"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The garden didn't go on vacation.

The first thing I usually do when we've been gone is to see how things are looking in the backyard. It's surprising what changes can take place in 4 or 5 days. We were lucky to come home to some mild temperatures and even a peek of the sun. While we were gone though I heard we had some strong winds and quite a bit of rain which made me more anxious to see how things were looking outside. I'm always a little worried that a tree or fence may have blown over or that a raccoon has punctured a hole in the pond liner and it will be empty. Luckily aside from a few small things blowing off our deck everything looked good.

The first thing I noticed on my way outside was that the Amaryllis 'Piquant' bloomed. There are 4 lightly scented flowers on the stalk. What a nice way to be greeted.

I found Primroses blooming in Sweet Pea's garden. She planted these all last winter and even in all the shade they're in, they have quite a few flowers.

The heavenly scent of the Sarcococca ruscifolia carried across the yard, it took me a minute to realize what I was smelling. When we left they had just started to bloom and the scent wasn't that strong.

Even more exciting are that the Hellebores 'Royal Heritage' are blooming! Isn't it beautiful?

Another 'Royal Heritage'. I found these a few years ago at a grocery store and found 3 plants inside the one gallon container. The third one hasn't bloomed yet this year.

One more Primrose along the path is getting ready to bloom. I'd seen Primroses at the store recently but thought it was too early to plant them. I guess if the Primroses in my yard are already blooming it might not be too early to add some new ones.

While outside I thought I'd see if anything was happening with the winter sowing I had started a week earlier. I was very surprised to see that the Dwarf Morning Glory from Lona had already sprouted!
I'm sure glad that while we were gone enjoying ourselves the garden didn't take a break.
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39 comments:

  1. Oh this is so wonderful! I'm so envy! :) Here in this parts of the PNW is just cold cold and dreary days... ahhhhhh! I’m so desperate for flowers....

    Enjoy your garden!

    cielo

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  2. Oh, those hellebores, Catherine! I feel instantly better, just looking at them. It's cold and dreary here AGAIN today and this just warmed my heart.

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  3. What a lovely welcome home greeting from your Amaryllis and garden. The first full blown open Hellebores I have seen this year! Lucky you Catherine! Lucky us that you share your blooms! Happy Gardening!

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  4. SweetPea must be so excited to see the Primroses in her garden. Your garden is always full of life and color, even in the middle of winter :-)

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  5. Since I just finished reading about San Francisco, and now see that you have spring at home, I am just plain jealous, period! :-) The primroses are too sweet, and no slug damage, amazing! Those are choice hellebores too, a lucky find! :-)
    Frances

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  6. Joining Frances in being jealous!!! It's definitely spring in your garden Catherine. Those hellebores are gorgeous! I've never seen them for sale in the grocery stores here ~ I WISH!! I'm going to go check on mine today. :-)
    The primroses sure are colorful too. I don't have any of this kind. You know I love your Amaryllis ~ is this the one that was so slow to get going or another? Glad it's blooming for you and that the garden didn't go on vacation. We need it to hold us over to spring I think!

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  7. Don't you just love the Hellebores? I still have to uncover several of mine that I blanketed with lives over winter. My primroses are just started to show again. I like your idea of getting more, though ;)

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  8. Those hellebores look awesome! I think I'm going to try some this year :D

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  9. I'm in North Florida and I'm joining the others in being jealous Catherine. Everything looks beautiful and what a great way to be greeted upon returning home.

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  10. You are a few weeks ahead of us here. Can't wait to see my hellebores. Still looking for saracocca....

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  11. I love your hellebores. I'm a bit green over your lovely gardens. They are so lush and full of beauty.

    FlowerLady

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  12. It looks like you had a great trip to San Francisco, but what a joy to come back to flowers in bloom!

    My hellebores are peeping out, but everything else still looks to be a bit of a soggy mess after all the snow :(

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  13. How I envy your lonnnnnng growing season there.
    I love primroses, I just planted my first few last year so I am hoping they return this spring..

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  14. Hi Catherine, What a treat to see these colorful blooms in your winter garden! So pretty and gets me in the mood for Spring to hurry up. I am seeing a little growth on a few plants but my Hellebores are not blooming yet. Yours are so very nice. Tell Sweet Pea, I love her primroses.

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  15. Catherine, Your hellebores and primroses are just beautiful! Your Pacific NW garden looks so much different than my Midwestern one - yesterday the trees were coated with hoarfrost and today we had freezing rain and they're covered with ice. I even have icicles hanging on my birdfeeder.
    Beth, Beyond the Garden Gate
    http://beyondthegardengate-beth.blogspot.com

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  16. That is a great welcome home. Oh how beautiful. Love the amyrilis. My mom is giving me a couple of hers.

    Sweet Pea's primroses are so pretty.

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  17. Lovely photos, I wish my garden looked like yours, mine is covered in snow, (ice today). Cute little white dog.

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  18. Judging by the beautiful and colorful Primroses, I'd say Sweet Pea has what it takes to be a very good gardener.

    donna

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  19. Wow, those Hellebores are beautiful. Looks like Sweet Pea is doing a great job with her primroses....

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  20. That hedge of Saracocco looks good and I bet smells great

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  21. I loved reading about your Hellebores because it gives me something to look forward to in the next few months. I forgot I planted some of those in the new garden last spring.

    Thank you for being a part of my Garden Network on blogger!

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  22. The Amaryllis is just stunning. Your garden seems to be in full bloom all the time and I love that. We have problems with raccoons here as well so I'm glad there wasn't any major damage.

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  23. Loved seeing all the San Francisco plants. And today's blooms are beautiful. Your recent posts inspired me to try winter sowing and feed my hellebores. Now I'll have to add primroses to the list!

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  24. I can't believe you already have all this in your yard! As I type it is hailing and raining very loudly. And I worked so in the garden today. Afraid it is going to pummel everything!
    Brenda

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  25. Catherine,
    So jealous of Sweet peas primroses! I have one that is at least ten years old I posted photos of it blooming last year. Bought a scented yellow primrose(in house plants) at Home Depot but I'm not sure it is winter hardy or not.

    Oh You won our contest please advise shipping?

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  26. Primroses already? They are lovely, so bright and cheery. You've convinced me to try Sweetbox. It sounds wonderful. I love your Hellebores too. The colors are really rich.

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  27. Vacation? Ha! We had about four weeks of actual winter this year. Now while nice for us the garden is much to awake for this time of year. Shoot, when I saw you Amarylis I actually thought it might be a lily! If we don't get a snow, frost or something it looks like it might be a fat summer in the garden.

    Sweet Pea's primroses are lovely by the way. Please, tell her for me. :-)

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  28. Catherine, your Hellebores are so beautiful! Mine are still covered with snow so I'll have to wait a bit longer for that. Sweet Pea's primroses are lovely too. I bet she's happy to see them bloom.

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  29. Hi Catherine, these are fantastic photos! Lovely close-ups.

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  30. Catherine your hellebores are so beautiful.Don't you just love the bright colors in primroses.They are such a cheery flower.

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  31. Catherine,
    Your Hellebores are so lovely. Last year I planted 2 similar varieties, 'Elegance White', with purple spotting, though it is a double, and a single, deep dark 'PDN Purple' variety. I am so looking forward to their flowers!

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  32. Well I think it's official now, you've had something blooming in your gardens all year long. How exciting. Glad nothing much was hurt from the wind. I bought Primroses last year for the first time guess I'll check them. Your Hellebores are looking good - don't see any sign of mine.

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  33. Now that's a real welcome to come home to Catherine. It's always a source of amazement, just how much can happen in the garden, when you are away for a few days.

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  34. It's always nice to get home and walk round the garden to see how everything is doing. That dark hellebore is lovely

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  35. The hellebore is pretty, and what an amazing photo!

    Jealous you have so many signs of spring!!

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  36. Is it that time of year already? When I drool over your Hellebores? Thanks for the reminder to get some- I'm glad I didn't plant any in my Portland home last year- It would have been sad to leave them! I just love the 'Royal Heritage'- just beautiful! I think your post needs to be my 'dig' of the week!

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  37. Wonderful pictures, now I'll try even harder to keep my primroses going til planting season. Love the dark hellebores too. :)

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  38. The Larkspur foliage looks so similar to Anemone- I would have gotten it confused easily! I've wanted to start some from seed- now I know what they look like, thanks Catherine :)

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  39. that hellebore is something special indeed. I love the deep burgundy in the centre. Wow there must be some aroma along that garden path with all your Saracococoa there.

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