Hello from the land of viral pneumonia and snow flurries. The kids and I are all super sick because we just had to end the cold & flu season with one more major illness. We started spring with a bang, and by bang I don’t mean excitement and anticipation, I mean the opposite of that. Okay, I know I am being the world’s biggest negative nelly, I’m just so over cold, snow, winter, being inside, grey days and sickness. Can’t a girl get a break? Oh wait, I just did… in Atlanta… with Bruce. I honestly don’t mean to sound like a major whiney bummer (although I know I do), I really am trying to keep it positive and look on the bright side, you guys. For instance, my plants give me hope. They are small and tiny, but growing! Big changes in my garden are happening!
I bundled up to brave the cold and rain just to take a few photos of my April garden so I could continue on the monthly-garden-photo-sharing tradition. I’ve been taking monthly photos of my garden for the last two gardening seasons. It’s been fun to share the small improvements in my garden with all of you. I hope you guys enjoy seeing what I am up to, but I have to admit taking these photos is partly selfish. It’s been really great to have these images as reference to look back at when I get the gardening itch mid-January or so. I’ve been pouring over old garden photos for the last few weeks getting myself super amped and excited to see my plants. After 7 long months, I really do begin to miss them.
The rabbits like my Tulips.
I hear ya on the cold and rain. Sunday it was fun, Monday I didn’t mind terribly but starting yesterday boo. Can’t we catch a break here? Anyway. Excited about growth too. My fiancee and I are in a new (but very old) house in the Minneapolis area and are also finally seeing things pop up. Thanks to this post I now know what those little red shoots are. Peonies?!? How great is that! I had no idea what those darn things were coming out of the ground – i’m new to the world of gardens and yards.
That is so exciting, Melanie! You are gonna have fun this summer seeing your yard come to life. Yes, those shoots are typically Peonies, especially if they are pointy on top when they are first popping through. Hostas can also be purple-y in color and look similar. Bleeding hearts pop up this time of year too, and are also red/pinkish but usually have little feathery bits poking out of the top as soon as the break through the soil. Excited for you!
I have been thinking about all the little plant spouts too, and can’t help but feel sorry for them right now. I did go back and cover some up with mulch again as I had already done some raking to expose them. My question: how do you like the black mulch. It looks fantastic, but does the color hold up, and do you know what is it colored/tinted with?? Thanks, and love your blog!
Hey Deb, That was very loving of you to cover up your plants. I just let my guys hang out there in the yard. I really like the black mulch. I did have to dig and rake most of it out this year to remove the excess dirt from the new fence posts, but it looked good after the winter. Make sure you lay it down after seedlings fall from nearby trees. Last year I spent an entire weekend laying down mulch and the next day our neighbors tree decided to drop a bunch of seed husks-y things. The contrast between the seeds and the black mulch was too much and I ended up touching up the flower beds with a new mulch. I always keep an extra bag or two around to do touch ups as well. I’m give black another go this year too.
your plants are WAY ahead of mine. what’s up with that?? prior lake is NOT that far away. heck, we’re even farther south! feel better soon!
Hey Michele, I think my lens is fooling you guys. These are all very tiny little plants, I’m sure ours have to be more similar than they look Thanks for the well wishes!
For what its worth, Minneapolis is beating the pants off of Saint Paul. My garden is no where close to as far along as yours. I hear the sun’s coming out tomorrow!
Hey Meg! I think that I am making these tiny plants look better than they are – you know the magic of photography and all. They are all very tiny and sad looking in real life. I bet ours are similar in size. Is that really true, I would kill for some sun right now!
Yay for your plants peeking out!!! Boo for the sickness. That is no fun, especially when it hangs on. I’ve got a four yr old that can’t seem to shake whatever it is. Hope you feel better soon! And I must say (and I’ve comment on this before) that I have been anxiously waiting for your garden posts! I have been going back through your archives gathering pointers and getting ready for my own attempt at gardening. I live in a rental with an awesome yard, but it’s sad. It needs help. So I feel with my limited knowledge of plants/gardening, I’m going to breathe some life into it :). Thanks for all these great garden posts. And your new fence is gorg! We are going to be gifted with a new chain link soon, so I’ll keep checking on yours for eye candy when the chain link starts to kill my spirit :).
Hey Lori, Hope your little one is feeling better soon. That’s hard! So glad you are into these garden posts! Sometimes I can’t tell if it’s interesting to only me, or if others get something out of it too. I’ve gardened at rentals before too, it’s still rewarding and you can always dig up perennials when it’s time to move on. I’m excited for you to get into that dirt!
Wow, I have every one of those plants in my garden, too, except the tulips! I never seem to have good luck with them. Last fall I planted “Gladiator” alliums and the foliage is popping up now. (I live in southwest Ohio). I can’t wait for them to bloom! My favorite container plant of the last couple years is “Dragonwing” Begonia. They thrive in sun or shade and just one plant gets HUGE with little attention. They are pretty much the only annuals I plant. (I always fill containers with perennials so I can plant them in early fall).
Woah, those Alliums are intense in size. I guess I haven’t noticed too many around here. I just looked them up and it looks like some of them are hardy in zone 4. I’ll have to see if they carry them at our local nursery. I’m glad to hear you’ve had luck with Begonias, I always skip a watering and lose them, but maybe I should give them another chance. These are all good things to know, thank you for sharing and I will consider both Alliums and Begonias next time I’m at the plant store. Happy Spring!
Lady, I feel you. I am DONE with this winter and this week seems to be its last, disgusting gasp. I am hoping next week will bring us spring for real. Alas everyone keeps telling me how last year it snowed in May… (insert cringing emoji).
Are those fiddlehead ferns or do they all start out looking like that? (Kinda like seahorses!) I had never even heard of them until recently when I had them in an omelet at Longman and Eagle!
I know, right! I hope next week is real spring too, although it looks like more gray skies, rain and low temps our way. So sad.
I inherited these ferns when I moved in. I am no fern expert but I would assume that maybe they are fiddle head ferns? I have other ferns that I planted myself and they pop out of the ground in mounds, not like these do. Maybe I should throw some on my breakfast? So jealous of your access to Longman and Eagle B-fasts!
I felt a small surge of relief when I saw the peony spears poking through. Lose everything else, maybe – but keep the peonies. We haven’t even had any cold here, I’m in Northern California, but the pictures had me worried that it actually was winter and the peonies are late! Hope that you and the boys (I have a Gus and my sister has a Finn) feel better soon.
I know, I love peonies too! I am so excited for things to start blooming! I love it – Finn and Gus are keeper names!