Longing for Spring

Being an avid gardener, in the middle of winter, it's very frustrating. It seems like we receive temptation in the mail everyday. This past month we received at least 20 seed catalogs. Why we need 20 is beyond me, as we really only ever order from a handful of companies every year. I secretly think the hubby requests the masses to just frustrate me. Revenge is sweet. right? We've perused through them planning out what varieties of seeds we want to plant this year. Some will be repeats from past years, some will be new additions. I mean what's a girl to do in the middle of winter? Sigh! I am impatiently waiting for spring to arrive so I can get out there and get to work.

Looking Lovely

After almost 3 weeks without any significant rain, we finally got about 1/2 a day of on and off showers. Look what little lovely popped open. I have this clematis growing up my chain link fence and it didn't bloom at all last year but it did yesterday, giving me 3 lovely blooms. I guess maybe it liked the drier weather? Who knows!

Until next time...

The Calendar Says...

It's spring! Yippee! And from the looks of things, I have to agree...



The pussy willow tree in my neighbors yard has bloomed and sprouted it's soft little furry buds. I remember as a child rubbing pussy willow buds over my arms...the soft feel was a welcoming sign of spring.



And my rose bushes are already budding! Yeah! These are new bushes from last year and I am pleased to say that they have survived the winter. You never know from one year to the next what will make it.





These irises are just popping up through the mulch. My hubby brought them home from a customers house a few years back. We planted them and last year was the first year that we had blooms on them. Seems like irises need to get a "hold" before they like to share their beauty. Sure hope this year they feel so inclined again to share.






My bee balm is peeking out. Another new addition last year in my new perennial bed and to me as a gardener. I had run out of room for sun loving plants until we added our new sunny perennial bed last year. I am so glad that we did too.






And of course with the warmer temps came a trip to the local nursery to pick up some pansies for my porch pots. They will stay until sometime in June when I will switch over to impatiens as the pansies just don't like my hot sunny front porch then.

It is a beautiful spring day today, sunny and still a little chilly, but I will take it. Enjoy your day.

Until next time....

Spring Is In The Air!

Well the last few days sure has made it feel like it is. We got to 64 today! Makes me want to go outside and work in my flower beds and get them ready.





Guess I need to wait til all the snow melts first! UGH!

Hurry Spring!

How I Spent My Sunday

The day started off early...6 am. Went to meet a friend to go flea marketing with. I meet Eileen through ebay and many emails later we've become friends who share an interest in painting anything old and discarded. We both love giving things new life. So we met at the market and spent the morning going through booth after booth looking for the different and the unique. I think we both found some neat stuff as you can see in picture. I also was able to pick up 2 small rockers...these will sell well at Christmas time. When I go to paint them I will take a before and after pictures.



When I came home my hubby suggested that we go to Home Depot to get mulch since it was on sale. So off to get mulch. The picture is of about half the mulch stacked. I had the boys put the other bags in the flower beds so I didn't have to drag it too far.



My longest flower bed takes the most work as I reset the stepping stones when I mulch. A few sedum, one of my coreopsis, and some bearded irises are popping through the mulch. The black eyed susies were just starting to come up through last years mulching...and should be through this years in a few more days again.



More mulch on the backyard flower beds...not much is popping through there yet...the hostas were just starting to sprout. There are more irises and a rose bush or 2 along with some day lillies and a few more sedum. I can't wait to be able to plant all my annuals and add to my periennials. I spend a lot of time in my flower beds, planting, weeding and pruning.



I picked up this piece a few years back from my favorite junk guy...I just love it as I haven't run across a love seat metal lawn chair in all my years of junking. I decided to paint it in the americana theme. The heater is also from my junk guy Harold...I just love those old kerosene heaters.

It was a very full day and I was glad to see my bed.

Spring Is In The Air

It's a gorgeous day in Baltimore today almost 70 degrees. Who would have ever thought that just 5 days ago we were in the middle of a snowstorm. The snow is all gone...melted away and hopefully we won't see any more of the white stuff til next winter. The crocus have popped up through the ground and are blooming. I decided to take a picture to share the first signs of spring. This is the time of the year where I really get to itching to work in my flower beds and get them ready for the periennials to bloom and the annuals that I plant.

I have my work cut out for me this year though. We had a huge tree removed from the front yard and have decided to put a new large flower bed under the other existing tree in out there since grass won't grow there anyway. I'll take some before and after pictures as the work progresses.

Don't forget to set your clock forward tonight!