Where does the time go? Where did winter fly to? It seems like one day it was snowy and freezing, and the next it was spring and the daffodils were popping up everywhere! And with that, my gardening life kicked into high gear. And my blogging life slowed to nothing. I've been meaning to blog about all the wonderous things that started happening around here when spring started but I just got too busy. But no excuses, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is here, courtesy of Carol at May Dreams Gardens. So it's time to take stock of my blooming pretties, check out some other blooming pretties at Carol's blog, and share with you a daffodil "rescue" I did recently. Hopefully you won't mind a few blooms from a couple of weeks ago that I really meant to share with you.

This year I bought several (okay, quite a few) bulbs from Old House Gardens and I splurged on this little baby, a species tulip, Tulipa clusiana. Because these are so dear, I put a few in my stock tank and a few on my hard-to-please hillside, for insurance purposes in case they didn't like one or the other spots. These are the first to bloom and they're in the stock tank. They seem very happy here but the ones on the hillside are coming along too.

Oh yes, Virginia, I do plan to try my hand at growing peonies in the South. One baby step at a time though. Not technically a bloom, but thrilling to me nonetheless.

Staying with the bulb theme, these starflowers are real keepers as they seem very hardy.

I don't know the variety of most these daffs but the top left is 'Jetfire' and the bottom right is 'Ice Follies'. And speaking of 'Ice Follies' ...

Last spring at the Jonquil Jubilee in Gibsland, I plunked down a dollar for a raffle ticket. The prize? 1,000 'Ice Follies' daffodils planted whereever you liked. Lo and behold, I won! Of course, I wondered what on earth I was going to do with all of them and then I realized - I live on a corner lot and I really should share these with the neighborhood. So last fall, Will Baker came out and planted them (something I never could have done myself!). I can't really tell if there's a thousand there, and I don't really care! This variety is supposed to be really good for naturalizing in this area, and I've found out they last a long time in a vase. I hope they spread out and more people in my neighborhood will plant some!

Here's some of the work we've been doing. Husband moved my bird bath to put a little stock tank pond in (tank is awaiting leveling). Leveling is hard to do! Pam has generously offered me a division of one of her miniature water lilies, so Pam, the pond is ready! And in exchange, I'm giving Pam some of the daffodils I rescued from an old house.

A co-worker lives near this old house and told me about the many varieties of daffodils blooming there. When I showed interest in them, he kindly found the owner and asked if we could dig a few daffs up. The owner's son agreed (the owner is 100 years old!) and we had a really interesting time looking and digging. I think it was a grand old house at one time.

Pine trees, privet and other "weeds" had invaded the property, but the daffs were still along a drive, near the house, and in the culvert.

I'm just learning my daffodils but I think we saw Lent lilies (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), 'Butter and Eggs', 'Grand Primo' (or else 'Early Girl'), campernelles and 'Sweeties' (sometimes called 'Louisiana Sweeties' or 'Sweetness'). Pam - I dug some Lent lilies for you.

As Texans go wildflower peeping and Northeasterners go leaf peeping, I go daffodil peeping in early spring.

OK, Duba doesn't have anything to do with blooms but I thought he was cute.

Please visit Carol's blog to see what other new spring beauties abound (in the northern hemisphere at least)!

This post was written by Jean McWeeney for my blog Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog. Copyright 2010. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

Bountiful Blue blueberry

Happy New Year everyone! Do you make any resolutions for the coming year of what you want to do in your garden? I rarely make resolutions and I certainly don't make any for my garden. I figure I don't need the added stress of not keeping a resolution! What do you do this time of year in your garden? Are you in it or just thinking about it? This time of year I'm usually just waiting and watching, wondering what will be starting to come up next and wondering how the garden will change.

How do you like this blueberry? Such beautiful leaves. This is my first try at blueberries and judging by these leaves, I don't really care if I don't get any fruit. The leaves on this Bountiful Blue are gorgeous.

 

Time to rake!

Just before the holiday festivities I meant to do a post on all the lovely fall colors. I had forgotten how the oak leaves wait until December to really glow. But time slipped away from me and I never blogged about it. The day we got home from holiday travels ALL the leaves had dropped at once and now we've got some serious raking to do!

 

Drumstick allium leaves

Today, this first day of the new year, I decided to look for the new. There are a few new leaves pushing up, including these drumstick alliums. When I ordered them this fall, the good folks at Old House Gardens emailed to make sure I wanted drumstick alliums. They're really not supposed to do well south of Zone 7 and I'm in Zone 8a. So I'm sure they were wondering if I knew what I was doing. Well, maybe I don't, but these guys do want to grow!

 

Dandelion blooms

Looks like the weeds want to grow too (my Greek grandmother-in-law probably wouldn't consider this a weed!).

 

Baby kale - Nero Toscano variety

I have some young greens coming up as well. Can't wait for the kale to grow up.

 

Lettuce

Last winter and this, I've used a seed tape of mixed lettuces to get a crop. I really like it as there's less waste. And lots of beautiful lettuces as well.

 

Flowering quince

Surprise, surprise, the quince has opened its first bud on this New Year's day.

 

Red Cascade miniature climbing rose on trellis

The Red Cascade climber has also surprised me with a few blooms.

 

Sweet pea

Finally, my sweet peas are coming up! This year I'm trying bird netting tacked to the ground and the fence. I hope this works.

 

Savannah holly

The Savannah hollies look pretty good this year and are full of berries. The mockingbirds won't eat them until later on in winter, giving me more time to enjoy them myself.

 

Titmouse

Of course, one of my favorite "watching" activities this time of year is bird watching. The white-throated sparrows and juncos have returned. And the goldfinches are here early (only they didn't want to appear on cue for me). Could the indigo buntings and rose-breasted grosbeaks be far behind? Guess I'll just have to wait and watch.