Spring Wandering

A week ago Saturday we left the store early and drove out to Woldhuis Farms Sunrise Greenhouse in Grant Park near Manteno. It's one of our regular plant shopping spots. Here are a couple of shots of the greenhouses. When we walk quickly, it takes us about an hour and a half to walk through and we are skipping annuals and shrubs and concentrating on perennials and herbs. We drive about an hour to get there but its worth the trip.

On the way home we stopped at Messenger Woods. The white trillium were very nice and Norm took some pictures of the Blue Eyed Mary's in full bloom.

I'm enjoying my Spring flowers.

The garden is very pleasant right now and everything is blooming early it seems. The fern leaf peony looks spectacular.

         Blue is my favorite color so I like the few blue flowers we have. Two kinds of forget me nots both Myosotis and Brunnera do well. I like the pink and blue planted next to each other too.

   

This is a sweet white allium whose name I'll have to look up. The pink flowers of the money plant have white flat translucent seed parts in the fall so it is also called silver dollar plant. Nice contrast of colors.

The sun was shining this morning so this picture toward the middle of our yard is bright but do admire the redbud and bluebells in the yard area we call the circle.

 

Check out the before picture of my herb garden before weeding, mulching, planting and growing. The garlic is growing toward the center back and on the left between the flagstone is the start of the lavender. In the left front is cat mint (nepeta) and most of the rest are weeds or volunteers of columbine and other stuff. I'll show other pictures as it grows.

Look at the wreath on our garage which I was going to freshen up for Spring. Guess what? A robin beat me to it and put a nest right on top. The new flowers will have to wait.

April 18, 2010

I try to walk at the Arboretum each Monday at 9:30 AM. Here are a couple of photos from last week. Spring is here when the wildflowers start to bloom.

April 17, 2010

Well life gets in the way of computing. I have been enjoying gardening even though the 85 degree Thursday got to the pansies on my porch. I think I saved their lives, we'll see.

I have been enjoying the zentangle drawing preparing for my class yesterday. Here are some the designs I've made. Quite relaxing and thanks to Sandy Davis for suggesting this art form to me.  Lots of fun, relaxing and easier that you think. Check out the zentangle website http://www.zentangle.com/

April Fools Day, 2010

Well this is probably as good a day as any to start a blog. I want to do one for the store, but thought it might be easier if I started here.

It is a beautiful day and I'm here at home so I spent some time with my plants. The little seedlings of parlsey are up and running. In fact I transplanted some today into larger pots. I will take some to Herb club for sale but want to use most of them as edging plants. We'll see how that turns out.

I took other plants outside for a breath of fresh air. I think even the basil will do okay unless we get another breath of winter.

The most exciting thing that I did was cut some branches to bring inside. Norm cut some beautiful yellow daffodils already. I cut some Cornus mas Cornelian cherry dogwood which is one of the earlier plants to bloom in a stunning yellow color. (Of course the vernal witchhazels have been blooming for a month, but we are not lucky enough to own one. yet.) I also cut some forsythia. We have several of these but the Minnesota variety is the one that reliably blooms.

I sharpened my clippers last week so it was easy to clip off some neat blooms. I got rid of the crossing branches and some that had scars from the 17 year locusts (cicadas) from 2 years ago. I always say I'll force branches late in the winter but never do. This is just as nice.

I will try to add a picture soon.

Marilyn