Dirt Therapy

It is the last day of March and this past week has felt more like May here in southwestern Washington. I started my seasonal job at the nursery last week and the greenhouse was stifling at times. I kept wishing I had wore my shorts. The weather has just been fantastic and we had a full day in the garden on Sunday. Exhausted but got a lot accomplished. Assessing the situation, the plants look like they survived the winter with flying colors. Of course, there was some winter damage, like the Hebe, but all is not lost. It is exciting to see how things are growing. This Goshiki Osmanthus looks like it has at least a foot of new growth that shot up seemingly overnight. Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki' And I really did not think that Camellia 'Nuccio Bella Rossa' has grown that much but when comparing to it last year's photo, it is at least twice the size. April 2018 Camellia 'Nuccio Bella Rossa' today Other early bloomers - ...

  Last year's March Bloom Day was a lot more active than this year's. We had the coldest February in 30 years and a few snowfalls although nothing major on that front and certainly not matching the 11 inches we got the second winter we were here. Things are warming up fast and next week promises to see temperatures reaching near the 70 mark. I'm sure that will perk things up. The little Iris reticulata is blooming and another patch of it bloomed much earlier and got trampled by snow and ice. I'm still not sure why one patch bloomed before the other as they are close to each other. I posted this photo of the pretty yellow iris that is blooming by the entrance to the driveway - Last fall, I planted more crocus and they are beginning to emerge and some are starting to display blooms.  The one is right outside our front door. I love the purple and orange combination. One hellebore is also blooming and has been for a month now. This one is ...

I have been looking forward to today all week with the promise of sunshine, 50 degrees, and no wind or rain! Yipee for gardeners!  Signs of life are apparent everywhere. The crocus is starting to bloom (the little bunch above is right near the entrance to the driveway, underneath a Dwarf Red-Twig Dogwood ( Cornus sericea 'Kelseyi').  Other newly planted bulbs are also coming up and of course, I don't remember what they are - I got a lot of tasks accomplished today. I pruned a few roses, more ornamental grasses and the hellebore foliage. I planted some new things, including this Fringe Tree ( Chionanthus virginicus ), which was a favorite in the Alabama garden. And five new roses arrived from Antique Rose Emporium ('Cl. Pinkie', 'Lamarque', 'Red Cascade', 'Sea Foam' and 'Veilchenblau'). I planted 'Climbing Pinkie' today on the new pergola. And, last but not least, I got 2 more loads of pea gravel sp...