The crevice garden I started last spring is coming along nicely. The troughs and rock gardens are sporting some lovely blossoms too.

As usual there is a lot going on in the garden this time of year. In fact there is so much going on, I have had hardly had time to take photos and post them. There will be two posts – one on the main gardens and one on the crevice and rock gardens.

Violets and Anemone nemerosa

Spring has sprung. We returned from a southern hiatus and of course a couple days later snow was forecast. Red sky at morning…..and yes it was a warning. I hurried out and covered the budding daffodils and crocus and a few other things. We got 5 inches of heavy wet stuff, but everything survived .

We have had lots and lots of rain so things are pretty soggy. A sunny stretch is forecast though, so perhaps I can back into the garden, do some clean-up, move some things around and generally lose myself for hours. It is the best.

Update on the crevice garden: it seemed to survive the winter quite well. Photos to come once things start blooming

It is the end of January. Freeze, thaw, cold, snow, warm, rain….. over and over. What a gloomy month.

Happy New Year. January is half over and weather wise it has been what I call “ugly bugly.” We had warm weather, then a beautiful snowstorm (16 inches at our house), then rain storms which washed it all away. Some of it washed right into my basement. Yesterday we had a snow squall and we might get more snow tomorrow, and then temperatures are supposed to plummet into the single digits for a few days. I hope we get some snow before that happens so the poor plants will have a bit of a blanket.

I started out the year just right – buying plants. A local nursery is closing, and I went to see what they had for sale. I ended up with a cart full of perennials – half off. They are heeled into the veggie garden, and I have until April to figure out where to put them. Such a dilemma.

And so the year ends. December was mild and very wet. We are having an El Nino winter which usually means the snows come in February and March. We will have to see what happens in 2024. The garden, of course, is dormant, but the wildlife still visits. 

It has been a difficult year for many. Gardening is my way of finding some solace. Happy New Year to all my gardening friends.

November is winding down. We had frost and a bit of snow. The dahlias have been lifted and are settled into their winter storage. The Brugmansia was pruned and brought into the basement so that it can go dormant until spring. I have cut back the things that get mushy like iris, daylilies, allium and hostas. The woodier perennials with seed heads will be left up until spring. Bird feeders have been put out, and we have lots of woodpeckers, bluebirds, finches, sparrows, juncos, titmice, chickadees, blue jays, and cardinals.

The garden will rest now until spring. Hopefully there will be more snow cover to insulate the plants from the cold.

It was an interesting fall. The color wasn’t as brilliant as some years, but there were pockets of real beauty. The weather was mild which was delightful. We also traveled a bit (S. Dakota Black Hills and Badlands.) I transplanted some daylilies and thinned out some other plants. There will be more to do in the spring, but I made a good start.

These photos are through the end of October.

It rained. And then it rained some more. And then it was hot and humid. I didn’t get much gardening done other than a bit of weeding and cutting back daylily scapes. Hurricane Lee is passing well east of us as I write, cooler air coming, and hopefully I can get out and do some fall transplanting. On the bright side, at least I didn’t have to haul hoses and sprinklers around.

That’s all for now. Fall foliage should be starting soon….

I have been lax in my postings. Lots of rain, busy with grandchildren, visitors, and other things. The gardens have benefitted from the rain this summer, and I have loved not having to drag hoses around all the time. The daylilies were spectacular with many still blooming, and the meadow is now full of goldenrod, phlox, bee balm and Queen Anne’s lace. Its a lazy time of year. I will move some things around this fall, but for now I am just enjoying the view.