Tag: Spring in Minnesota

Survival Rates

Last Saturday was a springboard to glorious garden time days. I could not resist being out in the front gardens. Sunday morning the gardens out back also got some love.

The snow melted very fast and is now gone – even the giant snow plow pile. A very odd feeling after such a LONG SNOWY winter, but it is time! We may have another snow or two, but just like early fall, they melt pretty fast.

The perennial survival rates are good so far.

All of the sedum made it through the winter, and have new leaf buds forming. The non-productive tulips out front are also up, as well as one daylily.

Out back, the Purple D’Oro and Just Plum Happy daylilies are poking up, the two areas with productive tulips, crocus, and on one side hyacinth are up, and … the Blue Mouse Ears are starting to poke up!

Under the Linden, the Marque Moon daylilies are coming up.

No asian lilies, and no big hostas yet, but that is super normal.

With the Amur Maple situation out front, whether or not they replace the tree, our shade will be compromised, so I am very glad I did not put any Blue Mouse Ears divisions in front where there used to be shade.

Look super closely. A few days ago these were the Purple D’Oro daylilies. Just a tiny sprig of green.

Here they are a few days later.

Two days ago the South Seas daylily popped up.

And the Marque Moon daylilies are starting to come up.

Things will start filling in and covering the rock quickly now.

Almost (Spring 2023)

Oh boy! Where do we start? I do indeed love our seasons, but this year, in my humble opinion, has been a very long winter. It probably doesn’t help that we took our first ever planned warm weather actual vacation this year, and I still have “beach” on my mind. But alas, beach gardening is not a thing, I don’t think, so no plans to move just yet 😉

I like to say I am a “Thursday” sort of girl – the whole (weekend) yet ahead, but right … almost … there … I feel that way right now. The snow is melting, and I do see the grass and garden emerging. I suppose in July I will miss all this snow. But for now, sooooo done with this view.

The bird bath goes out

Each spring we wait on the weather temperatures as “go” signals for next steps. One of those steps is putting out the bird bath. If we put it out too early, the water will freeze solid, at least at night. I had a bird bath heater for a while but uck! Too much messing around! And cords sticking out. That was not a “keep”.

This morning I looked and the night time temperatures forecast looks like it has finally consistently reached above freezing temperatures. At the beginning of May. It has been a very long winter.

Looks like it has already been “discovered”. And the daily water changing begins.

Spring Beauty

Beautiful spring. The crocuses blooming, the oak leaves saying goodbye, and a hint, just a hint, of bunny activity. Now I need to research – don’t rabbits like crocuses? I thought they did. Or is that the coffee grounds at work? Should I move that oak leaf covering the crocus or will that be the temptation tipping point for the bunny – who we often see, and its buddies. What is happening here? Ok with bunnies eating the garden??? It’s ok – those tulips don’t bloom – haha!

Well, for sure no more coffee grounds – that is in moderation only. Maybe leave it as it occured, and let the wind make the decision.

It did.

The linden

19 years ago when the trees were planted here we watched as a tiny unknown tree was planted off to a corner of the house. We watered it consistently that first year and it survived the warm weather planting. It grew the next year and the next year. We identified it as a linden. We enjoyed it’s growing canopy. And we paid to have landscaping put around it because the lawn maintenance provider was cutting into the base each week with their trimmers.

That linden is so healthy. It provides wonderful shade. One day last summer our son and daughter-in-law stopped by unexpectedly with our baby grandson. I was covered in sweat from gardening. They didn’t care. We sat down under the linden’s shade and they asked if I wanted to hold him. Of course I did! Later my daughter in law sent me a picture – Gramma in her element, holding her first Grandbaby, all sweaty from gardening, sitting under the linden. A glorious, unexpected blessing!

Once again, that linden has outgrown it’s digs. It needs the landscape fabric and rock pulled back again, as I do every year. It’s base looks strong – a lot like the thousands of trees up north that have seen decades of wind and ice and snow piled high, and also drought. It deserves to have the continual protection from the landscape trimmers, but this year I am tempted to pull a lot of the rock, put that rock in sparcely rocked places throughout the garden, and put mulch in that area by the linden.

Wait! Didn’t I say we weren’t doing any improvements this year? Sit tight oh garden nurturer. I will try. Honestly I will.