Happenings in the garden.

 Our New Year started off with absolutely beautiful weather.  Mild and sunny, it was too nice to not go outside in the garden.  I enjoyed the first hour in peace and then decided it was far too nice for anyone else in my family to sit inside and got them all to join me, although they didn't do any gardening.  Between watching my oldest daughter and my husband play a game of HORSE (a basketball game in which she made him try to make baskets while saying "Meow" loudly or have a stuffed animal balancing on his head), my youngest taking me around to ask what things were and the dog escaping from the yard three times I actually got quite a bit done.
It was a good time to see the newest happenings in the garden.  I was surprised to find tulips and Dutch Iris coming up and some of the Hellebores pretty far along.

 Because it really hasn't been all that cold the ornamental Kale still looks really pretty.

 Chard from the Seattle Tilth sale last May is still producing.  I just checked to see that their edible plant sales are not that far away.  Here's a link to their website.

 Kale that Nola gave me is starting to grow.  I hope the slugs don't eat it all though.

 Primroses are budding and

 blooming!  The slugs have found them too.

 Not a great picture, but you can see how far up these Hellebore buds are.

 The row of Sarcococca that I planted along the deck is finally starting to look like what I imagined after planting it many years ago, and is full of buds about to bloom.

 The entry garden actually looks good compared to how it looked when I first went out that morning.  There are new Hellebores planted along with a small Sarcococca.  Heucheras along the edge will soon be joined by Grape Hyacinths and whatever other bulbs I've forgotten about that are in there.

 Look at the amazing sunrise this morning!  The benefits of the kids going back to school include seeing the sunrise after sleeping in for the last two weeks.  It's now pouring rain, but it was nice while it lasted!

 I am so excited for Spring, have I mentioned that before? 
All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress.