February Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

It's hard to believe we're half way through February already and it's time for another bloom day post.  With all the work we've been doing in our front yard I've barely had a chance to look at anything else in the garden.  I did look back at last February's bloom day post and saw that Camellias and Daffodil Tete-a-tetes were already blooming.  Quite a few plants are behind right now.  We've had heavy rain and wind the last few days and now there is the possible chance of snow this week.  It seems as the snow is starting to melt on the East coast that it's now getting colder and wetter on the West coast.  Next week is when we hope to make lots of progress on the front yard and I sure hope the weather will cooperate, but I guess there's not a lot I can do about it.

 Hellebore 'Red Lady' blooms in a wine barrel.

 Iris reticulatas caught me by surprise even though they are right on time.

 Pulmonarias will be blooming for at least another month.  I love everything about this plant.

 Crocuses also surprised me.  I moved lots of them as I rearranged the front bed, they are in a much better spot now instead of under plants and behind trees.  These purple ones are the only ones blooming though so far.

 This poor Anemone blanda has gotten quite beat up by all the walking over/on it.

And of course Pansies are blooming all over the place.

Also blooming still are the Sarcococcas, double Hellebores, Primroses and Violas.
Join Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what she and other gardeners around the world have blooming today or to join in with your own blooms.

What have we here?

We were lucky enough to have another dry day and even some sun peeking out on Saturday.  After watching a very close and nerve-wracking basketball game of Sweet Pea's (they won!), we hurried home to be able to enjoy the weather.  It was so mild that it felt more like early spring than the middle of winter.  While I started cleaning up the shed garden and around the pond both of the girls worked on the fairy garden, giving it a little "updating".  Sweet Pea showed me the 2 inch tall Japanese Maple "sapling" that she planted in the tiniest terra cotta pot I've seen.  The little pot is only about 1 1/2 inches tall itself, perfect for fairies to tend.  She plans to do a post on it soon, her blog is listed in the PNW garden blogroll.
I walked around the path garden looking for bulbs that may have popped up and found a really nice surprise...

One of the Pulmonarias has begun to flower!  This tagless one was rescued from the nursery a couple of years ago, this is the first time it's bloomed.

Even though it's only January the path is already starting to get the look of spring.  The Pink Flowering Currant's (Ribes sanguineum) buds are growing more each day, Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) is greening up and the scent of Sarcococca/Sweet Box carries across the yard.  Can you see the Tete-a-tete Daffodils coming up?

Old-fashioned Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis) are emerging.

The Fairies have hung their door at the bottom of the giant Ponderosa Pine and are busy getting the garden ready for spring.  The green coming up at the bottom of the picture are Bluebells, we have lots and lots of them ☺.

Fairies lounging by the pond.

And fairies hiding in the shed garden.  This little area is becoming one of my favorite parts of the shed garden.  This is a Flowering Currant 'King Edward VII' with Epimedium and Hellebore 'Blue Lady' growing nearby.  Epimedium has done so well in my dry shade that I plan to pick a few more up this year.

I found an interesting post on Cliff Mass' weather blog (he's a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington) talking about what has happened with the La Nina winter we were predicted to have here in the Pacific Northwest (a prediction of increased snowfalls and colder temperatures than we've had in many years).  As most of us have noticed that live here, aside from snowing a few times, the weather doesn't seem that unusual compared to most winters here.  His blog is always interesting and if you live around here it's a great one to check out.

Fresh greens.

One color that there is always a lot of here is green.  From the green of the large evergreens around us down to the soggy green moss that seems to be carpeting everything.  If the forecasters are correct in predicting a "snow event" in the next few days the green will once again be covered with snow.  I've hardly had a chance to enjoy seeing what's growing since the snow melted and now it may be covered again.  I was pretty excited when I went outside yesterday to see all the activity that's been taking place in the garden.  There are bulbs beginning to sprout and the flowerbuds on the Flowering Currants are swelling.  Green was everywhere, and not just the usual evergreens, but fresh new green that reminded me that spring will eventually be here.

Almost all of the Hellebores have flowers coming up.

Daffodils, Bluebells and Crocuses are making their way through the soil.

Every year I'm surprised at how early the Pulmonarias have buds on them.  I love this plant, it blooms early and stays in bloom for a long time.  It also reseeds giving me new plants to spread around.

The Flowering Currant 'King Edward VII' which was new last year has lots of buds on it.  In front there is Epimedium and Hellebore.

Acorus has been a great evergreen addition to the front entry garden.

Moss and lichen are flourishing on the old wood fence.  This poor fence is in need of being replaced, but I love how the old wood looks decorated this way.

Green Man looks sleepy while waiting for spring.  (I'm hoping to have this gate painted purple someday.)

Lamium in the shed garden adds color and texture with it's fuzzy leaves.

If we don't get snow this week I'm hoping to start my first round of winter sowing.  Then I'll be watching those containers for the fresh green of new seedlings.  I can't wait!

A grateful Fertilizer Friday.

I've said before I had no idea that starting a blog would allow me to meet so many new people. This year my garden will be full of flowers started with seeds that were shared with me by some of the people I've met since starting blogging. Some are seeds saved from their gardens (Darla, Rain Gardener, Robin, Ginger, Dirt Princess, Laurie, Lona, Tina, Cameron and please remind me if I didn't mention you, I have them all written down somewhere around here ☺) or sent to me through the Gardening by Letter project. Many were from trades. One trade I was very lucky in was with Donna who sent me a box of chocolates in return, something I never expected but loved! Another blogger sent me a gift for my garden but asked that I not mention it, but you know who you are and thank you!
I want to give Lona of A Hocking Hill's Garden a big thank you. A few weeks ago I commented to Lona about the fairy that is on the top left of her blog. I've always thought it was very cute and wondered where she may have found it because I thought my daughter Sweet Pea would love one for her fairy garden. Lona told me she found it at last year's garden show and offered to look for one when she went back this past weekend. Imagine my surprise when I saw a package in the mail the other day and found the fairy from Lona's garden inside. Not a new one, but her own fairy. Her note explained she didn't see any others that were very good and she thought Sweet Pea would "enjoy it much more than I do." The kindness that she showed is something I'll always remember, especially when I see the fairy in Sweet Pea's garden.

The fairy sitting in the Navelwort (Omphalodes cappadocica) 'Starry Eyes'.

And in her new home, Sweet Pea's fairy garden. It was raining pretty hard when I took these pictures so I didn't really get the full view of the fairy garden.

Through blogging my thought that gardeners were generous people has been confirmed, not just in my own experience but what I see on other blogs as well. And it's not always something material that is shared, even more often it's supportive words or encouragement that I see written in comments on other blogs. I'm happy to be part of the garden blogging community.

Now on to the flowers blooming today:

Pulmonaria and Muscari.

Frittilaria were just planted about a week ago, I was surprised to find them already started and with buds. I was hoping they'd be purplish checkered type, but these are still pretty.

Leopard's Bane (Doronicum orientale) in full bloom.

White Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis).

I planted two different types of Crocus hoping they'd bloom together, but so far just the dark purples have bloomed.

I hope you will visit Tootsie at Tootsie Time to see what she and other gardeners from around the world are flaunting today. Thanks for stopping by to visit!

Path garden preparing for it's peak time.

The path garden in our backyard which runs along the back deck is revving up for it's best time of year, Spring! This is when most of the flowering shrubs and perennials bloom and my favorite time of year to enjoy it. Once it's gets warm and drier the plants under the large evergreens tend to die back a little and since I would be out all day everyday watering it if I wanted more to bloom back there. I've tried soaker hoses and more mulch, but those big evergreens really take up all the water.

Everything is really starting to pop up now.

I was really happy to see the Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) returning. Last Spring I was surprised by them blooming after I thought they had died the year before.

This part of the path garden is already looking good. The Hellebores have really filled in. There is a Currant bush, Deutzia and Hydrangea just leafing out here. The Clematis growing up the birdhouse pole is 'Miss Bateman' that I moved over in the Fall.

The blooming shrub that you can see in the previous picture is this plant Corylopsis or Winter Hazel 'Buttercup'. Last year it barely bloomed because of all of the cold weather. If I were to plant this again I would plant it in front of an evergreen of some sort, it's hard to appreciate the flowers against the light wood fence.

The flowers are so pretty and delicate.

Pulmonaria just loaded with buds and flowers near the Hellebores.

These are always an exciting sight, Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum) is really beginning to spread out now under the Rhododendron and near the Corsican Hellebore. These are slow to get established and they are native to North America. Apparently it has all sorts of herbal uses. Mine has been here about 5 years and this is by far the most spread out it has been.

Camellia 'Marie Bracey' is blooming ahead of schedule. Primroses are blooming and Crocuses are just starting. I love the view of our neighbors Forsythia at the very end of the yard.

And look what else is blooming back at the beginning of the path garden, Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectablilis) 'Alba', I love the yellowy green of the foliage on it.

It's supposed to be 60 today and that will only encourage these plants along. I looked up our average highs and lows for the month of March to remind myself what it usually is like here. Our average high for the month of March in the Seattle area is 54℉ and low the average low is 39℉. April has an average high of 58℉ and an average low of 43℉. It'll be interesting to see if our pattern stays on the warmer side and if we're closer to the April weather averages.

February 2010 Bloom Day.

It's hard to believe we're halfway through February already and time for another Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. I looked back at last February's bloom day and saw that I had several of the same things blooming then as we have now. The Sarcococca ruscifolia is still blooming, as are the Primroses and Hellebores just like last year. But, I also remember we had snow for March's bloom day, so I think before I feel like Spring really is early here I want to see what March brings.
When I was out taking pictures I could feel how saturated the ground is with all of the rain we've had. With each step I took I could feel it squish beneath my feet.

Tete-a-tete Daffodils are popping open left and right, these are definitely a little early.

I might be jinxing myself by posting blooms of the Winter Daphne (Daphne odora), but I can't help it. The smell of just the first few blooms open already carries halfway across the yard. This is right on time for this shrub to be blooming.

Lots and lots of Hellebores blooming with more on the way in other parts of the yard. The annoying Bishop's Weed is already coming up in this bed. I've been working on removing it for the last 10 years from this area, but it comes back every year.

A closeup of one of the pinkish flowers.

Pansies that have been blooming since they were planted in early Fall.

Hellebore 'Mardi Gras Double' fully opened. I think she'd get lots of beads at the real Mardi Gras.

Camellia japonica 'Marie Bracey'. I love the bright pink of these against the glossy green leaves.

Pulmonaria just starting blooming. You can see the blooms starting to change color on some of the flowers. They start pink and eventually turn purple. I've found that these self seed as well as form clumps that are easy to divide. I started with one and now have 6 plants, all but one of the seedlings from last year even have buds on them. This plant was also blooming last year in February, and will bloom for a couple of more months.

Carol of May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th of each month. Visit her to see what she and other bloggers around the world have blooming.

New surprises for Fertilizer Friday.

With so much starting to pop up around here I'm finding more new growth almost everyday. I've been outside as much as I can and taking advantage of any dry days we have. I've been working on straightening out and enlarging the front bed and have cut back more perennials. Bird activity around here has been increasing and I'm wondering if some birds are already looking for places to build nests. I've had some Chickadees and Wrens checking out birdhouses, they must know Spring is early too.
I found some new surprises last time I was outside, and because this time of year you have to look a little harder to find something you may have to squint a little to see some of these. :)

I love how the Hellebores looked covered in raindrops, the sun shining through gives it a nice rosy glow.

The new Hellebore 'Mardi Gras Double' is starting to bloom. I'm having a hard time being patient, it looks like it's going to be very pretty.

More Iris reticulatas blooming near the pond. I planted quite a few last year, but the new ones don't have any blooms yet, just foliage so far.

I had thought the Pulmonaria seemed early, but looking back to last years pictures I found that they are right about on time. I love how these start out pink and then will change to purple as they age.

Navelwort 'Starry Eyes' (Omphalodes cappadocica) which Teza helped me to identify on another post, surprised me with one little flower open already. I have a few in my shady garden and they do great there, even in dry soil.

I discovered some Anemone blanda under some leaves while doing some cleanup.

And this flower you won't have to squint to see, it's the Amaryllis 'White Christmas' which sent up another flower stalk and has just started blooming. This Amaryllis took forever to start growing, and now it has given me more blooms, a very nice surprise for sure!

Fertilizer Friday is hosted each Friday by Tootsie at Tootsie Time. Visit her to see what's she got happening in her greenhouse or to join in "flaunting your flowers."