Not really roses - but everything's coming up! So early, my my, what are we going to do if we get a huge freeze? I've been doing yard clean up - not my most FUN project, but it does give me a chance to see what is poking it's little nose thru the ground. The south facing backyard is experiencing a show of the early daffodils, and the late daffs are budding out - Double Ducats (double yellows), and Avalon. The asiatic and oriental lilies are already coming up! YIKES! The really BODACIOUS thing is that they have multiplied MILLIONS OF TIMES OVER! There are buds coming up everywhere! What am I to do?

The hyacinths are blooming, the crocus, and the snowdrops. Now, if THAT's not a funny looking thing - snowdrops blooming when it's 80 degrees! HA HA! The lacecap hydrangea is budding out, as is the oakleaf.

The hostas are coming up, the clematis is leafing out, the crambe cordifolia is setting buds, the pipevine came back! Hallelujah! Polygonum (Solomon's Seal) is coming up, acanthus sending up new foliage, Japanese Maple leafing out, astilbes, Rodgersia, petasites, thalictrums (all of them). The lilium 'Flore Pleno' that I thought I had lost last year is sending up THREE new buds. I'm really happy about that. This is the double bloom.

My puschkinos are getting ready to bloom, my lamium 'Hermann's Pride' is up, my Bleeding Heart, my new epimedium is sending up new growth, and my hellebores have been blooming for a month now. The trillium is not up yet, so I may have lost it - oh, well! I really love the trilliums.

The heucheras (the two survivors anyway) are putting up new leaves. The columbines are up about 8" now. The anemone robustissima has pretty new foliage, and the campanula takesimina 'Elizabeth' is about the cover it's bed.

So, tell me, tell me, tell me, how does your garden grow? With little bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row?

Susan