 Fritillary Butterfly Last year when this happened, all of the new red growth on the red maples were fried a nice brown. I thought that the trees were probably toasted, too. Not to worry. When the warm spring weather returned for good, so did more red sprouts. Living things do not give up easily.  Helleborus
The hellebores are in full bloom. I love their garden presence. I can even enjoy them from the windows. The daffodils sprung up early and are now showing their cheery faces. That is, the bulbs I put in the ground in 2006 and the few I got in the ground by January of 2008. Some just went in the ground two weeks ago. I expect they will be a bit late with their flowers, if they bloom at all this year. The Japanese tassel fern is up, too. I planted it because it is a bit of an oddity. Its fronds shine. You have to touch it to see if it is real or plastic! The black bamboo in the pot is reaching for the sky. I am so very tempted to put this beauty in the ground, but my head says, "Don’t do it." Although it is slow, it will run. Running bamboo is no joke in the garden or in your neighbor’s if it decides to visit. This plant has busted out of a very large terra cotta pot already. It is double potted now, planted in a black plastic nursery pot and that pot is in one of those light-as-a-feather pots. It is getting crowded and looks like it might need more room before it splits this one, too. The mints are looking lush and green in their containers. Peppermint and chocolate mint are in a tin bucket. Mountain mint is in a crock. These are garden thugs, too. They have a great urge to run in the garden. They try to climb out of their containers. Keep their edges trimmed back. Their matted roots choke out garden good guys, so do not let them loose, either.  Flying Dragon
 Carpenter Bee All creatures, even squirrels and carpenter bees, are welcome in my garden. With the disappearance of pollinators, I think any bee should be protected. Although carpenter bees chew out single nest cavities in wooden house parts, they do no structural damage, only cosmetic. When they have hatched and are gone, a little putty fills in their holes. Take a stroll in your winter landscape. Make notes to fill in the holes. If you are under several feet of snow, like my Michigan daughter, you will have to be content with wistful daydreams of gardens to come. Park and Wayside catalogs are perfect wishing reads. It will soon be time for everyone to get busy in the garden. ---Posted by Coach Anne, February 26, 2008--- |
