Catching Up Again

Our computer is finally up and running after about two months of a busted hard drive. So here I am, catching up on over a month. It’s still early in the gardening year, so the pace has still been slower. Highlights include:

• My orchids did not disappoint this year. There were a couple fewer bloom stalks than last year, but I still got an impressive show. Three different varieties were blooming at once!
• My many varieties of crocus put on a colorful show scattered across the lawn. Most years I’ve added a few new colors and I love all the variety that I have now.
• The hellebores are blooming. They are really interesting as they emerge from the ground. I first got them because I thought the name was interesting, but now I love them for their complex flowers.
• Snow! I love the way the snow looks on the daffodils and crocuses. It’s such a pretty combination. The flowers are tough, though, and pop back after the snow melts.
• Everywhere there are signs that spring is well on its way.
• The poor magnolia has been waiting and waiting for the perfect blooming weather. It’s been holding back on a full bloom for weeks now. Today it started a halfhearted bloom in the middle of a swampy, rainy day. I miss its usual magnificence.
• I have some beautiful tomato plants that are eager to get in the ground! It’s the best looking set of seedlings I’ve had since I lost access to a greenhouse. This year I found grow lights at Lowe’s. I should have bought some sooner. These are cheaply made, but that also makes them really light and portable, so I tucked them away in a corner of our upstairs bedroom.

So there you are, caught up on my garden at least. I’ve got a whole bunch of cat pictures, too, though they will have to go in another post.