Finally, I have been able to start my spring garden chores. The temperature got up to 50 degrees yesterday and there was some sun. I raked the front lawn and beds, including the Daylily Bank. I can never decide whether it is good or bad to cut down daylily foliage in the fall, but whatever I thought, I didn’t do it last year. Fortunately, a steel rake is all it takes to pull out most of the dead foliage.
The succulents wintered inside in the unheated Great Room. I knew the succulents were hardy (mostly) but I wasn’t sure about the hypertufa troughs. You can see one hypertufa trough is already broken. I didn’t make the bottom thick enough. I’m ready to try again this year. The flower pot that looks empty holds a mass of black stemmed Ashfield mint that I pulled up by accident – with my steel rake – and decided to pot up. The mint runs all over the place, and I thought I’d worry less about pulling it up if I always had some in a pot.
I have had a clump of lovely yellow primroses from the supermarket blooming here for years. Last year I added different primroses that I bought at the Bridge of Flowers Plant Sale, scheduled for Saturday, May 17 this year, and they have all come through. You can bet I’ll be at the sale again this year to get more bargains. Annuals, too.
Primroses always seem so delicate looking to me. If they can withstand your winters they would surely survive mine. I must give them a try.
I’ve had a red primrose and a yellow one survive several winters here, but this one did them both in, I’m afraid. 🙁
Lisa – I was surprised that the yellow supermarket primrose has thrived all these years. The plant sale primroses have thrived on our Bridge of Flowers for years so I had no concerns about them.
Kylee – I can’t believe you had a worse winter than we did. That is terrible. But new plants are waiting.
Isn’t it nice to finally be able to get out and do some garden chores? I’ve worked a few days, too, though there is still much to do–I wish I’d kept my resolution to get in shape over the winter, because my muscles ache after just an hour or two:) Sorry about your hypertufa pot–do you usually store these inside over the winter? I just took a class on making them and hope to make a few more this summer. I usually leave my pots outside, so I hope they don’t need too much special care.
Rose – You have a very different spring from the heights of the end of the road. I still can’t do much – probably better for my muscles. I was just nervous about my hpertufa – especially after one broke due to my inexperience. Glad to hear yours come through the winter OK.
When I see your little primroses peeking through, I wish we could go back a month or so. The most exciting time of the year. Our weather seems to have ‘fast-forwarded’ us to late May
Cathy – We had frost this morning and here in Heath we have NO desire to go backwards into winter. Spring has barely begun.