I started plugging away in the garden today. After I took my daughter (5) to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, we stopped at the nursery for a few plants. It was a brisk 59 here and mostly sunny, so a good day to get some work done.
I pulled a few tiny weeds (my elms sprout by the millions, it seems, but they are easy to pull out when they’re less than an inch tall), and I pruned a few small lantanas.
I’m so excited — the daffodils officially joined the garden today!
Not just one, or two, but several of them popped open. I love them.
Daffodils — bobbing their bright yellow bonnets in the breeze. Beckoning us out into the garden to join them in the Spring sunshine.
Today, I planted:
- 3 Malicoides Mix Primula
- 9 Sorbet Babyfae Ruby and Gold Viola
- 6 White Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
- 3 Grace Ward Lithodora
- And 1 Cyclamen persicum that I bought for my daughter
(Doesn’t this Grace Ward Lithodora look like prostrate rosemary? I just love finding blues for the garden since they are so much less common than many other colors.)
This last photo is my new gardening best friend! I bought it last week – you can’t really tell the scale from the photo, but it’s a shorter and smaller shovel. Because I have tendonitis in my elbows, using the hand trowel is about the worst thing I can do. (ha! Like I’m gonna stop THAT!)But, since most of what I buy are one gallon plants anyway, I can use this smaller shovel to dig the right sized hole and use my foot for strength instead of my arm. Whoo hoo. And I’m pleased to report that it worked great today on everything but the 6-pack of Alyssum.
Happy Gardening!
You southern gardners give me ants in my pants! I feel so far behind when I look at your wonderful blogs, but then I look outside and see the yuckiness, and hear the wind howl and know that I am just going to have to be content with all your pretties instead of my own for a few more months….
Your daughter is adorable! Love the team name….so creatve!
I hope you’ll keep us posted on the Cyclamen persicum. I have tried it several times in several parts of the garden and never succeeded.
Sherry – sorry for giving you ants! But, it will come soon, it really will. And, now you have time to read up and to blog and do other things. Like cook! Dinner and housekeeping tend to fall by the wayside once it gets warm here! She is a cutie – isn’t she? Thanks!
Karen – my Mom always grows them inside, but I’ve seen them on lots of garden blogs, so I thought I’d do an experiment. I know they will hate out heat, so the question is how long will it last? OR, will the deer eat it? Wish me luck.
Good for you, take advantage of the nice days and what the nursery has to offer! I have tried the lithodora several times, only to lose it during the summer. It is always for sale in early spring, so it must like cool temps, but I cannot keep it going although the tag says it is perennial. Have you grown it before?
Frances at Faire Garden
Frances – I have not grown lithodora before. I usually figure if it’s something I don’t know it probably won’t last! But I put it in a partial shade spot, so maybe there’s hope until it gets really hot. I’m glad to know that, though, so I will keep an eye on it along with a few things that tend to need a little extra hand-watering in the heat of summer. Thanks for the heads up!
I was happy to hear that you received a good rainfall and none of the nasty stuff, like tornadoes.
The Lithodora is so pretty. I like the foliage as well as the blue flower.
Best – well, I have to say seeing the Daffodils made me really happy! They are so cheerful.
The daffodils are beautiful!
Bonnie – Thanks! They sure are happy with this weather. I was looking at Camellias again today – I’m green with envy over yours. I’m sure it won’t be long before you see a post about my new one!
What variety of daffodils do you have and how many years have you grown them. If this is the first year, did you chill them before planting them?
MSS ~ I’ve been growing daffodils for years. I have never really chilled them. ( I think I tossed them in the fridge one year for a week) These are some that I planted last fall – around Thanksgiving – and I’m sorry to say I have the packaging from all my other bulbs, but the label from the daffodils has disappeared. I think I got them at a box store, so who knows what they are! I have a few hyacinths coming up as well, but I’ve had the best luck over the years with narcissus. Ones I planted from previous years are not up, though, making me wonder what happened as they have been blooming for me for 4 years. We worked in that bed, though, so I fear they may have been damaged. I like your white one with the yellow cup — I’ll have to try some of those next fall – it’s really pretty.