Hurry Spring!

 It warmed up to 70 degrees yesterday and even though it's back down to 30 this morning, we got a nice touch of spring weather to come!  I was outside running errands and found the prettiest yellow tulips at Trader Joe's.  

Lenten Roses and daffodils are blooming and our fescue grass is just starting to warm up.   I can see tulips starting to emerge and love the color they bring to the garden.  

Lenten Rose

Our average  last frost date is about April 5th so I still have over a month before I can plant any flowers but I am starting seeds this week.

Lenten Rose

I had a great success starting 'Lady in Red' salvia as well as 'Pink Sunday' salvia and 'Mealy Blue' salvia seeds last year and will definitely plant again. 

Lady in Red Salvia

I'm so excited with a new growing season to plan and plant some new plants as well as tried and true varieties. 

Hurry Spring!

This week we have all been challenged with social distancing and self-quarantines.

Since my husband and I are considered "senior citizens" we have been staying home and trying to keep ourselves occupied.  

I started to clean out flower beds and planted a few cold hardy plants but now it's been raining for several days and expected to continue for the next week! 

What's a garden girl to do but bring the outdoors in.  I had to make a trip to Home Depot and found this lovely pink jasmine 

and a deep blue pot of hyacinths. 

The scents are intoxicating but we are enjoying some color indoors.

I've not grown pink jasmine before but it's an evergreen vine that is hardy to zone 8.  I will need to grow mine in a pot so I can overwinter it in the greenhouse. 

I'm also reorganizing my spring decorations and dishes so that I can use them more often this season.   I'm planning a girl tea for my best friend and her daughter for Easter and I can't wait to use some of my favorite dishes. 



Hope everyone is staying safe
 and well through this trying time.  

Spring Fever

This time of year I'm so ready to get out in the garden.  It's way too early and cold in my zone to plant anything so I'm counting the days until our last frost.   

Daffodils are starting to bloom and I cut a small bouquet to enjoy. 
 My new favorite hellebores are in flower as well.  
What a gorgeous flower when almost everything is still asleep.   

I want to keep increasing my hellebore collection since they are such a hardy evergreen in my zone 7 garden.  The flowers last for weeks.

Tulips will be next to bloom and provide so much color to my garden!

We enlarged our back east facing flower bed in the fall but haven't planted it yet.  I'm still preparing the soil and taking out grass.  I'm thinking more azaleas, hostas and a few low growing evergreen shrubs will compliment this area and will be low maintenance.

We are trying to decrease the amount of lawn to mow and hope to add more native and drought tolerants perennials
 and shrubs this year. 

I'm sure my gardening friends are making lots of plans for their gardens as well.  Do you have anything you are going to add to your landscape this year?

I'm dedicating this garden to my precious Mom who passed away before Thanksgiving...she loved flowers and was my "garden supervisor" the past few years she lived with us.

  

Spring Fever

This time of year I'm just itching to get in the garden and plant flowers!  April 15st is our last frost date in Oklahoma City so I have at least three weeks before it's "safe". 

Late frosts are common here so I do try to resist the urge to plant outside but I do start planting hardy annuals in pots in March. 

Forsythias, geraniums, stock and lettuce look great in a pot together.  They are easily moved in the garage or covered up to protect from the cold. 

While I'm waiting I love to go back and look at my garden pictures and remind myself what worked or didn't in the past growing season.

I have tried and steady plants that I always go back to each planting season because they do so well.   Lady in red salvia is one of all time favorites.  This drought tolerant plant can take heat and blooms all summer long and is a hummingbird magnet. 

Impatiens,  johnny jumpups, moneywort and  
stargazer lilies  are planted
 in one pot and give me color throughout the season.  

Patio pots filled with herbs and annuals. 

Window boxes planted with moneywort, impatiens and sweet potato vine in the shade 

and geraniums, moneywort, lantana and
 verbena in the sun. 

This week my daffodils are blooming along with my 
tulip magnolia tree.  

 I can hardly wait until April 15th!  Yes, I've got 

Spring Fever!

What are you planting in your garden this year?

Happy Spring!

I'm linking with 

Beverly at How Sweet the Sound's 
   
Pink Saturday 

Butchart Gardens

The most beautiful place I've ever 

visited is Butchart Gardens in Victoria,

British Columbia.

When we planned our summer vacation/anniversary trip, Butchart Gardens was at the top of our list.  We had visited there about 10 years ago and I've been yearning to return.

We visited during the summer months when the garden is in full bloom and the 

weather is perfect.  The variety of plant material is amazing and the condition of the gardens is impeccable!

The garden is divided into "rooms" and I've decided to share the garden in several posts so that I could share each "garden room".

When you enter the gardens the main walkway takes you to the original home of the Butcharts.

This color combination is one of my favorites and the plants are easy to grow here in Oklahoma.  The blue salvia, pink begonias, dusty miller and geraniums are a foolproof combo for a warm garden.  

The home now houses a restaurant and just outside is Mrs. Butchart's original private garden area.  She was an amazing gardener and turned an old rock quarry into one of the most photographed gardens in the world.

I love the arbor and flower boxes!

If you have never visited the gardens or Vancouver Island, do yourself a favor and go during the summer.  

Spring is around the corner

 and I can't wait to plant flowers!

I'm linking with
Susan's Outdoor Wednesday

Next post:  The sunken quarry garden