Ann, do you have an ipad? I use mine for photos and posting on Houzz. I have had a few problems but have always gotten things fixed. I hope you get things straightened out……I am looking forward to photos of Wonderland.

The gardeners were here on Friday for the bed clean up. They never looked this good! They used leaf mulch, never saw that used til now. It took three gardeners 6 hours to clean our mess up.

Sherry

Paula, thank you for generosity of time and humor. I apologize for being so scarce over the past year. My family and I focused our energies on our sweet Biscuit boxer dog, who passed away at Thanksgiving. That grief weighs on me every day, and she was just a dog. Paula, I am so sorry for your loss.

Paula, thank you for generosity of time and humor. I apologize for being so scarce over the past year. My family and I focused our energies on our sweet Biscuit boxer dog, who passed away at Thanksgiving. That grief weighs on me every day, and she was just a dog. Paula, I am so sorry for your loss.

Utog, so sorry about Biscuit! I Remember you saying he was ill last year some time and your family was going to send more time with him in is last days.

Our furry friends are our family members and their losses are so very difficult to bear I think because we have so little time with them compared to human friends…… I hope over time the heaviness of your heart will be lifted by the beauty of the coming warmth and plants of spring and summer. I hope to see you back soon.

debra

Sherry..no ipad..just now I used Houzz first (on my iPhone) to post pics (they limit me to 4)..then GW (on my Samsung) to write the comment..goofy but it works..I'm glad you were pleased with the garden helpers 🙂..

Wonderland pics 4/5/26..everything's growing fast..

I'm concerned about the cold temperatures in the forecast 🙄..doesn't this happen every year?..

utog..I'm sorry about Biscuit 😪..pretty photo..love your big hosta..

4 more pics..I took pics before the predicted frost..even now I saw some cold damage on a few..

at the moment Diamond Lake is the biggest and ugliest!..it was ugly last year too..it emerges earlier than my other big ones..I've worried that it could be infected..but it has been exposed to cold temperatures..

doesn't Jack in the Pulpit have cold damage?..

Diamond Lake..

Ann, I am glad to see wonderland! Hope the freezing temps dont damage our plants…..I put my potted hosta out yesterday.

Sherry

Sherry thanks 🙂..I hope we don't get as cold as they're predicting..my pots have been out about a week..I don't have that many so I'm moving them into the garage for tonight..

Hopefully we all get past the low temps without too much damage. I uncovered most of my pots last week and now they are predicting a low of 26 tonight. They were all covered with about 8-10 inches of chopped leaves, lots of them are sprouting.

old_dirt..I bet yours will be ok..mine will probably have more damage than yours 🙄..

My hostas all got throughlast night with no visible damage. Ann and Old Dirt, how did your hosta do???🤞🏻

Sherry

I think all of mine came through unscathed but I didn't have any leafed out yet. It got down to 22 degrees here. I wonder if the leaves inside the shoots could be damaged or deformed when they open up. I guess time will tell.

Sherry and old_dirt..I didn't hear an official temperature..my phone said 33 when I woke up about 7..I covered just 2..Autumn Frost (with a box) and Empress Wu (unfurled) with leaves and a big pot..most looked normal but a few have curled leaves and are a little wrinkled..some weren't perfect even before last night..it could be worse..

as old_dirt said time will tell..

Mine took a hit, but they seem ok. Some pips melted. Some leaves got frost bite. Mostly, ok. All sorts of things are sprouting up in my garden.

Remember, my season starts early.

Well, that’s all for now.

utog..awww..great pics of your sweet dog..and your garden too!..your garden is ahead of mine of course but mine is coming along..

Fire Islands in front and back..when will my husband help me with the stones? sigh..

I see slight leaf imperfections on small trees, shrubs and perennials..but I decided not to stress about it..😉

Clausa is back..but I removed it!!!..

Utog, glad to see you back with us. Your pup is darling! Also your garden is looking great!

Ann, I don’t think Diamond Lake looks ugly. Am I missing something?

Here are a few pot pipping:

Debra

debra..your pips are cute and perfect..

(I had a comment but rewrote it to add pics)..your comment inspired me to look at Diamond Lake..I didn't like Diamond Lake's shape and uneven color..I decided to water it yesterday..it looks better today 🙂..pics of both sides..

I think it looks great!

thanks debra...you helped me to see that maybe I was expecting too much too soon..

what an unpleasant surprise..Sunday a big limb fell in the night..Autumn Frost narrowly escaped..the Japanese maple had minimal damage 🙂..a few other hostas (green with gold margins) weren't as fortunate..they're smashed..some were still pips..I'm leaving them ugly to recover..

nicholsworth - Sorry to hear that, wind and tree damage can be dis-heartening. If it's any consolation, you are probably lucky it happened early and they will come back.

old_dirt..even when you keep an eye on your trees and prune them carefully limbs can still fall..I'm not like some of my neighbors that have "butchered" trees thinking they won't have problems..

I think that beech was poorly pruned years ago (previous owners) and is dying..probably why the limb fell 🙁..

Ann, I hope your hosta recover. It is so disappointing after longing for green over thewinter.

Sherry

thanks Sherry..this is much less disappointing than your hail years ago..we really can't control Mother Nature can we?..Fire Islands are still pretty..2 groups in back..

Ann, it’s interesting that your FIs are up and mine aren’t. I am also in z6a

debra

debra..our zones must have similar minimum temperatures but I think my spring starts earlier..we have different "calendars"..make sense?..I noticed my only pulmonaria was blooming today..

Not surprising that I am the only one who has nothing up yet. There is still snow on the shadiest part of the garden. It is a good thing in a way because after some quite nice weather it will get very chilly again with below freezing night temps.

Ann your garden is looking so good despite the unfortunate tree limb possible damage!

thanks Laurie!..the season just started and I've had frost and a broken limb!..and worried about hail (didn't happen)..I need to accept that I can't keep all of my plants perfect..enjoy your worry free time now without plants..soon you'll be stressed like me 😂..

I was away from home for four days, was amazed at how much growth! We have had SO much rain so far.

Sherry

Well Ann, now I am stressed like you. All the snow left yesterday. I went out last night and piled leaves and twigs over Teaspoon. It is always the first up and tiny pips were showing. The leaf/twig protection was mostly so the deer don't get it. Daylillies are all popping up.

Sherry it has been raining So much here too. Every day there is rain and lots more today and this week. I will be fine but flood warnings for low lying areas and along rivers. Here's hoping for some sun for both of us.

Laurie..lol..it's funny how we love gardening but it can stress us out!..I'm getting some "green" up high..I think Praying Hands and Firn Line have passed on..there's no sign of either one..

Sherry..I can relate to what you said about rapid growth..I was busy working on the broken limb for 2 days..afterwards when I looked around I saw a difference!..especially Coast to Coast and Yellow Polka Dot Bikini..they weren't much but now they're up!..
we haven't had much rain..we've been warm but have a big drop at night in the forecast..

Ann, Looks like a good beginning for wonderland. My daylilies are all up with some good size. Hosta pips are getting big. I think I lost one of my potted hosta, not sure yet what it is.

We are a mile from the Fox River in Illinois, flood warnings have been issued. Flooding wont affect us but people on the rivers edge will be in trouble. I cant remember a time in several decades that flooding was a problem.

Sherry

I took a few photos today 🤯, OMG!

Sugar and Spice unfurling in its pot, Sagae number 2 is the furthest along, and my only Hellebore.

Sherry

Sherry..what a beautiful hellebore!..so many blooms 😮..
your hostas will catch up to mine soon..

Wow Ann & Sherry you are really having great starts.

Sherry that is certainly a gorgeous Hellebore.

I deleted an earlier comment..I took a better viburnum pic..see the Krossa Regals (a favorite) in the viburnum pic?..June with some reverted leaves..
Sherry..I hope there's no flooding 👍..it's raining here now..it started last night..I wanted rain..
thanks Laurie!..your day's coming..then you'll be saying "how will I ever get finished?"..I say this a lot..as Sherry said.."a garden is never finished"..I know she's right..but I want to try..

Lovely garden photo, Ann! Hard work is paying off. We have frost warnings for Sunday night/monday morning, maybe you too??? Hope everything survives, I want to take some pretty photos this season.

Sherry

Sherry..yes we have a frost warning tonight 🙁..I moved my potted hostas to the garage..I think yours are as big or bigger than mine..I took pics today in case my hostas take a hit..

We’re in a severe drought here. No rain in 2 weeks and no reliable rain in forecast. Days are 90+ degrees F. I am with you, Ann. Enjoy now! Golden Meadows, grouping with Jade Cascade and Regel Dplendor, World Cup, and Bridegroom.

utog..you'd never know from your nice photos that you're having a drought!..you must be working hard watering..your plants are so happy..👍

Utog, wish we could share the rain, flooding in our area. The last two seasons were drought conditions here…..now more water than we need. I hope your plants hang in there!

Sherry

I also have had non-stop rain…… we had tornado warning sirens going off for the first time in 30 years I swear, let alone three

In one week. However, with the rain comes the pips! Even through I haven’t been outside for a week due to a crummy virus

That won’t let go, I can see lots of pips through the window. We got some water in the basement but it drains down to the drain without damage.
I haven’t put out my pots yet because it’s going to be freezing tonight. But the rest of the week and month there’s nothing predicted below 40. 🤩👏🏽👍🏽

UTOG I agree that we could share the rain. What I would not share are the freezing temps at night. Barely above freezing during the day today and -6C (21F) overnight. Below freezing for the next 3 nights. Hard to take after some really nice warm days.

Debra tornado sirens are never good. I am just happy they never materialized. At least seeing the pips will cheer you through being sick. I am still coughing a bit after well over a month long flu. I expect many more because my adorable grandson brings home so many different virus/bugs. Of course he gets over them quickly lol.

Get well soon, everyone. I had Flu B last week. I figured I was just feeling achy and tired from life with a new puppy. Flu B and puppy makes for exhaustion. I feel like I have a newborn again.

Ann, I taught 3, 4, and 5 year olds for years so I know what you mean. I almost would get well and then get sick all over again. All those runny noses!

debra