A Few Starts in March

Every March in this part of the world is a roller-coaster ride of weather. But going from 4F/-16C to 72F/22C within a few days (what we experienced last week) is crazier than "normal."

Anyway, most of the plants survived and seem to be thriving. A heavy blanket of snow last week helped, I guess, and now we'll be warm again this week.

So...on with what's happening in the garden for Six on Saturday!



A few beauties are blooming away with abandon, including the 'Tête-à-tête' Daffodils (Narcissus).

Crocuses seem more abundant and more varied in colors and shading this year. The wind whipped them around yesterday and today, but they're tougher than they look!



Rhubarb (Rheum hybrid) is making good progress, and I'm already salivating, thinking about a delicious pie.

Tulips (Tulipa hybrids) will be blooming very soon. They're surrounded by fencing to protect them from naughty, hungry rabbits.



Ornamental Alliums (A. giganteum) have longer to wait for their bloom time, but they've made amazing progress since the beginning of the month. I guess the snowy blanket helped them, too.

Finally, I briefly lifted leaf mulch from a patch of Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) and discovered they've emerged! They look other-worldly at this point, but it's so magical to see them carpeting the woodland with blue flowers in mid-spring.

Soon, I'll have way too many things to share for "Six on Saturday"! But for now, I hope your week will be pleasant. Head on over to Garden Ruminations for more wonderful garden happenings. Thanks to Jim for hosting!

It All Starts With the Seeds

How about a little game of seed ID? I've numbered seeds from 1 to 9. Can you identify plants that will grow from these seeds? For fun, jot down your guesses and then scroll to find the answers:

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

No. 4

No. 5

No. 6

No. 7

No. 8

No. 9

Now, check the accuracy of your guesses:

No. 1: Cosmos bipinnatus

No. 2: Dahlia hybrids
(framed by Asters in this photo)

No. 3: Tithonia rotundifolia

No. 4: Verbena hastata

No. 5: Asclepias incarnata

No. 6: Zinnia elegans

No. 7: Lactuca sativa

No. 8: Lalab purpureus

No. 9: Alcea rosea

How'd you do?

I admit: I had to be very careful to keep these seeds and photos organized. I'll be planting all of them, and others, this spring. What seeds will you start in the weeks ahead?

Colorful DiscoveriesAt the San Antonio Botanical Garden

One of many highlights of our recent trip to San Antonio was visiting the San Antonio Botanical Garden with Jean at Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog. A resident of the area, Jean shared helpful gardening and historical information, and we had some fun discussions.



The botanical garden had some impressive edibles growing in beautiful displays.



The displays included information about the plants and required growing conditions.



In many cases, the edibles and ornamentals were interplanted, which is always fun to see and do.



Other highlights of the botanical garden included this former limestone quarry, which was transformed into a public waterworks system for the city in 1877. Now a beautiful sunken garden, it features a staggered seating area, climbing vines, and beautiful stonework.



Some of the displays were unique--for example, Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana), Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris), and Prickly Pear Cacti (Opuntia spp.) growing in a display together.



We visited during the gardens' Orchid Celebration, which was fabulous. I took so many photos, but the only name plate I captured was this healthy Noble Rock Orchid (Dendrobium nobile).



The others were, of course, incredibly lovely and colorful, too.

An extra bonus was that the Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) were just beginning to bloom--at the botanical garden and throughout the surrounding area.

It was one of many beautiful days in a beautiful part of the state and a lovely region of the country.

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Sunday at the 2022 Fling: Perfect Weather and More Great Gardens

The sunken garden at Rotary Botanical Gardens

On the last day of the 2022 Garden Bloggers Fling, the weather was fabulous, as were the gardens.



We split into two buses at separate gardens again, and the first garden my bus visited was the colorful, delightful garden of Jane and Duane Miller. It really makes a statement out front, with colorful paint, bowling balls, and display plants. It was bright and beautiful on this nearly cloudless summer day.



Jane has a creative, artful way of arranging her garden items and plants. It's very welcoming and you want to wander into the nooks and crannies, to see what's around each corner.



The vibrant plants and the unique props complement each other.



Next, we headed to Ann Munson's peaceful, mostly wooded garden. She, too, has fun and artsy garden displays.



Ann has lovingly cared for her garden for 43 years. She started with a small veggie garden, and has gradually expanded to include her entire 3/4-acre suburban lot. There's no lawn—paths and natural structures weave in and among the garden areas.



Ann created her gardens using storybook themes, and the result is a warm, whimsical trip through a great collection of plants and props. 



We next traveled to Janesville, Wis., to visit Rotary Botanical Gardens. I've always enjoyed this view, which you can access by climbing a few stairs to a patio that overlooks the Formal French Garden.



The various gardens cover 20 acres, featuring 26 areas that surround a lake.

Benches at the gardens share words of wisdom from historical sages.

In the afternoon, we headed to Stoughton, Wis., about 30 minutes southeast of Madison. Janet Aaberg began creating her colorful garden in 1999, which features blooms and fabulous foliage from early spring through November.



Lilies, colorful shrubs, and amazing climbing plants grace her sun-filled property.



Janet shared a welcoming sign to say "hello" and "goodbye" to our Flingers.



The final private garden of the day was that of Jim Ottney and Jay Hatheway, also in Stoughton. When they bought the property, it was an untended field of weeds, an oil change sand pit, volunteer trees, and invasive plants. They turned over the entire lot by hand, transforming it into a tranquil sanctuary.



The result is a comfy oasis, filled with amazing plants and garden art. Jim describes it as "a private escape and a space where we can entertain small groups of friends."



Since I last visited, Jim and Jay also have beautified the nearby waterfront with the blessings of local officials.

Finally, we ended the Fling at the UW-Madison campus Allen Centennial Garden. It's described as the "artful living laboratory" of the university's horticulture department. Beautiful, healthy annuals and perennials are displayed in 14 areas of the compact 2.5-acre property.



Veggies, ornamentals, and plants of all types are displayed and tested here.

We think a youngster helped create this welcome sign.

And that was the end of the 2022 Fling! It was fun, educational, and done in the blink of an eye. We hope everyone who attended enjoyed it; we certainly were happy to reconnect with plant-loving friends we hadn't seen since the summer before the pandemic!

Thanks for joining me on this journey! To read more about the 2022 Fling and learn about the 2023 Fling, visit the Fling website.