Tag Archives: sedum

Signs of Spring

bulbs, pruning, spring cleanup, ,

This past Saturday was sunny and warm, so the four-legged garden help and I headed outside on the Lot to poke around a bit. It actually hit 50 degrees and once I was moving around and working, I even had to shed my coat. Cabin fever is at an all time high and I just needed to dig and/or prune something. The trick is to get the gardening fix without prompting any plants into an early flush of new growth. Signs of spring greeted me all over the Lot.

Turning Over the Beds

4x4 Raised BedsThe week or so of warmer weather and sun had melted all the snow away from the Lot.  The shredded leaves and grass clipping my Other Half and I had piled high onto the veggie beds last fall had broken down over the winter. Only a thin layer of compacted leaves remained level with the edges of the bed. Since the soil wasn’t frozen, I took a shovel and turned over the soil to mix in the remaining leaves. And yes, that is a jack-o-lantern.

First Arrivals

Emerging SedumA favorite sign of spring on the Lot for me is the emerging sedum. I leave the stalks of the various sedum standing throughout the winter since the snow is pretty on the spent blooms. This time of year I clip back the stalks to around 4″. While doing so, often the very beginning of new growth is just visible. Is it weird I find these little buds freakin’ adorable?

Lenten RoseAnother early emerging plant on the Lot is the lenten rose tucked away by the back door. This guy has saw-toothed evergreen foliage I leave like the sedum during the winter and trim back this time of year.

Other trimming this past weeekend included cutting down the maiden grass to about 6″ so the bleeding heart just breaking ground can receive more sun. The false indigo stalks were trimmed back to 4″ so the area will be ready for the tulips whose foliage showed up this week. Finally, I cut back some mums, rue, and wand flower.

What Up My Finches?!… and Robin

So, another favorite sign of spring on the Lot is when the goldfinches at the kitchen window feeder begin to look a bit rough around the edges. During the winter, the male goldfinch retires his flashy duds and black cap. All the finches are the same dirty yellow or dusty olive color. However, when winter is on it’s way out, the finches molt and patches of brilliant yellow begin to show again. My Other Half and I imagine this awkward stage before the mating season to be much like adolescence. This comparison works well with the finches squeaky, questioning-like call.

Finally, on Easter morning, I saw my first robin. Even though there may be a sprinkling of snow and many frosty mornings still ahead, I do believe spring is here. Are you noticing the arrival of spring? Any favorite signs?

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2012

fence bed, front bed, gate bed, ,

Fall has definitely arrived on the Lot. Last week when it wasn’t raining, I was preparing the two 4’x4′ raised vegetable beds for winter. This past, soggy weekend I began to ready the perennial beds by trimming yellow foliage and raking out large clumps of soggy leaves. But Fall prep will be another post; this is a bloom day post with pretty things!

Monster Hardy Mums

First up is the classic, Fall, hardy Chrysanthemums shot. They are a bit raggedy, but still pretty, posing here with Alfred the Hedgehog. In this bed the Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber) is still blooming and the Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) is just finishing.

False Indigo

This is not a bloom necessarily, but this is quite cool because it’s some Fall interest in the way of sound. These seed pods belong to the False Indigo (Baptisia) that bloomed this past May. When the wind blows through the stalks of this plant, the seeds rattle within the seed pod like a percussion instrument. I’ve also snipped the stalks with pods attached as accents in Halloween and Fall arrangements.

Wand Flower

This Wand Flower (Gaura lindheimeri) was blooming last month as well, but it’s still going. I’ve admired the wispy plant in the garden centers for a couple of seasons now. This was the year it was finally added to the Lot. In the same bed the Coreopsis is finishing it’s blooming. Down along the gate bed, the Stonecrop and Maiden Hair Grass are both in bloom. Other plants blooming on the Lot include Nicotiana, Toad Lily, Lamium, Pincushion Flower, and multiple Stonecrop.

Soggy Fall

I felt this parting shot of a cold, soggy annual would capture the feeling so far of this Fall season. Brrr… a lot of gray and rain. However, the tree foliage colors were beautiful, having reached their peak in our area around the weekend of October 6th. We’ve already had a few frosts that zapped a lot of the more tender annuals.

Time to travel on over to May Dreams Gardens and see what other gardeners from around the world have blooming this October. Since a lot of us shared the hot, drought-like summer, I’m curious what Fall is like so far for them. Be sure to check it out.

First Day of Spring

bulbs, fence bed, front bed, house bed, sidewalk bed, , ,

Even though it was only 30 degrees outside this morning, when I returned home from work I was greeted by the first splash of color on our lot. We have crocuses. Now I know what flowers will be emerging from all the thin, dark green blades with light veins. These guys are in the sidewalk bed with what looks like some tulips. I wonder if there will be some purple as well. I hope these yellow ones open this weekend since the weather forecast is calling for sunshine and warmer temperatures.
Also, I found the first signs of bulbs I planted last fall. I believe this one is a “Queen of the Night” tulip. I mixed some of these with red anemones in the new fence bed. I scratched down what I planted where, though I have to find my notes to be sure.
There is activity in all the garden beds now. Tulips and star of Bethlehem are growing like crazy in the front bed. Sedum is budding up from the sidewalk bed and daylilies are poking out from house bed.