March 28, 2018

'Subtle' Signs of Spring: Inside and Out

bubble gum
Overwintered Supertunia Vista Bubblegum

zinnias
Zinnia seedlings (Z. elegans hybrids)

gerbera
Overwintered Gerbera Daisy hybrid

lettuce
Lettuce seedlings under the coldframe

hellebores 1
Hellebore buds (Helleborus orientalis)

daffodils
Daffodil buds (Narcissus spp.)

snowdrops
Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno')

allium
Unknown (Allium?) ... What did I plant here?

hellebores2
More Hellebore buds (Helleborus orientalis)

rhubarb
Rhubarb (for future pie :) )

42 comments:

  1. Great photos! How exciting to see old friends returning for the season.

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    1. Thanks, Peter! Yes, it's a joy to see them and a relief to know they survived a cold January with very little snow cover for insulation.

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  2. So glad that Spring has decided to emerge! What a winter it's been for ya'll. xo

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    1. Happy spring, Gail! It must be so beautiful in your part of the country right now. Spring is slowly rolling in here. We didn't have the coldest winter, but with very little snow, I was worried about some of my plants. It will be interesting to see what survived. Strange winter, for sure, and spring is starting out chilly.

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  3. Spring is beginning to show its small face so far, but still a bit and it will be beautiful, colorful. Greetings.

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    1. Hi Giga: We live in similar climates, although I know there's variance for both of us, from year to year. You're right--soon we'll have bright, colorful gardens! Yay!

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  4. Spring is wriggling into your garden. Isn't it exciting!

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    1. It is! Slowly but surely. Happy spring and Easter, Lisa!

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  5. The awakening has begun...

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  6. oohhh ... the rhubarb is so cute! (did I really say that?!) btw, you may hear from Grace, she was happy to learn of the MN program.

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    1. Tee hee. I agree about the Rhubarb. I know spring is on its way when the Rhubarb pokes through the soil! It's hard to believe it starts so small and gets so big! As you know from my cc, I did hear from Grace. Thanks for the great info on your post!

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  7. Spring is a different - and more exciting - kind of event in the colder areas of the country/world than it is here in SoCal. I've very few deciduous or truly herbaceous plants in my garden so, for the most part, the only surprises are provided by bulbs and a few self-seeders. And, unfortunately, self-seeding doesn't lead to germination when the rains are too light.

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    1. I guess I agree, Kris, about the excitement of spring here. If I have a choice for when to leave the Midwest it's always February through mid-March. After that, I want to be around to see all the little plants and birds and animals returning for the new season. So, I'd rather be in SoCal in February and SoWis in mid-March. ;-) It really gets exciting around here in late April and early May, and then it's awesome all the way through October. :)

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  8. Hope springs eternal! (Pun intended!)

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    1. Yes, indeed--literally and figuratively. :) Even the little signs of hope in spring are a joy--especially the perennials that come back every year.

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  9. So much going on already! I haven't even started my zinnias - those are due to be sown in about two weeks. Seeing how early you are sowing, though, I may try to do them a bit sooner and see how that goes.

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    1. Many little, tiny things are happening, Margaret. The forecast for early April is chilly, so I don't expect much more change until the next warm spell. Re: the Zinnias...believe it or not, I started them even earlier last year. They get a little spindly, but I'm going to try to be a little better about pinching them off this year. They were giant, four- to five-foot tall, pollinator favorites by the end of the summer last year. So hard to believe they start from tiny seeds and seedlings!

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  10. The rhubarb photo is Amazing!

    And I had to laugh when I read the caption on your allium photo.

    I've been out planting new perennials in the garden the past couple of days, but after heavy rains last night I'm taking a break. Too soggy out there now!

    Thanks for inspiring me to take some spring photos soon!

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    1. Thank you, Aaron. Seeing the Rhubarb making an appearance is so fun. Re: the Allium...yes, I'm pretty sure it's an Allium, but I can't remember which one. I ordered 100s of Alliums last year and kept planting them here and there. Now I'm finding surprises popping up around the garden. ;-) Enjoy your planting time!

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  11. Ooh, impressive you overwintered a petunia and it's blooming! So many interesting plants you can grow in your climate.

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    1. I've never tried before, so I'm thrilled with the Petunia blooms, Shirley! I fell in love with the hybrid as it was a freebie at a conference, and I couldn't let the frost take it. ;-) The sunroom is a great place for overwintering the plants. It stays cool but always above freezing during the winter. In the spring on sunny days, it's warmer during the day than the rest of the house.

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  12. How did you overwinter the petunia? Must know your secret. :-)
    I like the rhubarb photo.
    I am starting seeds this week.
    Carla

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    1. Hi Carla: The Petunia overwintering is a first for me. I guess the secret is the sunroom. All the plants in there get maximum daylight, from sunrise to sunset. It's south-facing, with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. I love to see the Rhubarb in the springtime. Enjoy your seed-starting! I'm going to start a few more this week, too. I wish I had more sun in my summer garden, like you do. :)

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  13. Really is amazing . . .
    Love seeing the “awakenings” each spring.
    So far Helebores is the only planting I am seeing . . .
    Well, not quite.
    Green shoots of lilies are popping into view . . .
    And the rain is bringing about a green sheen about the land.

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    1. Everything's on hold here, Lynne, with the cold weather. I don't expect the Hellebores to fully bloom for the next 10 days or so. New shoots of bulb plants are forcing through, but they may not bloom for a while, either. Still, little signs are encouraging! :)

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  14. Some excellent closeups! I never thought of overwintering Petunias or Gerberas. Is there any special trick to it?

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    1. Thanks, Jason! I don't know if there's a trick to the Gerberas and the Petunias, but they both went semi-dormant in the cool sunroom during the winter months. They seem to like the three-sided sun (south-facing), and the 40- to 60-temps. This time of year, the room can get pretty hot on a sunny day, so I have to play some tricks to keep the cats out and the temperatures moderate in the sunroom...until it's warm enough (mid-May) to take all the plants outside!

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  15. Great photos! I am always thrilled to see newly emerging growth each spring. Even our large trees have fresh growth on them now, so we are moving from early to mid spring. The world is bursting with color! I particularly am fascinated by your rhubarb image, which looks like the birth of a brain. Rhubarb doesn't grow here, and I don't think I have ever even tasted it.

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    1. Thank you, Deb. I guess there are pros and cons of every climate. On the one hand, spring is a much longer and luxurious season for you. On the other hand, I can't imagine not being able to grow and taste rhubarb. It's such a yummy ingredient for pies and crisps!

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  16. Yay! So good to see Spring emerging. Everything is on hold here, the weather has been terrible and it seems warmer times will never come. I have lots of plans but the frustration of not being able to get started on any of them!

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    1. It's a start. We are cold now for the next 10 days, so my garden won't change much. So, I understand your frustration! With the tease of the start of spring, I want to be out in the garden more, but it's too cold!

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  17. The snow is finally almost all melted here, though we have a little more in the forecast. My rhubarb has yet to make an appearance, but it's definitely looking like spring, hurrah!

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    1. Apparently, we will get some snow tonight. I hope that will be it for the season! We are cold, though, so not much more growth until mid-April, which is unusual for us. Still, these early spring beginnings are encouraging. :)

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  18. I'm so impressed by your overwintered blooms, Beth! I neglected the geraniums I brought in last fall, and most will have to be thrown out:( I still haven't started any seeds indoors yet either; with all the rain we are supposed to get for the next 10 days, it would be a good way to cure my gardening itch. Happy Easter!

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    1. Happy Easter, Rose! The plants seem to survive (and some thrive) in the sunroom. I'm spoiled--now I can't imagine a house without one. I started a few more seeds on Friday, and it was good therapy.

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  19. Your garden is way ahead of mine. Plus those overwinterings are impressive.

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    1. Hi Linda: Some of it, I think, is microclimates and southern exposure. All the outdoor blooms/growth in this post are either south- or west-facing against the house or in the patio garden next to the rock wall. The patio garden never gets as cold or as hot as the rest of the property. The sunroom helps with the overwinterings (however, the cats are banished from that room).

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  20. I'm impressed that you were able to overwinter those plants! My Christmas cactus spend most of the winter outdoors and if I have to bring them along with other plants I'm overwintering in pots for an extended period, I find they really don't like it unless I put little tubs of winter and mist them twice a day. And I don't even keep my house all that warm. lol

    Like Deb I have never tasted rhubarb, and it just melts down here.


    Beautiful closeup of the hellebore buds!

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    1. Thank you. Someday, you'll have to travel north in June or early July to taste Rhubarb. You are fortunate to be able to allow Christmas cactuses to remain outdoors--they would turn to mush in my cold climate!

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  21. Beth ~ I've missed your positive, happy comments over the past two years. Thank you for visiting my blog & posting them. I have no idea how much I'll post ~ I've been getting some Advanced Reader Copies of books & they like you to post your reviews somewhere other than GoodReads. I didn't want to start another blog so decided to do it on my original since I'd never shut it down.

    You have a lot of Spring signs in your garden & greenhouse. It won't be long now. I love your lake walk too. So nice to have that boardwalk so close to your house!

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    1. Thank you, dear Kathleen! I've missed your posts! Welcome back. :) Spring is starting ever so slowly here. The new boardwalk is wonderful! I imagine it will be quite busy this summer--it's way too packed with bikes and pedestrians to be enjoyable during the weekend, but great during the week!

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