Promises, promises.

I've been noticing that my garden is already making promises to me. As I work to cleanup and cutback perennials and rake leaves I see signs of new flowers to come already. The Grape hyacinth foliage is sprouting to remind me not to dig there as I search for an empty spot for bulbs. Foxglove seedlings are nice and sturdy, and should be ready to bloom early next summer. Verbena bonariensis and other perennials are getting nice seed heads that will sprinkle new plants throughout the garden. Buds are setting on many of my spring flowering shrubs like the Lilacs and Winter Daphne.

My Pieris japonica 'Purity' is full of flower buds that will open to show beautiful white flowers in spring.

The Camellia Japonicas are developing lots of buds as well.

Rhododendrons are getting their flowers set so we can enjoy the gorgeous reds and purples they share in spring.

Hellebores (Helleborus orientalis) have new growth coming up already and I even see flower buds in some of them, which does actually seem a little early. The Corsican Hellebores (Helleborus corsicus) are beginning to form flower buds as well.

I've finished planting my bulbs and have made the squirrels promise they won't dig them up. So far they are keeping it, although they wouldn't put anything in writing. I kept a promise to myself that I would get those bulbs planted this fall and I don't want them interfering with my vision of pretty groupings of tulips, crocuses and alliums in spring.

It's these promises from the garden that will get me through the months of winter. I just hope that we don't have a winter that will cause any of my plants to break their promise.