March 2007

It's high time some pictures were added. Part of the delay has been that both of us have been busy bees at my Mom's apartment, fixing it up in preparation for sale and this past week was the week for the new kitchen counter and the tiling of it. And you know if you have done any tiling that it NEVER goes as fast as you'd like.

Last month there was a lot of chatter about how late the Helleborus 'Ivory Prince' was this year. While it may have been late, it is trying to make up for that with this show of floriforous profusion, it is just loaded.

Violets too are blooming to beat the band and it's plenty damp as well. It was a good morning to drag out the bulk of the slightly more tender perennials we overwintered under cover in the sideyard and let them get drenched for the next couple of days.

The purple haze has returned to the front yard. Between the Crocus, Primula and Heather, with the occasional smattering of Violets, this time of year always brings up the old Jimi Hendrix tune.

And as you can see, the Daffodils are now starting to provide a little contrast, both in colour as well as form.

While the smaller ones having been showing their bright faces for a couple of days already, the first of the bigger ones in the back are starting to add their voice to the spring symphony of colour we are about to start witnessing again in our yard.

In spite of last year's experience with HVX infected Hostas, again this year a new addition was made to our Hosta assortment with the purchase of a pack of bare roots from Costco. 'Eskimo Pie' is the latest one. It is a medio-variegated with puckered leaves, pale yellow centers and blue-green margins, none of which is visible as yet this early in the unfurling process. If indeed they are as indicated that is , wouldn't be the first time we ended up with incorrectly labeled bare root perennials from Costco.

The roots had already started sprouting in the bag when I opened it up. I wouldn't expect them to be this far along next year at this time; that is of course if we still have them and weren't forced to return them for a refund because of incorrect labeling, or clear signs of an HVX infection.

Our Hostas in the yard are just starting to show their noses. These are in the North sideyard, up near the gate. I suspect what we have here is 'Golden Tiara', we'll know for sure in another week or so I would think. This part of the bed got dug over late last fall and all the roots were lifted at that time and didn't necessarily go back exactly where they came from.

There are plenty more Hosta noses poking up. I saw some 'Guacamole', both in pots as well as in a bed, 'Blue Mouse Ears' - including one with three shoots on last year's single division - as well as some others I just cannot recall at the moment.

There may have been -and is- a 'Blue Mouse Ears' with 3 shoots on it, how about this one with FIVE! Remember, last year's purchase was of a single plant that was divided late summer into three divisions, this is one of them...

Lilies of course are another plant we keep around our yard with a degree of profusion. These 3 here, if I'm not mistaken, are either 'Lady Alice' or 'White Henryi'. And they may in fact be both here....

The remaining Echinecea root is coming along as you can tell, but I think we'll leave it alone for this year. We'll see if we can swap for some other Echinecea colours during the year to expand our perennial collection, preferably something in the fragrant varieties.

Our 'Mouse plant', or Arisarum proboscideum, has done quite nicely over the last month. Nice healthy green foliage, love the form of the leaf, and the first of the flowers are but days away at this point.

Trillium ovatum have been in bloom for a few days now, Sunday morning the 18th was the first opportunity I had for taking a snap.

Chinodoxia forbesii I believe is what this cute little flower is called. We have them naturalizing quite nicely in the front garden bed.