Should we know better by now? YES!
Just when we get excited about Spring, a freak winter storm blows in and reminds us (once again) that we are not in charge!
Photo left: when the storm was at an almost white-out stage, April 10
Photos below: the morning after…
I had already taken the burlap off the boxwood hedges before the weekend snowstorm. I hope I will not regret it!
It’s times like this I’m reminded that it’s a good idea to keep a garden journal! Obviously, relying on my memory from year’s past isn’t the best plan. If I had taken the time to go over the photos taken last year, I might have been more patient with the Spring cleanup.
Based on photos taken last Spring, we seem to be ahead of last year.
This photo was taken from the greenhouse window last year on April 14. As you can see, there was still lots of snow on the ground.
This is another photo taken from inside the greenhouse on April 22, 2020. You may notice that the burlap is still on the boxwood hedges.
I didn’t take the burlap off the boxwood until April 25 last year…20 days later than this year!
Over the winter I started visualizing ways to change up the garden beds. Because everything is fairly established, the only ideas I thought would work is moving around some of the pots and decorative structures I’ve had in the same spot for years.
Inevitably, I encountered broken pots, some of which I love (for sentimental reasons) and don’t want to replace. This has meant patching cement urns (needs touch-up paint), glueing cracked pieces of a fibreglass pot (also needs repainting), and spray painting terracotta urns. My hands are now stained with a glue/dirt mix and black spray paint!
The forecast is for a few days of lovely, warm temperatures so out I go with the rest of the worker bees…there is so much more to do!
How is your garden looking?
xox Judy
You’re not alone on the cracks and damage to urns and pots Judy, but it looks like you’ve been working very hard. With this third waive, and no vaccine for me yet, I have started another clean up of leaves in my flower beds that fell after the final clean up in the fall. I am so out of shape from sitting too much over the winter, I have to take it in small doses. That’s ok, looks like I will have a lot of time to spend in my yard!
It was hard to resist an early uncovering, but I am still trying to pull gunny sack from around some perennials in the shade where it is still frozen to the ground. Now I’m looking forward to what has survived.
When do you typically start planting bulbs in your pots?
Hi Karen, I don’t plant bulbs in the spring… just tulips and allium in the fall. I have planted dahlias in pots and that worked out very well. I had ordered the tubers in early spring and started them in smaller pots in the greenhouse until it was warm to plant outdoors. I would think, that you should be able to plant summer flowering bulbs after the last frost date… Enjoy these warm days in the garden.❤️xox Judy
Hi Judy, the good news is that your greenhouse and garden are an absolute treasure no matter what the weather is like! I’m starting to see my rhubarb emerging and it looks like my perennial lavender survived another winter🤗👏. I’ve got my beautiful gardening apron, that I purchased from your online boutique (miss it sooooo much!), ready to put into action. Of course, I’ll never wear it to do any really dirty work…it’s too pretty for that! I’ve purchased quite a few strawberry plants which are currently camping out in the garage until it’s warm enough to plant outdoors….makes me feel like my garden has started already! Stay safe and enjoy watching your garden grow! Hugs, Karen xo
Hi Karen, it sounds like your garden is well on it’s way too! Another follower has asked what variety of lavender that you grow. If you know, would you please share that information. The lavender hedge that I planted last year is looking fairly good, there may be a few that didn’t make it, but it looks promising. The variety I planted was Munstead which is hardy up to zone 3. xox Judy❤️
I keep reminding myself of our big freeze last year on May 10, but we seem to be so “far ahead” this year, I have not resisted well, so planting in the potager is well underway with the “early” crops. Peas are 3″ tall, the sweet peas are beginning to climb their supports. It seems ALL the tulips, early, mid, and late have decided to bloom at once, and the daffodils are nearly finished…nearly a month earlier than last year. Every spring is different.
Hi Carolee, your garden must be looking amazing! I have no tulips up yet…my front garden faces north so it’s not surprising. The alliums are also planted in the front but are in a sunnier location so I’m hoping for a sighting any day now! I want to start sowing seeds in containers soon too, however, there is still snow in our forecast for next week! Thank you for sharing your garden progress. xox Judy❤️
Would love to know what lavender your other “Karen” follower planted, that survived our winter?
Sorry for my late reply Judy….Yes it was a shock to have that snowfall but as you say we seem to get some late snow inevitably! I hope your Boxwood’s are safe, they got a great deal of moisture and a few warm days following last week’s snow so they may be fine. I’m only in the stages of balcony clean up, nothing planted indoors this year yet. By this time I usually enjoy planting a few seeds, and have them ready to go outside in May….maybe a trip to the Greenhouse is what the Dr ordered!
Looking forward as always to seeing your garden plans come to fruition…
Catherine
xo
Hi Catherine, Thankfully the boxwood seems to have come through the last snowfall completely unscathed! It’s hard not to get too enthusiastic when the weather is so beautiful like it was this past week. I have resisted the temptation to dig around too much…especially since there is still snow in the long-range forecast. Like you, I have been doing a lot of cleaning up and “visualizing” about what could be for the coming season. Enjoy your beautiful patio! xox Judy❤️
Hi Judy, thank you so much for sharing the information about your lavender…I will definitely plant some Munstead this summer and see how it winters! For the other Karen (another “EB” mum I recall😉…nice to chat with you!), I’m so sorry 😢but I’m not sure which type I have (my labels were tossed in the fall garage cleanup🥴), although I think it may be “Hidcote” for some reason. I do know that I bought it at either the Creekside or Ellerslie garden stores. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope that we’re all catching a scent of lavender in our garden sometime soon! Hugs, Karen xo
Thank you Karen…I will send this information on to the “other” Karen! xox Judy❤️
Thank you Karen and Judy for passing on the info. on the lavender plants. I always put lavender in pots, but will be nice to have some to try in the ground. I will be watching out for them, but if either of you see them at a greenhouse, please let me know. I hope our greenhouses have a better supply than last year.
You’re so welcome Karen and Judy! I always have lavender in pots on the deck by the patio dining table as well because I’ve heard that mosquitoes don’t like the smell of lavender. I will definitely let you know if I see the perennial lavender and please let me know as well…us “lavender ladies” have to stick together😂! Take care and stay safe, Karen xo
Thank you Karen, I saw both varieties at Greenland last week. ❤️xox Judy
What’s up with the weather Judy! I’ve had to recover perennials that were up already.
Hi Karen, fingers crossed that everything will survive! xox Judy❤️
Thank you so much for letting me know Judy! I think I know where I’m headed this weekend😉. After today’s snow and cold though it looks like I’ll have to put them in the garage next to my strawberries until the weather gets warmer…good ol’ Edmonton🥴. Karen xo
Hi Karen…burrrr…..what else can you say! Good luck! xox Judy❤️