If you look closer, you can see my rose "garden". Okay, it's three rose bushes. The far left one was here when we moved in. It has deep red blooms. In the center is a Marilyn Monroe--peachy, pretty blooms. The far right is a First Prize, which has bright pink blooms. I pruned them all not long ago (when the forsythia out back started blooming b/c that's when my friend the internet said to prune your roses.) But all three have a healthy amount of new growth coming on.
Also making an appearance early in the season is my single peony. It's pink. I moved it from the backyard b/c it didn't do very well, being run over by dog paws all the time. It made a nice showing last year (its first year since being moved), so I'm hoping that this year it comes back even stronger.
California poppies (orange) are also coming up. Actually, they never went away. Even in the snow, they just kind of hunkered down, like the determined little green weeds that they are.
And speaking of determined weeds, my echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) is already poking its head up. I planted these from seed last year, but got them out too late in the season for them to do much. More hope for a better show this year. The last time I had one of these was when we lived in Shoreline. I found a large specimen on sale, so I brought it home and put it out in the front yard. The following year we adopted Smokey (Keeshond)...imagine my horror when I looked out the front window to see him trotting around with my gorgeous echinacea hanging from his jaws like some downed gazelle. That horror was matched only by my delight the following spring, when I saw that every little piece of echinacea root that had been left in the ground began sprouting a new little echinacea plant. Instead of one large plant, Smokey's puppy destructiveness had left me with dozens. (Nevertheless, my current echinacea crop is safely tucked in the FRONT yard.)
And speaking of determined weeds, my echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) is already poking its head up. I planted these from seed last year, but got them out too late in the season for them to do much. More hope for a better show this year. The last time I had one of these was when we lived in Shoreline. I found a large specimen on sale, so I brought it home and put it out in the front yard. The following year we adopted Smokey (Keeshond)...imagine my horror when I looked out the front window to see him trotting around with my gorgeous echinacea hanging from his jaws like some downed gazelle. That horror was matched only by my delight the following spring, when I saw that every little piece of echinacea root that had been left in the ground began sprouting a new little echinacea plant. Instead of one large plant, Smokey's puppy destructiveness had left me with dozens. (Nevertheless, my current echinacea crop is safely tucked in the FRONT yard.)
And my shasta daisies, also started from seed last summer. They also have stayed low and green all winter long, but I think they're starting to feel it's safe to rise up a bit. Can't wait to meet them in full bloom!
This shot is from 13 months ago. I want to point out the "beforeness" of the grass, vs. the "afterness" in the shot at the top of this post. All that raking, moss killing, and de-thatching seems to have paid off.
And completely hidden from view are all of my dahlias. I love 'em to death, but we won't be seeing them anytime soon. Whimps.
This shot is from 13 months ago. I want to point out the "beforeness" of the grass, vs. the "afterness" in the shot at the top of this post. All that raking, moss killing, and de-thatching seems to have paid off.
