Garden delights

Oh Spring... where art thou?

This time last year, I was digging new gardens and topping up soil in the older ones. This year, I haven't even been able to get out and clean out the old dead stuff.

We did get one spring-like day this week, but it rained for most of it. I took the brief break between showers to do my weekly inspection of my little growing things.

Some of the newer day lilies from last year are coming back. I wasn't really worried about these ones. Day lilies are super easy to grow. I should recieve a shipping notice in the next few weeks for the purple ones I've ordered.

Like  the Oriental Poppies, my Iceland Poppies have come back strong. I think I've finally got the knack with these guys (the main thing being - they don't
like to be moved!)

My fancy purple Bachelor Buttons are back for another year. I love these guys and so to the bees!

I'm also glad to see that both my purple and red Pasque Flowers made it through. These are nice early bloomers. Or they will be if we ever get Spring!

In other happy news, all the roses are starting to sprout - even the two new ones I got last year. They are all in need of a good pruning, but that will have to wait for better weather.

And severaly of you remarked on the red sprouts of my peonies last garden post. They aren't the only ones sprouting red(dish) - the Bleeding Hearts do too!

And while nothing is blooming in the garden yet, the same can't be said for inside. Wren's Mom gave me a pot of purple Hyacinths as a thank-you for watching the little bird. They smell amazing, and they will definitely be going into the ground when the weather warms up!

For some reason, both my Christmas cactus have started blooming again.

And these pretty little blooms are on a plant I didn't even know would bloom. It's was a funky little succulent simply labeled "Stag Horn" that I got at the Farmer's Market last year.  Turns out, it's a type of Kalanchoe, and apparently it's loved over wintering in the studio.

But the biggest success is this! Last year, I brought in three annual plants, hoping to keep them going over the winter - my Spanish Lavender, an African Daisy, and this Gerbera Daisy. The first two haven't made it through, but the Gerbera hung on. The old leaves died, but it sprouted new ones. And just the other day I noticed that lovely little bud poking up from the pot.

Once the weather warms up, it will go outside again. Though its hard to say how soon that will be - they are calling for ice storms all weekend... seems like a good time to stay in and sew, no?