Last fall I wasn’t thinking about National Gardening Day, but I was thinking I wanted more early flowers. The answer was 100 daffodils to create a daffodil river in front of my rose bushes, who won’t give me bloom for two more months.

Actually, I didn’t know anything about National Gardening Day until it jumped up on my computer. Thank you computer! I think April 14th is definitely the day that wakes us up and says it’s time to get out in the garden. The spring shoots coming up through the autumnal leaves covering my ground woke me up.

Last April  a friend invited me to her garden which was blooming with daffodils and hellebores.  It was thrilling to see so many flowers blooming so early in the year. I had to have hellebores. I immediately went out and bought three plants. When clearing the space I also found a surprise, a hellebore I completely forgot about.  I was happy with my  four  hellebores, but this spring I said I must have more.  I bought and planted two more. In garden order I have Helleborus caucasicus ‘Wedding Party-Maid of Honor’; H. hybridus Lenten Rose ‘Ivory Prince’; H. hybrid ‘Wedding Party-Flower Girl’; H. x ericsmithii Lenten Rose  ‘Shooting Star’; H. ‘Wedding Party – First Dance.’ And of  course, there is my deep purple mystery hellebore.

These early bloomers are so encouraging in  the early spring. Gentle raking was on my list and I have been watching green shoots rising through the leaves. Grape hyacinths, snowdrops and not-yet-in-bloom giant snowdrops, bleeding hearts, daylilies, columbine, and ladies mantle. The roses are beginning to leaf out, as is the willow. We are so glad it rained last night.

Are you ready to step out in the garden?  What is sending up shoots? Have your crocus come and gone? Are the daffodils in bloom, are more sending up shoots of late bloomers?  What is happening in your garden on National Gardening Day?