Springing to life

The garden’s starting to take shape. Not with my help yet though. Between cold, wet weather and working on my garden totems, I haven’t paid too much attention to it.

Fortunately I took an afternoon and planted 500 bulbs from Colorblends last fall and am reaping the 4-5 week-long benefits from them now. Leslie’s been out cleaning up the beds when the weather’s been good. I’ve got my black mulch sitting out there waiting to be spread.

After a walk around with my camera assessing what needs to be done, there seems to be nothing major.

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  The two harbingers of spring in my garden – bleeding hearts and May apples. My friend Johanna just told me that May apples are also called American mandrake. I should move these to the Harry Potter garden! But by the time the Harry Potter garden is presentable, these will be on their way out. And I’m told these don’t transplant well.

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  Moss is already going crazy this year – I love it. On both raised beds, the concrete blocks are almost all covered (lead photo even has coral bells growing out of the moss!).

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  Looks like the Louis Nevelson/Rube Goldberg sculpture/fountains thingy will need some adjustments repairs.

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  The grass in this pot is back, but what happened to the other perennials I had in it? I’ll scrounge up more to add.

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  Hostas in pots get stored in the shed and I brought them out almost a month ago. They seem happy.

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  May have finally found the one thing that will grow in this narrow channel at the bottom of the raised bed, under the dwarf apple espalier – a sedum I transplanted from elsewhere. At least this attempt didn’t cost anything.

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  Pines trees in pots I’ve had for years. I took them both from my parent’s cottage in Greene, NY, outside. Binghamton. Nice to see the bright green new growth on the taller one. They’ll get repotted this year.

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  The heuchera bed seems to have a few bare spots. I can fill them in with a couple new ones. The bright chartreuse green ones never seem to last more than a year or two. These guys have been here for around ten years. I believe the squirrels thought a single tulip would look good here.

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  The diamond-shaped dwarf pear tree espalier is looking happy. Needs a trim. Deck will get a good cleaning and sealing before the furniture goes back. It doesn’t look so bad here, but the entire garage wall needs to be re-sided and painted. Not looking forward to that.

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  Vines are coming in at different stages. Top right is five-leaf chocolate akebia, ready for show. The clematis are budding and ready to go. The left side is the Dutchman’s Pipe. It’s coming, but on its own schedule.

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  The marble and granite scrap “carpet” seems to do better in winters now that I do not cover it. the moss-covered impacted sand is as hard as concrete!

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  Clematis could not be happier.

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  The garden totems installed in front yard.

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  Three in the back yard. The Japanese Forest Grass is covering the support spikes very well.

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  I’m working on more to sell for the Garden Art Sale in June.

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  Caps & finials for the poles.

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  I don’t often show the shed when it’s not cleaned up. This is what it looks like in spring – after the over-wintering pots are taken out.

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  I try to keep it organized…

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  I have cannas starting in pots stored in the shed for now. I am trying to get an early start with them. Brian, my canna mentor, is my guide.

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  Artwork can go out into the garden anytime now. Maybe this weekend.

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  I was given a Ninebark Shrub at as a giveaway at a function I went to this week. Now I have to find a spot to plant it. The function was to announce that Buffalo is now the Wildlife Federation’s 15th largest Wildlife Habitat Community in the U.S.

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  I’ve already added some grass seed for the bare spots. I’ll add more at least two other times. It needs an early start – it gets lots of sun now until the redbud leaves come in.

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  Excited that my (new to me) fig tree is budding. Never had one before. It’s a gift from friend Nancy, who has moved and didn’t take it with her.

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  Harry Potter Garden plants are all coming in fine.

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  Miss Kim lilac never bloomed. It wanted to, but we had a cold snap when they were ready to go. Then they didn’t.

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  More perennials in pots anxious to show off.

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  Ever since I stopped covering the succulent & sedum vertical garden with burlap, it’s come in better!

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  Wisteria. Destructor.

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  Miniature ginkgo is back for its third year. It’s a slow grower! This should only ever get to about 3-4 ft tall. I’ll be excited when it gets to one foot tall.

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  Looks like someone’s set up camp in the front yard! View from my office widow.

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  A heavenly looking hellstrip. We call it a “Hello Strip” now!

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  My Colorblends collections. Could not be happier with how they came out this year.

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  Next up, alliums!

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  Overall a great spring!