Hurry Spring!

 It warmed up to 70 degrees yesterday and even though it's back down to 30 this morning, we got a nice touch of spring weather to come!  I was outside running errands and found the prettiest yellow tulips at Trader Joe's.  

Lenten Roses and daffodils are blooming and our fescue grass is just starting to warm up.   I can see tulips starting to emerge and love the color they bring to the garden.  

Lenten Rose

Our average  last frost date is about April 5th so I still have over a month before I can plant any flowers but I am starting seeds this week.

Lenten Rose

I had a great success starting 'Lady in Red' salvia as well as 'Pink Sunday' salvia and 'Mealy Blue' salvia seeds last year and will definitely plant again. 

Lady in Red Salvia

I'm so excited with a new growing season to plan and plant some new plants as well as tried and true varieties. 

Hurry Spring!

Once Christmas has passed I'm ready for Spring!  It's  still two months until Spring but I do plant a few things in patio pots that help me get through the long gloomy days of winter.

Source: internet

I'm in garden zone 7a and we can enjoy pansies, ornamental kale and some camelias in the middle of winter.   My hellebores are just starting to bud and are my favorite winter blooms.

Ornamental kale changes to pure white or dark red and purple when the temperatures get cold.   The last couple years they have become my go to plant for containers on my patio.   They have done well in flower boxes too.  When it gets down in the 20's I do cover them up to keep them looking their best.  

My daffodils are peaking through the soil and I can hardly wait for their happy sunshiny blooms.

We had a devastating ice storm in October and had major damage to our trees so I'm anxious to see how our trees will look this Spring.  We have had our tree crew out to trim 8 mature oaks and may have to do more pruning.

I guess there is always an upside to losing limbs as my garden will have more sunlight and I'll be able to grow more sun loving plants. 

What's on your list for Spring planting? 

First Blooms

King Alfred

Spring has finally arrived and

 the first bloomers are my sweet daffodils.  

The yellow colors 

just brighten my mood and end the winter gloom. 

I've always said yellow was my "happy" color!

Tete-a-tete

The first wave of daffys have already bloomed.  The above tete-a tete minature variety is a favorite and blooms early.  They are small but have multiple blooms which makes me wish I had planted more.   We used an auger attachment on my hubbie's drill that I purchased at Lowe's in the garden department and it made fast work of planting over 120 bulbs. 

Avanti

I really love these bicolor daffodils with dark centers.  This one is Avanti and I just planted these this fall in several areas of my garden.  They have a sweet fragrance too!

I had a few pots of daffodils and tulips in the greenhouse.   I bring them in the house or put them on the patio to enjoy.  Our tulips are just starting to bloom and I hope they open tomorrow.

Sweet little violas brighten up my

 centerpiece for the patio. 

I overwintered my geraniums in the 

greenhouse and they add a pop of color

 to this corner.   

I purchased a few cold hardy plants to put

 in pots on the patio. This red ranuculus makes 

a great companion with purple violas. 

  

I couldn't resist this Spanish lavender at Lowe's last weekend and I can't wait to purchase more varieties when we are past our last frost date.

Yellow buttercup ranuculus is so pretty and I've potted this one with purple violas and

 a lime colored hellebore.  

Near the back of my garden is a beautiful saucer tulip magnolia coming into full bloom.  It's so striking when no other trees are in bud or leaf. 

I hope you are enjoying the first signs of spring with sweet blossoms.  I'm sore today from yardwork but was so glad to be in my favorite place pruning and cleaning up leaves to get ready for planting.  I'll wait until next week to start on planting annuals as the weatherman says one more 

frost night 

is coming our way this weekend. 

.   

Happy Spring!