February Blooming..

In the midst of February, I start *totally* craving flowers and growing things... It feels like ages since there has been any.

So imagine my delight when I noticed some tiny crocuses (croci?) peeking up out of the ground in the afternoon sunshine.

Now I know that some of you have hoards of snowdrops and oodles of crocuses yourselves, but this is the first this year in my yard. Made me wonder if anything else might be blooming.

I did discover some (hen-pecked) violas,

and some burgundy hellebores just on the brink of opening.
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Keep thinking springy thoughts! It may come yet.

Garden post - flowers

Emailed off my painting scans, and then got to spend some hours cleaning up my poor, neglected yard! This year is going to be somewhat sparse in anything planted from seed (since THAT didn't happen!), and it's so cool that even the nursery-bought starts are not thriving. That said, I did stroll about to see what *was* blooming out there.


My perennials are pretty happy - despite neglect. This bleeding heart has about taken over the entire bed it's in.


No matter how many I pull up, I still end up with spires of foxglove scattered through out the beds.


The love-in-a-mist (Nigella), feverfew and forget-me-nots are not-forgettable and grow up in every possible crevasse.


Despite much-too-late, and very heavy pruning, the roses are out and blooming.


Another prolific re-seeder - the lavender, four-foot tall poppies in the lettuce beds...

It *is* gratifying to be out in the yard again.

Garden post - herbs

Many of my herbs are perennial or re-seed themselves - so those have been happily growing.


One of my staples is calendula ('marigold' in the UK). The petals are edible and medicinal both. We use them in salads and infuse oil and make tinctures for skin 'stuff' with them.


One of my new favorites - Sweet Cicely. The whole plant (leaves, stems, flowers, etc..) is edible and tastes gently of anise. It is a beautiful, ferny plant that reseeds itself happily and will grow in sun or shade.


Another fun edible flower - borage. Tastes somewhat of cucumber, and is beautifully dramatic with those long, black stamens against the bright blue star shape. Makes a lovely garnish.


I can barely keep up with my yarrow (medicinal) and lavender (culinary) - which are rapidly outgrowing the big box that they are planted in.


This is what I did this afternoon. The lavender will end up in sachets, lemonade, honey, shortbread, syrup and sugar. The yarrow will either grace dried arrangements or be drunk as tea for any number of 'what-ails-you'...

I love my herbs...

Spring!!!

What a difference a week makes!

A week ago, it looked like this outside my bedroom window.

However, the last couple of days have been absolutely glorious!! Sunny, bright blue and nearly 60 degrees out there. Buds and blooms are busting out all over. (One of my lilacs above).

One of the JOYS of springtime for me is seeing my 'sleeping' herbs emerging. The chives! The sweet cicely, the anise hyssop, the parsley, the fennel, the lemon balm, etc!!! Most exciting.

A few things are even blooming - the violets, the English Daisies, even a few violas.

The crocuses are on their last legs. The daffodils are budding and getting close.

And one of my adopted camelias (transplanted from a moving friend's garden) is budding for the first time. Joys abound. I'm loving all the plant life, and will have to continue waving at them from the studio window for awhile longer.

Although I did make a quick trip to the very dangerous O'Malley & Potter's as part of my one-outing-this-week to run a few errands. I did NOT go for chocolate - I had a couple of other things I needed to pick up - but, how could I help myself? The Dagoba chocolates are supposedly gifts (for those of you who have not yet experienced chocolate with chili - it is divine). What I DID get for me is the UliMana Cacao Kava. This is not a treat, it is a *Dietary Supplement*. (Just read the label!) "It contains raw, organic cacao which is high in antioxidants (way more than prunes, blueberries, etc..) and magnesium and contains the molecule P.E.A., phenylethymine, also known as ‘the love molcule’. P.E.A. is not only a natural mood elevator, it also helps with focus." Hey - I can use all the focus I can get right now. Plus the kava kava is supposed to be very relaxing. And the cacao is supposed to help with digestion. And oh my goodness - is it yummy! You can add a teaspoon to hot (almond) milk or eat it straight out of the jar. :-)

So, me and my Dietary Supplement are off to meet the next deadline. I'm not sure when I'll be back to post again for a bit.

I hope it's springing where you are.