Today I'm Doing...

Today I have decided that I will get out there and prune the roses. Yesterday's walk around showed me that all are getting the nubs of new growth.

That is my intention, at least...I might get distracted by other things such as whacking off a few errant branches on the crepe myrtles. No! I absolutely do not commit crepe murder and you shouldn't either. Speaking of that, I came across this rather fun post (with a give away!) on The Grumpy Gardener... There's also a link in his article about how to actually prune a crepe myrtle.

It breaks my heart to see a crepe myrtle (or anything else) whacked to death and I always wonder "What were they thinking??". That beautiful peeling bark is not to be missed.

Anyway, today is supposed to be nice (although you wouldn't know it looking outside right now..) and those roses are calling. Well, the chickweed is positively shrieking....maybe I'll get to some of that, too.

Enjoy your day.

******
Update: All of the roses, except one, have been pruned...hurray!

Signs of Spring...

Up next, an almost hidden little patch of crocus....their bright color shines through the leaves...


Leo...getting into practice for spring, I suppose...

Flowers!

Yesterday (021811) brought the first of the crocus....this variety, Cream Beauty, is always out early. It's such a welcome sight, though.

I have them planted on four corners on a bed with each corner slightly sloping down. What happens is that they apparently drift down, either on their own or due to movement(s) in the soil caused by planting, pulling weeds or...animals...Ha. A lesson I never learn is that the four corners refuse to bloom at the same time. These are blooming on the more southerly perspective.

It also never fails that when the early spring bulbs start blooming that I always...always...wish I had planted more. It's just that in fall when you need to plant them, I'm getting weary and ready for the garden to go to sleep. I did, however, plant more of the general mixed variety crocus, so I'm excited to see and hopeful of a good showing from them.

Even though I know there's still more winter ahead (sigh), it's great to enjoy these moments when we think spring is finally on its way...

The crocus aren't the first flowers for 2011, that honor belongs to the snowdrops...with more coming along....

The very tiny and common nivalis are increasing for me and I'm pleased to see a bit of a drift, something I've waited years for...


Interesting to look at this same group from a different perspective....


Also very tiny, but hopefully this one will get larger as it settles in (only the second year here)...

Scharlockii


As you can see, this one is called Don's Big Seedling (still waiting on that 'big')...


Here's Straffan...odd how one got away from the group...however, the other two varieties planted nearby are just barely out of the ground...


If you're wondering, that scruffy looking stuff is a creeping phlox...

S. Arnott is supposed to be large, too...but isn't here...yet...wish I had planted them all together...they'd make a better showing that way...


Just for perspective, here's Limetree (which I've shown before)...it's one of the larger ones for me...but I don't think we'd call it large by any stretch of the imagination....(and notice how nicely I have now mulched here...lol)...


Finally, my girl Riley was out enjoying the warm weather, too. She's doesn't really like having her picture taken and averts her head when she sees the camera.

Garlic

It's nice to see a bit of green this time of year.



This is fall planted garlic and the variety showing off above is a new-to-me one called 'Red Janice'. It's a turban type, if you're into that.

Here it is a bit closer...


And, yes, it is a nice sunny day.

Others are out, too...it's just that Red Janice is up and out with no stragglers. Impressive so far. However, it'll have to get through the trials of cats lying on it later...

Here's another variety....


New-to-me also, this is 'Khabar' which is a marbled purple stripe. If you look closely or click on the picture, you'll see it's coming up, too...just not like Red Janice. It's early, though, and the race is not always won by the first one out of the gate...

I do love garlic...how can you not? Once you have fresh garlic, there's no going back.

*****
I'm about to order some seeds (more about them later) which has me thinking SPRING!

Hope you're able to get outside and enjoy a beautiful day...

Garden Reading: Winter Garden

It's been a while since I've felt the urge to share a book with you. This one surprised me. You knew I would take a second look with a title like Winter Garden.


This is a novel, though, and not one of the ever present how to books. The bonus is that there is a winter garden in this book (duh) but what it means and why it is exists is central to the story.

Since we are...still...in winter, it seems a perfect time to settle in with a good story and I especially enjoy one that brings in a bit of well, you know, a garden and/or gardening. Really, though, I became captivated with the story told and found the book hard to put down. It was over much too soon, although the end has a bit of twist and left me pondering what might have been. All hallmarks of a good read, wouldn't you say?

Briefly, the story unfolds in Washington State in an apple orchard. A family enterprise, it is the background to who/what/where/ and why this family is what it is. And it is interesting...as we explore the strained relationship between a mother and her two daughters. The Russian mother shares of herself by telling her daughters fairy tales. They grow up hearing these stories but not understanding their importance to their mother. Unraveling the fairy tales will change their family forever.

Author Kristin Hannah has provided a very enjoyable book to curl up in front of a blazing fire or maybe just to snuggle down in a warm bed with...wherever you choose to read, you will enjoy this story and think about it after.

****
Thanks to NBC (the person, not the network! Ha.) for the gift card that feeds my hunger for the printed word.

P.S. I was at the bookstore yesterday and saw that this one is now out in paperback.