Spring is on the way!

Imagine having two consecutive days off work and having spectacular weather for working in the garden. That happened this week and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I got onion sets planted, got several bird houses up, transplanted and pruned some things, made some progress on the terraces and expanded some existing beds.

 The garden appears to be slowing waking up from its winter nap. There isn't a lot to see yet but gardeners can see the changes taking place. The approach of spring is always an exciting time in the garden.

The only flowers I can find blooming at the moment are from the lone hellebore I planted last fall.

Helleborus x ballardiae Gold Collection 'Merlin'

My neighbor has the most beautiful crocus blooming right now. Note to self - plant some in the fall!



I haven't added many plants to the garden lately but I did get a Weeping Sequoia planted at the driveway entrance a few weeks ago. 

Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Pendulum'

The terraced beds are almost finished (I think). One more load of rocks and I will finish the upper portion.



Getting more gravel spread at the base of the terraces. I plan to have the entire pathway in front of them in gravel. 


Putting up birdhouses and I was very excited to see a Chickadee checking one out a few days ago.


Our neighbor John made this one for Michael for his birthday. Note the flamingos!
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

Alison said…
You need more Hellebores! And Crocuses, of course. And snowdrops. And Cyclamen coum. Do you have any Arctostaphylos or Mahonia (both shrubs)? They flower in the winter/late winter. Love the birdhouse with the flamingos.
March 8, 2018 at 10:32 AM
Lisa at Greenbow said…
It is exciting to be able to get out in the garden and actually DO something. Love the look of your terraces. That weeping sequoia is a beauty. Chickadees are the most fun little birds in the garden. They are very secretive when the nesting begins yet they can't hold back their bubbly personality. We are back in the deep freeze here. Bah humbug.
March 8, 2018 at 12:17 PM
Phillip Oliver said…
I have Mahonia 'Charity' which I just planted a few months ago. It has been blooming. I also have an Arctostaphylos as well.
March 8, 2018 at 11:01 PM
Phillip Oliver said…
I think the Chickadees may be my favorite!
March 8, 2018 at 11:02 PM
outlawgardener said…
What a treat to have two days off during nice weather! Spring is definitely an exciting time for gardeners!
March 9, 2018 at 7:19 AM
Kate McMillan (Cultiverity) said…
Those terraced beds are looking super great!
March 9, 2018 at 10:00 PM
sweetbay said…
Love the flamingos on the birdhouse! So cute!
March 10, 2018 at 6:41 AM
chavliness said…
Weeping Sequoia is one of my favorite conifers. I LOVE that tree.
What did you end up doing with the sod your removed? Did you try the upside-down composting method?
March 10, 2018 at 8:19 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
Yes, that is what I am doing with it. I am also using it to elevate a low area behind the garden shed.
March 10, 2018 at 8:29 AM
debsgarden said…
Already your garden has seen so many changes since you moved there. I am looking forward to seeing your lovely stone terraces when they are fully planted! The weeping Sequoia is an amazing tree. It will add a beautiful focal point to your garden. Our spring is further along than yours - good and bad, as we are still having some freezing nights that are zapping tender buds and flowers. Do you miss Alabama's weather?
March 10, 2018 at 3:33 PM
Barbara H. said…
I seem to have dropped off your blog list so will subscribe again. Or maybe I just had you on the My Yahoo home page which doesn't work well any more. Your terraces look fantastic. You are well on your way to creating a beautiful garden. I used your old post about John's Native Gardens to jog my memory about the name of the Copper Iris - I knew Butterscotch was not right! Things have been growing like crazy in NE Alabama, so of course after a brutal January and unseasonably warm February we are now getting some nights below 32 degrees. Sigh....
March 11, 2018 at 9:20 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
Thank you Barbara! I saw that you were having really cold temperatures after some warm weather. I hope it doesn't do too much damage. We may reach 70 today, the warmest day of the year so far. I am hoping to get lots of work done in the garden today.
March 11, 2018 at 10:12 AM
Aaron said…
I like your birdhouses. It's kind of you to create housing for the birds.

As for the hellebores, a word of caution -- I was pulling old leaves out from some hellebores a few days ago and felt some skin irritation on my wrist that evening. (I put some cortisone on the skin and that seemed to help, but I do remember reading that hellebores can cause skin irritation. Just relaying the warning so that perhaps you can learn from my mistake and wear long sleeves and/or long gloves if you're ever pruning your hellebores.

I haven't visited for a little while and your blog design seems to have changed. It's very minimalist and modern now. Looks nice and seems quite functional!
March 12, 2018 at 4:29 PM
Phillip Oliver said…
I will have to remember that. I have really sensitive skin. I am extremely allergic to poison ivy (I am thrilled that there isn’t much of that out here in Washington). Thanks for the compliments on the blog. I just changed it last week and wasn’t really sure if I was doing a good thing.
March 12, 2018 at 11:55 PM
GRACE PETERSON said…
Your terraced garden is really coming together. You'll have so much fun planting this spring and summer. Your birdhouses are so cute. We had a flock of bluejays that nested in a nearby hedge and every year they would scare off the smaller birds. A few weeks ago the neighbors cut back the hedge and boy were there some angry birds out there. They've left now though and I'm hoping the smaller birds will feel safe enough to use my birdhouses now.
March 14, 2018 at 9:31 PM
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