Spring Signs

It really is beginning to look as though Spring will arrive!  The fish in the pond are swimming to the top, and I am amazed that they all seem to have survived.

The bricks you can see are holding down the enormous clump of waterlilies that fill most of the bottom of the pond.  I don't see any growth there yet, but soon I hope.





Today we put up the greenhouse on the deck.  It just seems like the kind year that I want to have it there for protection and transition help.

We also dragged out the patio table and two chairs and it was actually nice enough out there today to sit briefly and listen to the birds sing.

Many tulips are coming up around the yard, and some crocus are popping out though not blooming quite yet.



This has been the worst year ever for evergreens browning.  The dwarf Alberta Spruce took it the hardest.  And the Yucca plant is likely going to have to be cut down to the ground, which will slow and/or reduce the blooming.  They are really just on the border of being hardy here I'd say.  I lose the top parts at least every other year, though the roots do survive and regenerate the plant

 

First Sprout!

The Alliums are always the first to emerge.  And of course it helps that this clump is only about a foot and a half from the south foundation of the house.  But I'll take it.  And on Monday I actually saw three fish swimming in the opening of the pond.  I'm amazed that any lived through this winter.

March 8th 2014, 2013 and 2012

2014  (after 2 or 3 days of melting...)

2013

2012

Winter Just Keeps on Coming!

We can't seem to shake snow and cold this year.  The yard has been snow covered since early December, with no end in sight.  Even though the temps may rise above freezing for a few days this week, lows are projected to go below zero for three days again over the weekend and early next week.

The photo at left is of a plant stand that we left out over the winter.  It is at least a foot from the bottom to the level that is just being met by the snow.  And this is right next to the house where the snow is much less deep than elsewhere, as well as before the 5 or 6 inches we are projected to get today.  












We're working to keep the pond open in one small spot, but the combination of very cold temps and deep snow is making that really difficult.  Had to buy a new heater, and even that is having trouble keeping up.  Add the fact that they say the frost is VERY deep this year, I'm not sure we will have any fish in the spring to feed the Heron.






If you take a look at the snow on top and below the bench in the gazebo you can get an idea of how deep it is everywhere.  I walked around the yard the other day to check on things and it was a major effort just to get out to the creek and back.  At least 2 feet of snow in some places. 

Summer Glory 2013

It has been a great gardening year so far, with not too much heat, not too much cold, not too much rain, but enough of all of them.  We’re a little dry now at the end of July, but that is really pretty normal. 

 

 

 

Here are some photos of how things are growing.  I’ve decided that I will have to move the shade plants that were under the willow to other spots, and move some of the sun lovers to that area.  There will be plenty to do this fall. 

		July 2013 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

A Very Different Kind of Winter From Last Year

 Note the photos below from last March 8th.  Now here are a few from yesterday in Sunnyview Gardens, and there is more snow falling right now.  I'm ready for winter to leave, but it appears it will be here for awhile.

A Long HOT Summer

It’s been really hot all summer, and very dry.  Hardly any rain in June or July.  Many of the perennials were looking pretty shabby, until a recent rainfall did some amazing things.  I have never seen anything like this.  The purple coneflowers throughout the yard began sprouting new growth from the spent seedheads.  They are actually quite beautiful. 

Pretty much every clump of them has at least one head doing this.  I’m not sure what they will do next, whether those are flowers or new plantlets.  But for now, pretty special.