The Spirit of Spring

I've gotten a lot done in the front yard over the last week or so. My new front beds are cleared out and almost everything is showing some signs of life - even the daffodils and tulips from Van Bourgondien. The center island is definitely going to be a challenge, but I got that cleared today and removed the 2 rotting barrels from the middle. I uncovered a bunch of tags for perennials I don't recognize, so it will be interesting to see if anything new comes up this year now that the juniper is gone. The found tags include Sweet William Dianthus Barbaratus, Veronica Latifolia, Agastache Pink Panther, Stachys Helene von Stein and Gazania Kiss Mix.

I also planted some spinach in the empty bed on the north side of the house where the row of hydrangeas were, and some sugar snap peas in one of the planters on the deck. None of the zinnia and cosmo seeds I planted downstairs last week have germinated, and neither have the tomatoes. I bought a bunch of other herb seeds and some impatiens, but I'm going to have to wait on those since my tables in the basement are full at the moment.

It's so tough to wait for my new beds to take shape out front, but that's all I can do at this point. I'm showing some restraint and not ordering any summer bulbs until I see how full things get.

Here are my "white" crocuses from VB:

First Crocus

I'm still in shock that my first crocus opened today. I'll have a bunch more within the next few days. So far I haven't seen any signs of the new tulips and daffodils I planted, although some of the old transplants are getting taller. I planted State Fair and Jazzy zinnia seeds in the basement this week, along with cosmos. Tomorrow I have some moon flowers seeds to plant, and I'm planning a day outside cleaning out beds and clearing some fallen limbs and debris. It's supposed to be 70 - this is March?

Signs of Life

Spring is just around the corner and the gardening bug is biting me hard. My basement garden is getting a bit out of control, and I'm really anxious to move things outside. And the snow in the front yard is almost melted and I saw bulbs poking up today, finally!

My one concern is the new front bed along the driveway. John got a new (actually a very old) snowplow truck this winter, and after our last whopper of a storm he piled most of the snow along this front bed. It's still about 4-feet high at the tallest point, and I have tulips and daffodils under there. Grr. We have already talked about alternative snow moving options for next year. We're supposed to get a few days of rain so hopefully that will take care of the bulk of the snow.

In other good news, my front walk has withstood its first harsh winter here. All the stones are still in place and my walls and plantings are where they should be. Most of the perennials I planted/transplanted are showing signs of new growth as well.

Some long overdue pictures are below.

The basement garden includes ancho, marconi and jalapeno peppers, cilantro, mint, and a ton of mother of thyme that will be planted throughout the front walk. I recently seeded Penstemon Rocky Mountain Blue and Gallardia Arizona Sun and they're not sprouting for me. I also have 2 kinds of zinnia seeds, 2 kinds of cosmos and moonflowers waiting to be seeded (thanks Terry!).

Giant crocus along the front walk: