Spring peeking!

Annapolis area has plenty of deer, they say.. Lots of patchy woods and then going towards Bay Bridge, lots of old fields.

sally, well I can certainly vouch for plenty of deer at the location of my friends' yard. They're just off of Route 450 from the Naval Academy, and I've seen the evidence. It's small GROUPS of deer, 5-6 and more at a time, never single ones. This year, they've invested in a third "Scarecrow" (water operated, motion sensor device that really does work) to save some of their vegetable plants. They're definitely on the regular commuter route for deer in that area.

The town of Lexington is actually having more problems with deer than we are and we're a couple of miles out of town in the "county"! There is a herd of 20-30 deer that roam the neighborhoods in town and they've got a special task force investigating how to get rid of them. As long as they don't send them in my direction, we've got all we can handle in spite of the fact that we've allowed hunters on the property the last five years - we've told them "shoot to kill"! They were pretty successful last fall but we're still seeing damage to the trees :(

Thanks for the info on digging the Daffodils. I visited them this morning because I was curious. There was a group that hadn't bloomed yet and I suspected they might be double. Sure enough, a week later and they ARE double - not sure if I like them or not but they certainly are "interesting". And the fact that they bloom later extends the blooming season :) At another abandoned house, yes we have two in the same area - what we call the "hollow", I found shoots of Peonies this morning! Rick says they're probably "common as dirt" but I'm sure I can find a spot for them somewhere. So...in my quest to lose weight for Phoebe AND me, I've found some free plants! LOL

Have you read that a bunch of rotten eggs mixed in water and sprayed around deters deer???
Also human urine will keep them away.....get the men of your house out there....ahem....
you know.....do their thing.....


I will have some double "Tahiti" daffodils blooming soon. They are still in tight bud. It will be only their second year....but i already see several shoots where, last year, there was only one..

I have six Peonies in my Garden...Love it when they bloom!

Will post pictures, for sure...

Gita

I know rotten eggs would keep *me* out of the garden, LOL.

I'm excited to think my few Tahiti daffs might multiply! They were very cool last spring. My 'Rip vin Winkle' mini daffs in front are budding up and have definitely multiplied since last year... I planted them in clumps, and now they have formed a pretty solid ring. :-)

Those "common as dirt" peonies are probably still well worth digging... I think many of the modern hybrids have lost that wonderful fragrance the old varieties have.

Only one man in this house but since it's pretty private here I might just have to squat a few times myself near those freshly planted Hostas!!!! LOL

I agree Critter, the older Peonies are good as gold in my book. There's 3-4 Peonies that are planted at the end of the nursery driveway that I'm planning to dig soon - they're just starting to show their eyes so I've got to grab them quick. Rick told me one year to "leave them alone!" but what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? I'm just tired of seeing the State every year cutting down the sides of the road and I'm afraid one of these years they might decide to spray and then we'd lose them! By July they're "lost" in the tall grass and I want to see them someplace where I can appreciate them :)

Holly, was it you that mentioned ordering the 'Golden Lotus' Hellebore? I posted a picture above with the first bloom, but now that more have opened up I take back what I said. I thought the flowers would all face up but not so! Regardless I love the reddish edges on the yellow blooms :)

Thanks rcn, So nice to see un-doctored pics, it really is pretty. Have have 2 of them coming. Looks like some of my daffs are just about ready to open, but others are much farther behind. Well I did try to get ones that would open at different times. I need to start making more notes in my garden journal.

I've been looking at Rick's photos from yesterday and found a few more. Honestly, he's got all this expensive camera equipment and I swear my photos with my cheap little Nikon are better :) More daffodils by the front of the house.

One more Hellebore blooming. I've got to take pictures today and I'm going to try to get one of the Cherry blooming. It looks like so pretty the way it frames the gazebo and Rick's pictures of it stink! LOL

LOL, That Helle is so pretty, Can't wait till next year when most of mine should bloom.

More pictures of Spring Peeking! This the Thundercloud Cherry blooming behind the gazebo. I wish I had taken this earlier in the day with the sun shining through the tree, it was a little dark later in the day and the pink of the flowers didn't show up as well.

I love the Thundercloud, mostly because of its purple foliage in the summer but it's so pretty in the spring we decided to plant another one several years ago on the other side of the property. Blooming with a dwarf Forsythia below it.

Also blooming, Dwarf Peach 'Bonfire' http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/74857/ another one with burgundy foliage :)

Gold Heart Dicentra - hard to believe the foliage is just starting to show and I can already see flower buds!

Pulmonaria 'Trevi Fountain' blooming across the path.

I was surprised to see the Arisaema ringens already shooting up out of the ground!

Last one for this morning - Euphorbia myrsinites. Always enjoy this in the early spring but it starts looking pretty shabby by mid summer.

I took a picture of the double Daffodil I found on the abandoned lot but got too close and it's blurry. I need to take another one to show you, even though I'm not fond of the double bloomers this one is growing on me :)

Debbie, that's a nice euphorbia. Where do I get one?

Shirley, we used to grow it but I think I've seen it sold by various vendors at the plant sales. If you'd like, I can either pick one up for you and have it at GS on 05/16 or better yet if I can find a "stray" in the gardens anywhere I'll pot one up for you :)

Either way would be great Debbie. I would really like to have one. I only discovered the euphorbias last year. I don't know why I had never tried them. I do like them a lot.

I think that Euphorbia myrsinites is the one that Diane and I had a Canadian DGer pick up for us years ago. They were fairly small...mine ALL died. Debbie - is there do's and don'ts with the Euphorbias that you can suggest, please i.e. do you water them like Sedum - more less? Sadly I killed 2 of the 3 you were so sweet to share at the 08' seed swap. So I'm thinking at this point it's most certainly NOT the plants but the caretaker (ummm, me). Euphorbias might be something to help the looks of the ex-cactus patch but I'd rather not kill any more...ya know? Please and thank you...

Okay, I'll see if I can find any little babies, sometimes they pop up in the weirdest places! Otherwise I'll be on the lookout for them at the sales this spring. Rick has some planted along the road in the very worst soils and they seem to thrive there! They're a tough little plant, very drought tolerant, hate wet soils! I adore them in the early spring but they look a little shabby (straggly) after blooming so I always cut them back.

Chantell, not sure what to tell you about the Euphorbias - it was a very tough winter for the Euphorbias. I haven't counted how many I lost in the gardens but I know there's more than one that needs replacing :( I think I have a few of the E. Chameleons hanging in there and if you let me know where you might show up for one of the plant sales, I'll try to remember to throw them on board for you to pick up. Better you killing them than Rick throwing them to "compost heaven"! LOL Still waiting for the picture of the "ex-cactus patch" to see if I can help :)

Ok...I feel a little better then...thank you for saving my pride!! ^_^
Re: the cactus patch ~ I felt badly throwing that out there with you being so busy honestly - I swear when I grow up I'm going to start thinking before speaking/typing.

Now Chantell, don't you worry, just take the picture and send it to me :) No promises how soon I'll get it back to you but there are a lot of EARLY mornings when I'm at the computer and too embarassed to admit I'm up that early so I don't post! Your project would give me something to do while I'm "hiding" LOL

Ok...so you've twisted my arm... I WILL be working in the yard Sat. - haven't been out to do anything yet - causing me to twitch!! Ok...did take a peek-see this AM and guess what?!?!? Your babies aren't dead after all Debbie...one's putting up growth that purdy purplee color....yipeeee!!

Isn't it amazing how joyful you can feel when finding something alive that you had thought was dead? Really strong serious emotions for just a little bit of green.

See...you KNOW what I mean!! When I saw it I "almost" like to shed a tear (I know I'M lame)...I was THAT excited that I hadn't killed them after all. I get esp. attached to the ones given by family and my DG family - it's upsetting. And when they thrive it's extra exciting!! I was doing my side job today and couldn't resist (I drive a bit for it) stopping by a couple of nurseries. A larger Meadows Farms had 2 rows of 1/2 price 1-3 gal nursery size pots...nothing wrong with these that a little TLC wouldn't take care of. I picked up Euphorbia Helena, Russian Sage (which I've always wanted) and St. John's Wort. Then....the Euphorbia...BONFIRE - wanted that since last year. They must have just got them in...looked GREAT!!
Ok...so I've taken a picture of the ex-cactus patch - and of course everything's coming up it doesn't look nearly as bad as it did a few weeks ago...imagine that. Still missing something...asked the kids to look for some larger interesting rocks. Went to upload the pics and ummm, "Houston we have a problem" My dear sweet Chloe has inserted pennies into the card reader...ugh...gonna work on that...

I need to share my emotional moment. Yesterday was cold out side but I had to get out a see what was new peeking up. Spotted new growth, what is that? don't remember planting anything right in that spot, saw my home made tag, It said Delphinium, Black Knight. Whaaa Whoo!!!! Then today I spotted another one.!!!
I'm in delph cottage garden heaven !

WOOHOO LadyG, My moment came yesterday when we got back from our week long trip. There is just so much stuff that came up while we were away. Best thing was our Dutchman's Britches did come up. I was afraid something might have happened to them as they are usually the first thing up. RCN was right just needed a bit more time.
Second best thing is that I have 3 blooming hellebores. This is the white one I've posted a few pics of but it keeps getting more and more blooms.

This dark beauty is planted in the same bed. First bloom and more to come. When I planted most of the Hellebores I didn't really know what color they would be. So this are my first look at them.

This is the last of the Helles that are blooming right now but I think there will be more. This one is in the front bed, another first look at this beauty. I have so many plants coming up that I could spend all day posting pics. But I really want to get out there and do some early spring weeding. It's not raining yet but rather cold, damp and cloudy, don't care really want to get out there and work. Talk later.

Got to show one of my favorites

Is it possible to take too many Daffy pics????
Oh THAT'S horrible!! Yikes...I think someone else must have taken THAT nasty grainy photo...mercy please don't let it have been me!!! LOL

This message was edited Apr 6, 2009 5:00 PM

wyldeflwr, That is very pretty. I have gotten several un named Helles through trades. Then via DG Co-op more that were just marked Pine Knot Select Helleborus X hydridus but no real idea of which colors they would be. So everytime one blooms for the first time I get all excited to see what it will look like.
Here are my first Tulips of the year. Looks like something took a bite out of a few of them, some are missing their tips.

No you can never take too many Daffy Pics. LOL That's very pretty I have some similar but they aren't up yet. These will have to do for now.

And these, different varities still to come.

Holly, that is one of those Pine Knot Select Helleborus X. I purchased it two years ago, an un-named seedling. I have several others but so far, this one is the prettiest. My daughter said hers ended up being really nice. I haven't seen them. Still, they are nice plants.

I will keep my eyes open maybe I will have one like that, too.
RCN, I had the Raspberry Splash Pulmonaria last year it was a nice looking plant and good size, too. Hope it comes back this year, haven't seen it yet.

A couple from Chatham's gardens last weekend...

Wild Rose---

Would you check with Chantelle if it is Ok to move to a new page????

I have no problems--but usually some people do when it gets over 200 or so.....