Out Like a Lion

My mother always says that March is somewhat predictable. The saying goes like this when referring to March weather. "In like a lamb, out like a lion." Or maybe it's the opposite. In any case, this year, March 1st was nice and mild.
Now this is not quite the end of March, but it is now officially spring, and it's not supposed to warm up anytime over the next few days. So maybe, today's snow storm is the "Lion."

The lawn looks peaceful and quiet here, under a covering of wintery, spring snow.

Snow & the Seed Catalog

We're happy to not be in the SNOWMAGEDDONin  London, Ontario which is reeling under a metre of snow that's fallen in the last day or so. While Hamilton and Stoney Creek had just a light dusting of flurries, here in Hagersville, we got about a couple of inches.

What should appear but the William Dam seed catalog. 

Gardening can be a lot of fun, relaxation, - a fine hobby, but it can be a lot of work too.

Maybe we should cut back next year? But when you start looking at all the new varieties...

then well, maybe we could try growing some of those.

Ah the challenges of gardening- they always start with the seed catalog. Spring can't be that far away. . .  .

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Spring in the Garden-3

Dark leaved Elderberry bush

Ostrich Ferns

Daphne burkwoodi- notice the variegated leaves
Korean Lilac, ready to bloom

Spring in the Garden-2

Carpet Phlox with Gold perennial Allyssum
Bumblebee on Weeping Caragana (peashrub)
PJM Rhododendron
Trillium in front of our house
Iberis, candytuft
Viburnum Carcephalum- Fragrant snowball- heavy, beautiful fragrance
Primrose- one of many

Spring in the Garden-I

Red bud- Cercis canadensis
Narcissus
Euphorbia polychroma- cushion spurge
Carpet phlox

Aisle of View

Springtime is in the air. Our garden is starting to blossom in colour. Here is the pathway to the back yard. This is the way in to see a lot of the sights. It's an Aisle of View.

It visually leads to an island on the other side of the lawn. In this bed are a couple of hicks yews. This is an Isle of Yew. If you sit on the aluminum bench here, it is also an Isle of View.
The rhubarb is in full "bloom"- great big lush leaves. Soon to be in a pie.

May 15th Morning Walk

Took a quick walk around the yard this am. Just a few shots of the spring blooms that are showing colour right now.
The first one is the Fragrant snowball. The buds are pinkish, they open to white- but o-o-h how the fragrance fills the air. Not quite at the fragrant stage yet.

Another fragrant bush is the Burkwoodi Daphne. Rosemary's mothers name was Daphne. This daphne has pink flowers and variegated foliage. It is more upright than the regular daphne. Its stems, however, are somewhat brittle and crack easily.

The Carpet Phlox along the driveway is in full colour now. I have white and blue, would like to get a pink variety sometime. Last year I split the blue plant and moved it to another part of the garden. That one gets a little more sun and hits bull bloom a few days earlier.

This yellow Euphorbia plant is one that we used to have at the old "homestead" when I was growing up in Greensville. Here I have to be careful or it will seed itself all over the place. I don't know what my dad did back then, I only remember one specimen in the side yard. Now, I cut the flowers off when they finish to prevent too many seeds.

Forget me nots, while a beautiful blue colour will definitely seed themselves all over the garden if you let them. I keep pulling them out if they get into the wrong part of the garden. I try to keep them in a small area, otherwise they will take over the whole bed/garden. They also seed themselves like crazy. This photo is actually in Rosemary's dad part of the garden.

The redbud is past its peak. (see a photo on Silent Conversation)

Also blooming now are the apple trees- (they really need to be pruned), Primroses, bergenia and spirea prunifolia.