Peonies

I love these peonies.  These are finished blooming now, but we recently visited north central North Dakota and they are blooming there now.  This plant actually belongs to my daughter, which means this is surviving through four generations. 

The Septic System

The Septic System.Can't live without it!  So when it needs repairing, we do it. How can such a big truck avoid all my interspersed plantings?  The grape vine.  The lilac.  The cherry tree.  The garden beds.  I am happy to say that the workers are careful.  My heart may have pounded rapidly a few times when they got close, but the worst thing is we'll have to re-plant some grass.  And we'll have an improved septic system! 

Loving Those Lilacs

It's going to sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. Between work, family, and the garden I have not have any time to post what's been happening in my garden. So here I go...The photo of the lilacs (below) capures the delight and even joy I feel.  The color is lovely, and the smell intoxicating.  Yesterday they were covered in butterflies, so I dragged the family outside to see the butterflies and smell the lilacs.  This beauty is fleeting and soul-nourishing. In the middle photo, I find that Pasque flower is almost more interesting after it blooms.  And the irises (top) are blooming, too.  I love those as well.  As I am re-doing my garden, I am trying to simplify, keeping only my favorites.  Yet when they are blooming, they are all my favorites.  

Snowflakes and a Tiller

Yes, snowflakes! Here we only had a few flying through the air, though to the north of us "no travel" is advised due to heavy snow and strong winds. Just this weekend, however, the temperatures were warm enough for me to play with my new tiller, pictured here. I thought that I would never need a tiller. And I suppose that's true. I don't "need" one. But is it fun! I got so much more work done than if I had shoveled by hand (and foot and back). The size is perfect for me since I can lift it, and, since it is electric, I do not have to learn to mix or change the oil. I might have disparaged "boys and their toys," but now I am hoping the weather will cooperate so I can play with my toy again soon.

Pasque Flower on Easter

This may be the only year where my pasque flower blooms on Easter here in Minnesota. Here's the photographic proof. The blossom is just opening. The first photo is a better picture of the squill from the previous post.

First of the Blooms

Here's Siberian Squill, the first of the bulbs to bloom at my place.

Is this highly unusual? Yes.

As a Minnesotan, this early spring makes me nervous because I feel like we will pay for this early spring with something awful later...a blizzard? a drought? freezes in May? People have talked about how this could a sign of global warming. Perhaps it is, but we'll only know it after we've experienced it. We can forecast all we want, but it is only after the trends are collected and analyzed can we draw conclusions. To borrow a cliche, hindsight is 20/20.

Since I can't worry about these dire predictions yet, I will get outside and enjoy the good weather.

First Seeds Planted

Even before the first day of spring (today!), I have planted some seeds. With our unseasonably warm winter and above average temps currently, the garden bed I prepared in the fall seems ready. Will the temperatures stay warm? Will the seeds rot? Stay tuned...