
each one.
When I clean out the gardens, 
I also replace the markers that broke
during the winter
or are getting difficult to read. 
I use cut up pieces of cheap white mini-blinds,
and write on them with pencil.
It is a cheap way to keep track of your plants,
and they usually hold up for two or three years.

*************************************

What did you do this weekend?

4 comments:

  1. It is always exiting to start the garden in spring dear Sue, I think your weather is warmer, that ours, as I cant plant Pansies here already, too cold ... also too cold, to work in the garden at all, so we have to wait patiently :-)
    Hugs,Dorthe

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    1. Our weather is a little bit more moderate than yours, Dorthe, but still we take a gamble when we plant anything this early. Pansies are pretty rugged, but a bad snow will kill them. Hugs back, Sue

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  2. I love the pansies! Aren't they the sweetest flowers!? And yet so hardy! To withstand these unpredictable and often just plain cold! temps @ this time of year~ Beautiful post friend. And, since you did ask, I helped my parents this past week-end. They are nearing time to move into assisted living and need our assistance sometimes~ Have a great week! Karen O

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    Replies
    1. Hi Karen! They are indeed the sweetest flowers. I'm glad that your parents have you. My dad will be 93 next month and is in Florida, and still in his own home. Thankfully, my daughter works nearby and always makes time to check in on him, bless her heart! You have a great week too! XO

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