Hi Cyn, isn't it always the way?

Spring has finally sprung here, the Rufus Hummingbirds arrived back here yesterday, so now they have to compete at the feeder with the Anna that stay all winter. It was a lovely day yesterday, the sun was out and it was quite warm. DH and I did the annual cutting back of our 40+ year old Winter Jasmine, one job done, a million more to do. I was hoping to cut back the Epimedium foliage this morning but wouldn't you know it, rain :(.

This forum has been so slow since the change over and so many that used to post no longer visit, hopefully it will pick up now that spring has arrived. I miss the conversation side, we had a lot of fun over there but hey, what we have now is better than having nothing at all.

I've been hanging out on the Perennial forum, it's still quite active so spend a bit of time over there. I was invited to join a couple more forums, one of them is in the UK, mostly allotment gardeners, they really are a great bunch, they have to be they put up with me LOL.

The climate over there is close to mine so we pretty much grow the same things, they introduced me to a couple of South American vegetables and a couple from the UK I've never grown before so it was an interesting year last year trying something new. Cottage has always been my favorite as this is the style of garden that suits me, a home away from home so to speak, fingers crossed things pick up in the near future.

Annette

Cyn - my sympathies - weather this year has been really unusual! I was a teacher for a long time, but we have a different vacation schedule with a week in February (skiing) and a week the end of April. The end of April break was usually good for gardening, though sometimes the ground was still frozen. The university has mid-March, which is far too early to garden in NH. Right now I am visiting in WI, where the public schools get either the week before or after Easter, and my niece usually wants to do some gardening, so tomorrow we are building a garden for her to plant later with her mom since one can't buy outdoor plants in WI in March. Some years Eater is in April so we can plant peas, lettuce, and kale. They only have a tiny cottage garden, planted by my niece who really likes gardening more than her folks, I think, and the crocus are blooming.

How much snow did you end up getting? It looks like midweek will be a bit warmer for you, so hopefully any snow disappears quickly and you can get out into the garden and work! What are you planning on doing? Just clean-up, or can you plant at this time of year? Any major projects planned?

I came to the cottage forum after a couple of folks I know from the New England forum suggested it a couple of years ago. I am never sure if my garden really qualifies as a cottage garden though it is fairly casual.

Hello All!! Sympathies, Cyn. Our snow is just finally gone these last couple of days, and now they are calling for Snow - of course!! I raked the leaves and debris out of the front pocket garden - lots of bulb noses peeking up!! Yea!! So it is the beginning of the end...or the end of the beginning - not sure. Annette, at this this time of year I long for your climate. Ordered a new awning for the back deck, so we just need to find a handyman to put it up. Come on good weather!!

Talking about snow, sorry some of you are still having to deal with it, except for a few flakes one day that didn't stick we had another snowless winter here. Rain, well that's another story, it pretty much rained every single day. I think I've lost a few plants from that. Right now the crocus and snowdrops are finished, the daphne is in full bloom as are the pulmonarias and hellebore along with the few mini daffodils I still have. I was out cutting down some old epimediums foliage yesterday and saw the flower stems are starting to shoot up as well as the flowers on the erythroniums. Under the azaleas the chionodoxa are turning into a carpet of starry blue flowers, unfortunately in another bed the weeds are too, that d*mn buttercup is everywhere, in another bed it's herb robert.

I think I've mentioned this before but I now have a little patch of English bluebells established, it took a couple of tries to get them going, not like those pesky Spanish bluebells which I dig out by the bucketful, I know these will cross but at present the are in totally different parts of the garden with lots of buffers between them.

After a couple of tries the Romneya coulteri finally looks like it's taken hold, this is a shrubby perennial my mother had in her garden when I was young, I used to marvel at the big white crepe paper like flowers when it bloomed in the summer, like big poached eggs and the scent was and still is lovely at least to me. I planted it under my bedroom window so when it blooms I'm hoping the scent will waft through the air and in the window just like the mock orange planted under the kitchen window fills the kitchen with it's wonderful scent when the windows are open.

It looks like it might be a decent day today so hope to get out this afternoon and do a bit more weeding, I say afternoon as it takes a few hours for these old bones to limber up and get moving, this getting old ain't for sissies :(.

Annette

@ NHBabs- I hope you are not in central Wisconsin where they are due to get anywhere from 12-20 inches of snow Wednesday and Thursday.

tj

I'm mostly a lurker, but recognize some old "faces" - forums certainly are slower since the gardenweb days. I'm itching to get back outside and we have nothing but rain, rain, rain and more rain! I'm in Vancouver. : )

Hi Kaillean, I'm just across the water from you, hopefully the forum will pick up now that spring has arrived.

Annette

Oh, it is so nice to hear from all of you! I have missed our old group.

We actually got no snow at all, just the cold. Today, however, was spectacular. I did a little weeding and trimmed the old ragged stems/leaves from the hellebores. Then sat on the old wooden bench on the patio for a wee break. Ha! Seat collapsed under me (old bench, not my weight-lol) and there I was with my butt on the stone and my feet up. Happily, I don't think anyone spotted me since it is a spot not in view of neighbors except from the second floor of one. Stiff back this evening. Sigh.

I will need to look up that Romneya. Sounds wonderful. I do love bluebells and have been tempted to try a mock orange over the years. Not sure why I haven't. I may need to rethink our backyard. Our new neighbors are removing almost all the trees in their backyard. The husband likes grass. Sheesh. The good news is that the wife has told me I can take anything I want. There are lots of azaleas, several oakleaf hydrangea (very large, so not sure how well they will transplant), and several mahonia. The bad news is that we will need to do it tomorrow. Hmmmm. We'll see what we can rescue.

Babs, the end of April sounds perfect for a break.

Kaillean, rain sounds good to me, but I hope you get a break soon!

Yep, Nancy, we are almost there!

Have a wonderful rest of the week, all.

Cynthia

TJ, I am escaping the worst of it since I am farther south (Madison) than most of it and also am leaving early enough (hopefully) that I should escape the second, colder wave of precip.

That is a lovely one, Annette. I am heading to a local nursery this weekend with a buddy and will see if they have any!

Today is another perfect day for being outside. I have done a little weeding, but if I bend the wrong way, it seems my back does not like it (darn bench seat-or lack thereof!). I have never had back problems before. Guess it is past time to start exercising, but better late than never!

Just had a bowl of yogurt with granola and blueberries. Time to head back out. I think I will trim back the liriope and dream of the scent of mock orange! :)

People here have been mowing their yards already. This morning I went around with my cart and picked up sticks all about the property, came in the house, first thing I hear is the neighbor on her riding mower. She just HAS to be first to mow her yard each year. LOL. It was sunny with wind, but the threat of thunder storms was in the air. I almost went to the garage to get my mower out but then decided I was too lazy and will wait awhile. Now it looks as tho it could rain soon. The grass is actually at a good height for being so early in the season. Besides, it takes me appx. 2hrs. to mow everything. Eh, I'm not ready for winter vacation to be over. :(

DH mowed for the first time last week and so did the neighbors. We cleaned out two raised veggie beds this morning, added compost and a mixture of steer, chicken and mushroom manure, rototilled it all in. The soil is still a little too cold and wetter than I like so I'll cover the beds with black tarps for a couple of weeks. That should warm the soil up enough to plant. Lettuce will have to be covered for awhile, we always get hail in April that absolutely shreds lettuce.

Annette

I don't think I've ever mowed in March, but like I said the grass seems to be growing ahead of schedule. No rain yet. All those dark clouds floated on by, but still looks gloomy out there as the sun sets.

The blue chiondoxia down through the privet arch look good this year. I think they've actually spread a bit. Last year I had planned on planting more but didn't get around to ordering them. One Forsythia shrub is beautiful, the other a bit behind in blooming.

I am quite sure DH has never mowed in March and I doubt if he's ever mowed in April. We usually still have several inches of snow at this time of year, due to the 100"+ that is a season's typical snowfall; it takes a while to melt all that.

This year since we didn't get much snow, I have had reticulated iris and vernal witch hazel blooming for about two weeks now, but the forsythia will still be at least a couple of weeks. None of my other early bulbs are blooming, but I never know if the voles have eaten them over winter. I'll have to go check on the hellebores tomorrow.

School, Chinodxia are a favorite of mine, it won't be long before those little beauties are forming a carpet. I planted a few under some azaleas and am happy to say they are multiplying nicely, they're even popping up in other places just like my cyclamen :). It's alright with me as they're planting themselves in places where they are most welcome :).

Annette

You are right, I see a few Glories of the Snow (the most common type, blue with the white center) popping up here and there about the orchard and even along the field edge where I can't imagine how they got there. It took many years for them to do that though. These under the privet arch are a different species, still blue with white but a darker blue. I can't remember the name. It's taken maybe only four years for them to multiply. Be careful what you wish for huh? : )

I am, however, very careful to remove forget-me-nots that appear in the compost pile or here and there. I really don't want them to start spreading in the orchard.