We have had an amazingly neutral winter so far, although I say this knowing full well that we have another 5 or so weeks before that Spring equinox. We could still get slammed. Parts of the garden are beginning to show a little life, perhaps wondering if we might have an early spring. (We can only hope, since it’s been years since we had one.) If we are lucky, boating season will be upon us soon.
Meanwhile, we continue to nest in our home, watching chickens destroy what is supposed to be a lovely yard, and I begin to realize there is work to be done out there. So here are some photos from the winter garden, taken as I poked around considering the idea of actual physical work.
What could be lovelier than winter blooming Helleborus and our native sword fern?
Cyclamen and snowdrops, ephemeral harbingers of spring.
Winter shrubs.
Euphorbia rigida getting ready to make a nice showing against this silver leaved lavender.
Next project will be to contain the chickens to the wooded area, which is big enough for them to have plenty of room. At this point, they have the run of the entire yard. That’s not going to work when tender plants begin to emerge. They can keep the Virgin free of weeds.
Oh, and the physical work? It lost out on that day. Best to have a little nap and read. I pretend to be a lady of leisure.
I still look wistfully at the variety of beautiful plants you can grow in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve got roses, lantana and crepe myrtles, that’s about it. Everything else withers in the sun out here on the prairie. Oh for snow drops and hellebores and irises peonies. *sigh*
The grass is always greener, Cidnie. I’ve tried crepe myrtles here. They languish, never bloom. Lantana? What a joke. I imagine some people could grow it in full sun if they get a plant that’s already huge, but in my garden it would just be sad. I know because I’ve tried. What’s funny is that people up here crave sun and warmth so much that there has actually been a garden movement in the last 10 years on growing tropical plants up here! Even the big leaved varieties. People have palm trees that can survive in this climate, and even I have a couple of Musa bajoo plants. It took me awhile to get them established by putting fancy protection over them in the winter. Maybe if we grow tropical plants, it will be warm? O the magic of magical thinking!