What's Bloomin'?, Edition 1

It's been so unseasonably warm here this winter that I can't completely convince myself it's really winter. Neither can the flowers, because they're already pushing their way through the dirt. We even have some blooming already, so I thought I'd share what's blooming at our house at the beginning of March. Gardening is one of our hobbies. By no means are we experts, since moving here 5 years ago we've been learning as we go. We've probably had as much die on us as survive - but every year we get a few more items established. It's so neat to see things come back every year.

So here the blooms as they come along.  I'll admit that both J and I are a nervous wreck that we're still in for a hard frost that will kill what's come up so far. Oh well - maybe we'll get lucky!



Flowering Quince/Japonica - Chaenomeles speciosa. We planted this bush 3 years ago and it has been steadily growing every year. It's always the first of our shrubs to flower. Interestingly, it flowers before it leafs out for the year. It's actually been blooming for a few weeks now.

Lenten Rose - Helleborus orientalis. J's mother gave us this several years ago, and it comes back every year. Love the purple flower. There are several other colors available. I would like to get some more as they seem to grow very well here in the shade - and we have lots of shade in our back yard.

Periwinkle - Vinca minor. I LOVE THIS VINE. Over half of our back yard is wooded, and the ground cover is a mix of Periwinkle vine and English Ivy. I would love to figure out a way to get rid of the English Ivy and let the Periwinkle take over. The leaves are such a deep green, and the color of the flowers match the sky this time of year.

BIg Leaf Periwinkle - Vinca Minor. We have a lot of this at the front of our property. As the name sounds, it looks just like Vinca minor, but the whole plant is larger. Honestly, other than the pretty blooms in the spring, the vine is a little invasive. We pull a lot of it out every season. But it's better that some other weeds!