Spring Bulb Naturalization

Years ago we had the wonderful opportunity to visit Parliament Hill during the spring when the crocuses were in bloom.  There were masses of them.  I immediately fell in love with the look vowing at some point to duplicate it at our home.  That was five houses ago and I still have not done this so it will be priority this fall at our new house.  Essentially what you do is grab a handful of crocus

First Daffodil of 2011

First Daffodil of 2011April 24, 2011
Look what blessed us with a cheery nod Easter Sunday!  The beautiful bright yellow was a much welcomed sight.  The weather was mild as well just perfect for sitting on the dock enjoying the sights and sounds of the water.  I spent a little time puttering amongst the raised beds as well, prepping one for planting and cleaning debris from the herb bed.  As I

The First Crocuses of 2011

First CrocusesMarch 31, 2011
The first crocuses are making their cheery appearance in the nook outside the kitchen window.  I've left these to naturalize so the are rewarding me with spreading.  The kitchen is below grade with the window about four inches from the ground so the crocuses can be enjoyed right from the kitchen.  We lost a lot of the crocuses from the front of house ripout we did

Daffodils Breaking Ground

Daffodils Breaking GroundMarch 31, 2011
A few days ago I noticed the daffodils breaking ground.  They were up about an inch when Mother Nature graciously covered them up with a blanket of snow.  The temperatures have been unseasonably cold with more snow predicted.  Still the daffodil shoots hold the promise of their sunny blooms soon to be bringing cheer to spring.

Happy Gardening!

Garden

Caladium

CaladiumOctober 6, 2010

I love doing a bit of garden surfing so to speak in our vacation home community. Our vacation home is is Zone 9B so considerably warmer than our home Zone 6 B.  That means I get to discover a lot of rather interesting tropical plants.  This is a showy bulbaceous bulb that does not do well at temperatures below 60ºF.  While I won't be able to grow this gorgeous plant

Stella D'or

Honest to Betsy this has been one of the most frustrating growing seasons I've dealt with in the past few years.  We had a wet, cool spring despite predictions.  Then the weather turned hot and dry to the point the local farmers are begging for rain.  We sure could use a few days of just a nice, gentle down pour!  a couple of days ago I looked out to see a bit of yellow.  Well in the heat of the

More Spring Blooms

Spring activities in the garden this year have been rather slow mainly because it is still early weatherwise for us but also because we have our house on the market.  We had hoped to be moving in time to establish a garden at the new house but that doesn't look like it will be happening.  I am plugging ahead working on the area we started last fall so there has been minor improvements there. 

The First of the Tulips in Bloom

Tulipa tardaApril 19, 2010
I was quite pleased to see the first of the tulips in bloom.  Last year it took a bit of effort to identify Tulipa tarda pictured.  The Tulipa tarda are thriving and spreading (naturalizing).  These pretty little tulips were hiding in with the lilies so at first appeared to be a lily.  What I did find out is the former owner planted these tulips amongst the lilies to

More Narcissus

Double Trumpet NarcissusApril 16, 2010
There is one large clump of double trumpet narcissus in the gardens.  It has spread from last year which is something I've been encouraging.  The foliage of all spring bulbs should be left alone until it completely turns brown and can gently be pulled away.  Protect the foliage from lawn mower damage if necessary to allow it to die back.  This can easily be

Narcissus

NarcissusApril 16, 2010
Just when I think I've discovered all the spring bulbs in bloom I came across this beautiful patch of narcissus.  They have a gorgeous, deep orange trimmed trumpet.  The patch is about 2 square feet so a nice size, possibly large enough to divide.  It is such a treat to discover a patch of spring bulbs waving their cheery heads in the gentle wind!

Happy Gardening!

Garden

Shades of Yellow in My Garden

Shades of YellowApril 12, 2010
Spring is just such a pretty time of the year.  I love watching the gardens come to life and it is surprising how fast the gardens change once spring arrives.  The daffodils and narcissus are in full bloom now giving a cheery display that brings a smile every time I see them.  Aren't they gorgeous?

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

White Crocus

White CrocusApril 6, 2010
We did a lot of ripping out when we moved here in 2007.  To our surprise where some of the over grown brush and garden beds had been that we sodded over spring bulbs pushed through the following year.  It was rather odd seeing a clump of tulips, narcisses or crocuses just out in the open on their own.  That spring after they bloomed I protected them with tomato cages to

Daffodils are Budding

Daffodils BuddingApril 6, 2010
The daffodils and narcissus are up and just ready to break out in bloom.  This is our third spring here.  The careful culling and ripping out we have done to this point has paid off.   Several of the spring bulbs including the daffodils have started naturalizing so we have clumps both spreading and popping up where there were none.  If we stay here which right now

Budding Siberian Squill

Budding Siberian Squill
April 1, 2010

I love Siberian Squill! They a so pretty and delicate looking. I do wish we had more of them but we only have this one small clump of them. I've been hoping they would naturalize but after 3 years no such luck. At any rate they come up each spring just to make me smile.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Budding Tulips

Budding TulipsApril 1, 2010An extended walk around the gardens in the warm of the sun a couple of days ago was a gorgeous way to spend a bit of free time. The tulips were just starting to bud so I'm getting excited. I love seeing tulips in bloom so the anticipation is building.Happy Gardening!Garden Gnome©2006-2010

Crocuses

CrocusesMarch 19, 2010A few days ago the weather was so gorgeous I took a walk around the yards just simply enjoying the beautiful sunshine. Tucked into the corner of a rock bed we had intended removing I spotted this pretty clump of purple crocuses. They weren't there last year so the squirrels must have been busy moving a few of the bulbs around. Crocuses are one of spring's colourful

Signs of Spring

March came in like a lamb this year which isn't much of a surprise given what a mild winter we had. I don't doubt that we are still in for a few days of nasty weather but those are getting less likely with March more than half over. The first day of spring was on March 20th. We've been experiencing above average temperatures with nice blue skies. The sun has been out doing it's magic so there

Daylilies in My Garden

I have several clumps of daylilies in my garden. They have quickly become one of my favourite flowers. They are low maintenance with beautiful showy flowers and the best part is the rabbits don't like them! I've identified some of them but a couple have not been identified yet. If you know the names of the ones unidentified please leave a comment. Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy the

Tulipa tarda

Tulipa tardaMarch 26, 2009The mystery plant has been identified! Thanks so much to those who commented on the previous post as well those who helped through email and Twitter. I appreciate your help very much in identifying this plant.It is Tulipa tarda a dwarf tulip species. It is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae). These tulips are planted in clumps along with daylilies to protect them

Please Help Identify

"Unknown"March 26, 2009Please Help Identify: Oh the joys of moving into a home with overgrown gardens and still discovering new plant varieties as we continue our quest to tame the jungle. We have several patches of this unknown plant. I think it is a daylily based on the leaves and flower appearance. The flower is two tone yellow with six petals, 3 on 3 on a single stem. The flower is about