First Draba of Spring

Forget forsythia. The yellows of spring that quicken my heart are the drabas.  Above is draba lasiocarpa growing in a trough.  It's almost enough to make me forget that there's still snow lingering in parking lots, and that the yard is mushy from all of the recent rain.  

We are getting there.

'Not Today, Spring!', cackles Winter

No gardening this weekend.  Still defrosting from the almost-blizzard.

Helleboricide?

After a couple very unseasonal warm spells in late March, it was 12 degrees last Sunday morning. I was horrified to find all of the hellebores, including this gorgeous purple one in front of the house, face down on the cold ground.  They stayed that way for a couple days and I wondered if that was it for hellebore blooms this year.

By midweek the stems had started to perk up one by one, rising off the canvas like knocked down boxers ready for more.

Friday morning's snow was kind of pretty, although unwelcome.

The same hellebore is covered today, like many of its brethren, as the weather early next week looks anything but pretty.

When can we get off this rollercoaster?

On the Cusp?

We got 8" of snow last week, and now have temps in the 60s this week.  It really feels like we're transitioning to spring.  The sun is startlingly warm while the breeze still picks up the chill of the snow lingering in the shade.

The boundary between two seasons.

Even the bench is warming up.

Ray will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that this is dianthus freynii

emerging gorgeously from under the snow in the trough in his front yard.

I know, I know, there's still more cold, sleet and probably snow to come, but I can enjoy the sun today knowing spring is only a couple weeks away.

Yellow Constellation

Even on the dark days of February, the winter jasmine, jasminum nudiflorum, lights up the deck. It's planted at the base of one of the deck support columns, about 8' below this level.  Over the years we've trained it on the trellises under the deck.  It's quietly putting on quite a show now.

This jasmine is quite possibly the best $2 I ever spent.

Encrusted Saxifrage

Saxifraga 'Whitehill' looking a little whiter than usual last week.  It's totally happy to wait out winter in its vertical spot on the tufa.

January Gardening

We got 6" of snow yesterday, along with cold temps, ... cold at least for us anyway.

The troughs are under blankets of snow today.

Buckets protect some of the evergreens and a few temperamental alpines.

Just after dawn this morning.  

The tender crew looks out the window and dreams of warmer days, just like me.