I had planned on working outside yesterday in the side yard because it was going to be such a nice day, but when a roofing crew showed up at 7 am yesterday to replace the neighbors roof, those plans got squashed.
The crew was there all day and even though they cleaned up the mess they had made in our yard… I wasn’t able to get any gardening done.
So I decided to do the next best thing, I went to the nursery instead.
And then I had a good laugh when I got there because there wasn’t much to see. Well, much to see in terms of green plants {other than evergreens}. What was I thinking?
If none of the plants had green leaves on them in my neighborhood, why would anywhere else nearby me be any different?
I keep going back and forth on what I want to do for a border planting along the side yard with the white picket fence.
I really, REALLY love the look of hydrangea plants. Especially the limelight hydrangeas once they’re established. They’re so dreamy looking and they’re great for cut flowers too.
But then I spotted the tags on the blue muffin viburnum plants and those would look nice too.
Not dreamy or exciting in the way cut flowers would be, but a solid border plant, that’s for sure.
If I had a rock wall, climbing hydrangeas would be an option.
The HH loves those and a lot of people around town have them but we don’t have the right set up for those.
It’s still so cold that the nursery still has the fruit trees housed in a greenhouse.
The other greenhouse though was where all the action was. Helleborus! Have you grown these before? They had a few different varieties and they were BEAUTIFUL!!!
I’ve never grown them before but I think I’m going to have to add these to my list.
The tag said they thrive in zones 3-9 {we’re in 6a} and apparently they bloom in early spring here in New England.
Another thing I hadn’t thought about planting in the side yard…. Rhubarb! Rhubarb is such an easy plant to grow! I’ll have to add it to my list.
But $45? Are you kidding me? If the garden center is getting $45 for a single rhubarb plant, I’m in the wrong business.
I need to set up a rhubarb growing operation pronto. Wowza. After seeing that price I sent Kiln Guy a text and asked him if I could have a cutting from his.
Happily he said YES!
Pansies. The first flowers of spring. 🙂 Or at least the most popular seller at garden centers this early in the season.
The winner for best color though, was the beautiful display of ranunculus. I wish I could have taken them all home and filled my flower pots with them. It was just the dose of color I needed.
I think the creamy white ones were my favorite.
The yellows were pretty too. And huge!
So much color! They were lovely. I didn’t come home with any though, I don’t have a greenhouse and it’s still too cold to set them outside overnight.
I keep telling myself we’ll have color in our yard soon enough. We don’t have much longer to go.
All that hard work we put in last fall, all those bulbs we planted will be up soon. If we can just get a few warm days in a row… Things will really go bonkers and then we’ll be knee deep in flowers.
The HH seems to think our gardening season will start next week, and you know, I think he may be right.
I can’t wait to get out there!!
How about YOU? Do you have any bulbs in your garden? Are they up yet? Are you swimming in bouquets of freshly picked flowers yet? Curious minds want to know.
~Mavis
And P.S. If you’ve got some extra rhubarb… Hop to it! The stuff is going for BIG BUCKS! 🙂
Emily says
I love my hellebores. I’m in the midwest but also zone 6. Mine have been blooming for about a month now and should continue until early summer. The leaves stay green year round, although they look pretty ratty by the end of winter. I was a little worried a couple of mine had died they looked so rough, but sure enough they grew some fresh leaves and started blooming along with the others.
Mavis Butterfield says
Are you still having evening freezing temps? I worry about the flowers with the freezing temps.
Emily says
We are and the hellebores don’t care a bit. Even the new one I added this year is unfazed by the freeze.
Mel says
Can you alternate blueberries and hydrangeas for the border?
Mavis Butterfield says
There’s a thought! Maybe some high bush ones.
Erin says
There’s a fairly big greenhouse by our new house that I can’t wait to check out. We think we may have tulips & daffodils popping up / there are tons of them in the front & back yard. I’m excited to see what they are – they definitely need thinned out. The previous owners rented the place out so the yard wasn’t taken care of. Lots of work to do here as the weather shifts. All the neighbors have crocus & I definitely want to plant some here. I do have some iris bulbs that I grabbed at Costco as a housewarming gift for myself. I’ll plant those next month.
Patty says
I have hellebores in my garden and absolutely love them. They are typically one of the first things to bloom and the flowers are beautiful. Just what I need to see after a long winter. The plants are considered an evergreen, so after blooming, they still look nice.
J in OH-IO says
In Ohio, all of my daffodils have bloomed and we had a hard freeze so they are done, but beautiful while they lasted. My first tulips have bloomed and I’m hoping they survive any frosts. My allium leaves are up but not growing any flower stalks yet-I love those puff balls of color! Yesterday, I trimmed back my black raspberries after a few years of not doing a proper clean up. Our neighbors feed the squirrels and the squirrels ravage Everything -they totally destroy the black raspberries walking through the vines. The squirrels dig up the container flower pots, yard, and flowerbeds with black walnuts, peanuts, and corn cobs. The neighbors promised to stop feeding them, but that only lasted about 4 months… they are retired and feeding and watching the animals is their form of entertainment.
I don’t know why, but I am hopeful for the garden season. I transplanted my tomatoes and sweet basil into red solo cups and have to start sugar snap peas, and sunflowers inside because they would not make it outside with the squirrels. I have 8 English Lavender starts which I am very excited about because I’ve tried and tried and this is the first year any grew! Hoping they survive along with zinnias, cosmos, bee balm, and asters. I need some hardy flowers to put behind my peonies after they bloom I want some other flowers blooming-going to try zinnias and cosmos.
Ann says
Once things get settled here, we got frost last night, I may be able to spare a rhubarb. We had to move one last year due to a deck project and I’ll see how it faired. I’ll keep you posted, I don’t live far. My niece has a house at Moody Beach and we head your way often in the good weather. Also, keep your eye out for church and library plant sales and even side of the road, people are always getting rid of rhubarb plants. I got mine years back from someone in my town offering a come dig.
Jody says
Not a gardening comment: but I saw an adorable lobster dress (!) at Lands End (with pockets!) and thought of your blog. Maybe there’s a lobster festival or something you could wear it to? Haha
Jill says
I love the look of the hellebores also, but decided against planting them because they are toxic for dogs.
Elaine says
I am sort of obsessed with rhubarb!! I started with one plant from my parent’s farm almost 40 years ago. I have divided it and the subsequent ones and now have 27 rhubarb plants!!
I freeze it, can it, give it away, and obsess over it. ❤️ I have the best recipe for the best rhubarb buttermilk bread and bake it constantly until I stop picking rhubarb in June.
I was just out in the rhubarb patch early this morning and thought to myself….i think I have room for about 6 more plants. It could be worse I guess!!
Jean C says
Would you be willing to share the rhubarb buttermilk bread recipe?
Adrianne says
Rhubarb buttermilk bread sounds amazing! I too would love the recipe.
Ranae says
I would love that recipe also
montanagoose says
NW Montana (Zone 4): We have crocus, chionodoxa, violets, violas, and forsythia in bloom. I also have a pair of almonds already flowering in an unheated greenhouse. However, most fruit trees will not bloom outside here until early May.
PSUCHIC06 says
Rhubarb…as I’m sure you know…once established (very hard to kill… and needs divided.).
I’m sure locally , someone is wanting to divide theirs. Maybe.it.apuld be free or ypu could do a swap!
I found Victoria @ the local.mennknite store.for 5 bucks a pot…mind you a 4 or 5 inch pot…but now.my.mom cannot keep up.with it :-p
Lily says
I was watching a Korean show(with subtitles) about four actors had a rural garden. One plant that got my attention was called bassia or brassica scorpia. You might like it.
Deb says
I live in southern Ontario and my hellebores are up and just starting to show blooms. I lost one this season – it was an epic winter. My plan is to add one or two each year so I have a full bed of blooms early in the season. Last week I bought a display container that mixed hellebores, pansies and some decorative twigs. They’ll end up in the garden as soon as the soil warms up. Meantime, I’m enjoying them in the house.
Lori says
Hi Mavis, southern Vermonter here. We have a bunch of spring flowers up already this spring. We have; crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips up and budded or flowered. My rhubarb is up a good 6-8 inches already, and my asparagus is peeking thru the soil. I love spring!
Mavis Butterfield says
We saw some crocus in someone’s yard the other day, I think I am going to plant some next fall. It’s so nice to walk by a pop of color on a cold day.
J in OH-IO says
I was thinking about placing some all over my front yard so did a quick search and crocus are poisonous to dogs so I won’t be doing that.
ANGELIA JOHNSON says
I love Hellebores they are first up and they last for me almost all summer in Vancouver, WA. They have so many varieties you can buy…I started some seeds on the greenhouse I have 25 foot above ground planters in my greenhouse plus my little miss figgy..this year I have a 30 foot planter reserved for sweet potatoes..I am excited to have both edible greens and also potatoes so we’ll see how that works. I am excited to see your new layout for planting.
JulieP says
I keep getting picture updates from my neighbour of my bulbs, the daffodils and tete a tete have been up and will be gone by the time we are home which is sad but they are along the front of our hedge so folks going by have enjoyed them. Tulips next. We had crocus and snowdrops before we left! I have two weeks tomorrow and we will be home bring on the spring gardening I can’t wait!