One project checked off the list!

It has been a busy time out in the garden, but we now have one project checked off our list. One of the beds along the fence in back needed to be enlarged a bit. The curve was too severe, and I could use more room for flowers. We had to remove the existing sand stone bricks carefully so the wildflowers I have growing would not be disturbed.
After moving the bed out from the fence and redesigning the curve, I filled in the new area with a mixture of top soils.
I was really pleased with the new look..now on to plants!
Behind this little gate are larkspurs getting ready to put out their buds. I seeded these in fall with heirloom seeds given to me by a special friend. I have never grown these flowers before, but know they will get really tall so I needed something short for the front..and something that can take really hot sun. Traveling to a couple of garden centers I found one of my favorites already in stock--Blackfoot Daisies. Perfect!
In front of the verbena I planted (close to the edge) Laura Bush Petunias (also given to me by a special friend!) Hopefully they will spill out over the bricks and not interfere with the verbena.
I can just picture the tall colorful Larkspurs behind the Blackfoots!
And since we are visiting this area--how about those Blue-
bonnets! Yum!!!!
Happy Spring everyone--have a wonderful weekend!

Blooming Surprise!

One of the biggest blooming surprises of "almost spring" is my purple Homestead Verbena. I planted a few plants last year, and really paid no attention to them this winter. About a month ago I noticed the plants looked pretty green considering our cold winter, and about 2 weeks ago I noticed buds. Now as I go out to check this bed, I see purple blooms all over!
Homestead Verbena is a perennial and should overwinter, but I read that some gardeners did lose their plants because of the colder than normal weather. This pretty purple flowering plant is a rampant grower. It likes full sun and endured our hot dry summer with no problems at all. Once it starts to flower in spring, it should flower right up to the first frost. It does have a rather woody look, but will fill in an area quite nicely. I love the way it spills over the stones around the flower bed.
Actually, I did not realize this verbena had spread as much as it has--I see shades of purple growing right in between the almost blooming bluebonnets. In summer, I have rudbeckia blooming in this area-the deep purple with that golden yellow is really pretty.
So..2 thumbs up for the purple Homestead Verbena! Don't you think it would look pretty in your garden?

New Window Box

Remember these-my 2 beautiful window boxes? Well--they fell apart! Of course the cold weather made it impossible to keep plants in the winter, but this year the boxes literally went to pieces. Time for something new!
My wonderful hubby made the last boxes and was eager to make something new, but this time he decided to make one box-and NOT attach it to the house. Making the box was easy, deciding what to do about legs was the tough part. We looked and looked and decided to buy these rustic plant stands and just sit the box on top of them. You know how I love the old rusty look anyway, so I thought it was a perfect idea, but hubby is not 100% pleased so the legs may end up changing eventually. The box is made out of cedar, so it will age and get that old seasoned look that I love.
I went to Lowe's and Home Depot yesterday for mulch, so I decided to buy a few things for the new window box. (yes, I know we will probably get another freeze, but I can easily cover the plants!) I planted coleus, creeping jenny, begonia, dusty miller, and added a few sprigs from a green wandering jew. The box is far from complete, as I will add a few things here and there, but at least it is a start.
My sister gave me the cutest herb markers for my birthday last fall, and even though I can't grow herbs in this box (too shady) I thought I would add the markers for some whimsy.
Thyme....
Sage...
Parsley... These markers may move to the herb garden later in the spring, but for now they look pretty happy here in the new window box. The cost of the new box was very minimal, just 3 boards and the plants stands which I found at an import store--the labor and love that went into making it------priceless !!! Thanks hubby!

Leaving Spring at home....

For a few days last week we left the spring like weather behind and headed for a family get together in Colorado. No spring here yet...but lots and lots of SNOW! This is the house we rented in Breckenridge.
The house was in a very picturesque setting and so convenient to the gondola for those wanting to get to the ski lifts.

The first day we got there it was clear, but the next evening it started to snow quite a bit--and by Friday things were really snow covered.

Hubby and I are not skiers...
..but we sure enjoy taking care of little snow bunnies!
More fun in the snow came from snow mobiles! Have you ever ridden one? It was soooo much fun. I was a little nervous, but it was not hard and the scenery was breathtaking!
Hubby and I go to Colorado almost every year, but only in summer. We have never gone in winter, and we have never seen any snow but Texas snow-- so this trip was quite an experience for us. Not only did we get to be with our kids and grandson, we got to experience the mountains we love so much covered in beautiful white snow. It was hard to say goodbye and come home.
But we left winter behind and came home to "almost Spring" in Texas. More daffs were blooming, the tulips were starting to appear, the pansies looked happy and recovered from our harsh cold spell--spring is certainly on the way.

Sweetest Little Tulips!

Aren't these the cutest little flowers? They are "Full House" tulips from Brent and Becky's bulbs. They were planted in December after chilling in the frig a few weeks.
I don't plant a lot of tulips--you know, they just don't return, but I always try a few for that early spring show. These little cuties are really early. I saw them poking through the ground right before our ice and snow. I mulched them really good, and when the sun came back out, they started to grow.
What a cheery sight to look out and see these red and white flowers blooming among all the brown of winter! I think they are the sweetest little tulips I have ever seen!

The First Daffodil

As I was cleaning up outside yesterday and dead-
heading the sad looking pansies, I saw a bright glimmer of hope for things to come: the first daffodil of the season. I have really been worried about spring blooms after our record breaking lows from the past few weeks. I lost some of the pansies in containers, a few snapdragons, and all of the kale. These plants usually do fine in our winter weather, but these Arctic fronts have taken their toll on Texas plants this year.
I was starting to see bulbs poking up before the fronts paid us a visit, but not realizing how really cold it would get, I wasn't worried. It was after it started to thaw up a bit I noticed all the freezer burn on the foliage. I wrote Southern Bulbs and asked what they thought about the daffs and tulips here in the Dallas area. The answer was:
"Your daffodils and tulips should be fine and bloom for you this spring (although the foliage was covered in ice and snow for 4 days). The most important thing is that the daffodils and tulips were not budding or in bloom when the freezing weather came and sat down on Dallas/Fort Worth. Damaged foliage can recover from freezing those temperatures, but a bud/blossom cannot. So, expect healthy daffodil and tulip blooms this spring!"
Such good news!! But pessimistic me was still rather skeptical..until I saw this pretty little flower nodding in the breeze. I am now seeing more buds on the daffodils, and I do see a few tulips starting to come up. It was lots of work planting the bulbs, and the disappointment of not having their spring show made me really sad--but looks like my harbingers of spring are ok after all.

Cabin Fever

This has been the scene at our house since Tuesday. No pretty fluffy snow--just raw, cold ICE! We had to break through the ice on top of the pond to reset the pump when the power went out. (well...that would be hubby bless his heart!) I made my soup, I made cookies, I drank hot tea, I cleaned one closet and the pantry--need to get those seeds planted, but oh I have cabin fever! I know the weather is bad just about everywhere, and much worse than ours--and I know all of you are ready to get outside and get those hands dirty. I didn't know what to do, so decided to get the latest book I bought and read. But this was really not the "latest" book--it was very old.
Last week I went to half priced books (love that store!) and finally found a copy of "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. You know, the book you read as a child. I was so excited as this one was illustrated by the late Tasha Tudor, one of my favorite people! Let me tell you, if you have not read this book in a while-or if you have never read it, go as soon as you can and get a copy. Yes, it is written for young adults, but that is quite ok. You will love it. It takes you to a place of excitement and serenity. I cannot recommend it more. If you need something to do on one of these cold winter days, read The Secret Garden..you will be glad you did!

"...she was inside the wonderful garden and she could come through the door under the ivy any time and she felt as if she had found a world all her own."

NEWS FLASH!!

Hey y'all--I thought I would give you an update on the weather. They told us we would have a "dusting" of snow over night...this is what the "dusting" turned into!!