We’ve had an unusually cold and wet winter so far this season. The rain is welcome (although maybe not so much at one time). The combination of weather plus travel has kept me out of the garden for the past couple of months. Consequently, the weeds have taken over and it’s time to get out there between storms.
Frost damage
Most things have been cut back in preparation for spring.
The pollinator garden looks sad and weedy
Cut back in preparation for spring weather
I planted several kinds of bulbs in pots this year. Once they start blooming I will place them around the front door.
Wildflowers were also planted in pots to welcome spring. In pots, I will have better control over watering.
Wildflowers
There are flowers in the garden, just not so many. The hellebores are in bloom, and cuphea plants seem to bloom non-stop for all 12 months of the year.
hellebores
Arrangement of hellebores and paperwhites.
I usually plant sweet peas in late November, I was late this year.
Sweet Peas
They are one of my favorite flowers and remind me of my grandmother in England. She always had a long row of them on a trellis at the side of her garden.
The salvia (Mole Poblano) is late blooming this year but I see the first signs. It’s an amazing bright red and the hummingbirds love it. It will grow up to 6 feet tall although it can be trimmed back to a shorter height.
Salvia gesneriiflora “Mole Poblano”
The freesias are coming up.
Freesias
I am not going to show pictures of the vegetable garden this month. Give me some time to dig out the redwood roots and do some seeding. I’ve been harvesting the last of the kale and the arugula but need to spend some serious hours getting it ready for spring planting.