Thursday, April 28, 2011

Sooooooo.......what is blooming today in the cold, cold rain?




Pulsatilla
     
                                      
                                                                           Hyacinth
                                                                       Daffodil
                                                                       Hellebore
                                                                      Early Tulip
                                                                       Mini Daffodils

Spring

After three months of attending to family affairs and then having the heart wrenching necessity of having our beloved Micky's remaining good eye removed, I am finally able to enjoy the anticipation of spring.  Although Micky had extremely limited sight in one eye and none in the other, it has been so very traumatic for him to have no sight altogether.  We are constantly encouraging him and trying to build up his confidence, so that he will enjoy walking the trails again.  Yesterday I walked him over to our neighbors down the road for the first time since his surgery, and his old excitement of visiting them and their Gordon Setter 'Becky' was back...a big break through because he hadn't wanted to walk further than the end of our lane.  It did him a world of good!


Never have I been so late in starting seeds, but I am finally caught up with only the morning glories and four o'clocks to plant.  I soaked the seeds in water yesterday and noticed that they are now ready to plant in peat pots.  Next on the list is potting up the Cannas, which I have had soaking in a pail with a weak solution of fertilizer to feed them after a winter of starvation in the basement.


Yesterday I was able to divide some grasses for two customers who placed their order last fall, but I will have to employ the muscle of my DH to dig up the Arundo Giant Reed and the Miscanthus Giganteus.  The roots of these grasses, although I do not find them invasive, are tough to dig through.


I am hopeful that when all this rain ends I can start to move all the plants that I have on my to do list.  I am just itching to get out there and dig.  Although weeding isn't my most favorite thing to do in the gardens, I enjoy it in the spring, simply because it gets you right down there to see who is waking up and there are always surprises that you forgot you had planted in the fall!  


With all this warm rain, the plants are growing quickly and there are beautiful spots of colour where the daffodils and a few hyacinths are blooming.  Last fall, DH and I planted close to three hundred tulips and daffodils and it will be fun to see them in bloom!