The 2024 Garden Year
January 19, 2024 January Our year started with snow, ice and frigid temperatures in mid-January. Our temperatures stayed below freezing for almost a week. I think it was the most consistent cold that we've experienced since moving here. Fortunately, it was a dry snow so there wasn't too much damage. Once again, we almost lost the azara and I'm afraid there would have been some breakage if I had not kept knocking the ice off. February 14, 2024 February In past years, it seems that inclement weather seems to hit around Michael's birthday in mid-February. After the January snow and ice, this month was actually quite tame. Nothing exciting to report - mostly birdwatching . Early flowers like hellebores, cyclamen and crocus begin to bloom in mid month. March 3, 2024 March I got into a walking routine which I'm happy to report I am continuing this year. You get to the point where you feel guilty if you miss a day. I do miss days occasionally but I'm learning that ...
Like your hydrangea collection. I've added twist and shout, Lady In Red, and Endless Summer to my gardens.
ReplyDeletePhillip,
ReplyDeleteRoses are over rated anyway. Still many great photos for May so far. I'd be tickled if my garden looked that good.
Your hydrangea's are gorgeous! I'm quite jealous, I lost both of mine this winter. Heartbreaking. Beautiful gardens, Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! Today we returned from a week vacation and when I returned to my garden I was bummed! We need rain here in Texas terribly and the deer broke into my garden a week or two ago so it is depressing in my garden! Thanks for showing off your lovely photos! It makes me feel better to see such lovelies and keep working toward a great garden! Always enjoy your blog!
ReplyDeletewell gees Phillip, your garden looks plenty amazing this year to me!!
ReplyDeletehow do you like that rose campion? I planted it a few years ago and it hasn't done much...might not get the right light.
Philip... despite the weather, your photos do look fabulous. I do know what you mean though... we suddenly got 85 degree weather for one day... brought on most all the magnolias quickly... then we got two days of 30-40 mph wind with 50's and probably frost tonight! A gardener just can't seem to get a break! I do always enjoy your posts... Larry
ReplyDeleteEvery year is different. I think your garden looks great for May. June will be even better.
ReplyDeletethe plant you asked about looks like some type of campanula.
ReplyDeleteHi Phillip
ReplyDeleteThe plant you asked the name for,looks like a Campanula rapunculoides. In Sweden it´s a weed, very difficult to get rid of.
I do like your hydrangea collection.
Catarina
Wow, some disappointment. Here it would be triumph. I do know what you mean by this spring being so mixed up and WET. UGH... At least the hydrangeas are liking these conditions. Happy GBBD anyway.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking fabulous! You have a beautiful mix of evergreen & perennials - love it! i'm in my fourth year of having dogwoods in the garden & still have yet to see a bloom appear.... it's fun to see yours! xoox, tracie
ReplyDeleteYour garden is so pretty. Very intimate.
ReplyDeleteGreggo, I think you will like them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Randy!
Jenni, I think they will be very nice this year.
Kelsey, I hope you get some rain soon. I know how it is to be in a drought.
Ginger, I really love the rose campion. I can keep it for several years but then have to replace it after a while.
Larry, I will appreciate the roller coaster weather when we start getting never-ending 90s later in the summer.
Thanks Nell Jean, Tracie and Lisa!
Catarina and Anon, thanks so much. I think you are right.
Too bad about the roses. It's tough when all year you look forward to a special plant's blooms & you almost miss them, they bloom such a short time. This has been a weird spring here, with bloom times of some plants, like the Forsythia, prolonged, and others delayed. Your Hydrangeas are all so lovely. I have Twist-N-Shout too, but it's a sad looking thing at the moment, just starting to leaf out, and it blooms a bright pink here.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the crazy weather. It was too wet to plow my garden Saturday and my squash had to be planted. I had misty rain and sun at the same time, so after replacing the seats and springs in my drippy kitchen faucet I head to the garden. Now in between the daylilies and Japanese iris (which are blooming now) are my squash and cucumbers. Grace and I enjoyed our visit last week. Mary
ReplyDeleteWe're all having crazy weather, Phillip, but everyone seems to have a different kind of crazy weather. Sorry about your cherries. Our roses budded up, rushed into bloom and then fell apart quickly in early heat which made me want to rant, too.
ReplyDeleteI love the loropetalum/Thuja combo... wish I could copy it!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
"belymmen"? very odd word verification!
Looks like you found more than a few blooms. I am jealous of the Bonfire Begonia. We first saw them here a couple of years ago, and everyone wanted them. They have been totally unavailable for the past two years. Maybe I will need to drive to Bama.
ReplyDeleteLooks like your hydrangea are trying to make up for the roses' short bloom time this year. They are beautiful! I didn't realize there was a blue Campanula that would do well in the South. I'll have to look that one up. It's lovely.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your weather woes :-( If it's any consolation, the garden still looks lovely to me...so full and lush!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Phillip. I think it's this yo-yo weather we've all had. It's hard to predict what the garden will do. But you still have some beautiful blooms!
ReplyDeleteGreat blooms! Sea Foam is on my "list" of must have roses!
ReplyDeleteYour Jackmanii is ahead of mine.
ReplyDeleteLove the rose campion. I had it a few years ago and it dissapeared only to return this year.
I bet the hydrangeas appreciated the recent damp weather. It's too dry over here, send us some rain.
Our weather changes minute-by-minute, so I understand your frustration.
ReplyDeleteYour blooms are lovely and I covet your hydrangeas--wishing for more fence here so that I could keep deer away and grow them again!
I want to come take pictures in your garden!!!!!
ReplyDeletePhillip, Your garden looks splendid to me, but, I know that this spring has been one strange weather event after another! gail
ReplyDelete