What's blooming in your yard?

[Patty Smyth]

LOL!! You win

I wonder how many plants we're going to lose this year as a result of that bloody cold.

I took a picture but for some reason my phone is not downloading pictures anymore stupid phone.

I am worried about my cotinus royal purple they do not like it too cold. I am afraid I may have to cut them right down.

[Ciel]

Raked and bagged the pine needles-c'mon Ms Sunshine melt that Dec ice already-and am seeing more yard now.
There are clumps of true green grasslike plants in the flowerbed-the colour is great to see when the other plants are still wearing winter beige/brown.

@PattySmith-if the snow is soft or light and Ms. Sunshine is out, get your shovel rescue going by removing the snow load on the plants. Chip what you can if the snow is harder. I already did most of the clipping (not artistic, mostly to cut below stalk splits/bends or dead sections) two weeks ago before a snow/rain event just to save the plants' energy when they get back to making chlorophyll when Ms Sunshine is doing business-beaming!

[Natalka]

These are Viola odorata – Sweet Violet (ljubičica)

These were a special find for us when we lived in our previous house - in Serbia, where my husband is from, they are the first flowers to come up in spring.
He had found some here growing along an alley which had spread from some Baba's garden, and we replanted them.

Well, they do spread like crazy, and the flowers are really fine and delicate - but they have the most heavenly scent I have ever smelled. They don't bloom for long, but they are most worthwhile growing.

So I have a question for you much more experienced gardeners. If we were able to get these to replant here, do you think they would grow in pots, and thus we wouldn't have the crazy spreading problem?
Or any other suggestions?

Where we are living, we are facing north. There are really big, old trees on the lawn in the front yard, so I don't know yet how much sun gets through them; there is no flower bed there. There are stairs that go up to the front door, and a small deck which gets good sun, so I could put pots on it, or hang something off the deck, I suppose.
The back is huge, lots of grass and a big garden plot.

[Patty Smyth]

These are Viola odorata – Sweet Violet (ljubičica)

These were a special find for us when we lived in our previous house - in Serbia, where my husband is from, they are the first flowers to come up in spring.
He had found some here growing along an alley which had spread from some Baba's garden, and we replanted them.

Well, they do spread like crazy, and the flowers are really fine and delicate - but they have the most heavenly scent I have ever smelled. They don't bloom for long, but they are most worthwhile growing.

So I have a question for you much more experienced gardeners. If we were able to get these to replant here, do you think they would grow in pots, and thus we wouldn't have the crazy spreading problem?
Or any other suggestions?

Where we are living, we are facing north. There are really big, old trees on the lawn in the front yard, so I don't know yet how much sun gets through them; there is no flower bed there. There are stairs that go up to the front door, and a small deck which gets good sun, so I could put pots on it, or hang something off the deck, I suppose.
The back is huge, lots of grass and a big garden plot.

Spreading plants sometimes don't do well in pots but you can try. You may have to separate them every year or they will choke. If you plant them in the ground and don't want them to spread you could try surrounding them with a wall. Dig a trench around them and put plastic border underground in a circle to contain them.

[Patty Smyth]

Raked and bagged the pine needles-c'mon Ms Sunshine melt that Dec ice already-and am seeing more yard now.
There are clumps of true green grasslike plants in the flowerbed-the colour is great to see when the other plants are still wearing winter beige/brown.

@PattySmith-if the snow is soft or light and Ms. Sunshine is out, get your shovel rescue going by removing the snow load on the plants. Chip what you can if the snow is harder. I already did most of the clipping (not artistic, mostly to cut below stalk splits/bends or dead sections) two weeks ago before a snow/rain event just to save the plants' energy when they get back to making chlorophyll when Ms Sunshine is doing business-beaming!

lol I really should post a pic to show you why that's not possible

[Natalka]

Thanks so much, Patty!

[Patty Smyth]

Of course I should take my own advice and do this with my day lilies that run amok lol but I figure they are so determined they will just go under

You know if you don't have that black plastic border stuff you can just use any old pot and cut the bottom off it and plant it in the ground in that. That may even provide better containment because pots are usually deeper.

[avoncallingu]

Our whole lawn is now green with patches of snow here and there. I'm really going to miss our yard when we move. I'm really not motivated to do much outside but who knows when we'll be able to sell. I didn't get a chance to clean up last fall as we were away. We hired a fellow to rake and remove the leaves while we were away but there are still many many leaves which collected in the
"hard-to-reach" spots. It's been really cold and snowy this week.

I bought some tulips to put out for our open house and they are very cheery!

[nmcgrath]

I swear, the purple viola shown above grows wild in Nova Scotia where I grew up (ocean front delta area, with some swampy/rich/dense forest)...am I wrong stating that it also comes more rarely in white? Does anyone know a way for me to get some of that in Alberta (could I ask my mother to express mail a cut?) I have fond memories of this flower as a child, and fond memories of an old lady named Viola.

Also to bounce this off of anyone fantasizing about Spring gardening:
I live very close to a dense mountainous forest area, my grandfather (in Early Spring) would park at the edge of the forest, bring a wheelbarrow and load his truck up with soil (peeling back the dry top layer to get the moist soil underneath). He would then use this soil as topsoil for his flower beds.
-This year, should I be doing this if I have it available to me? and I have the back to withstand it? How beneficial is this? What could be the downfall?

[Patty Smyth]

4cm of snow today calling for 15 on Sunday oh joy

[Ciel]

Mountains/forests tend to fall under parks regulations or conservation acts if not an actual natural resources ministry's authority. I'd suggest you find out if your soil plan is allowed under Alberta laws or Canadian laws. You don't know what environmental habitat you could be disturbing-not all plant life is yet sprung nor evident above the soil line. There's also a likelihood some company might have rights to forest areas and have an agreement with the government to harvest trees or other things in the forest.
http://esrd.alberta.ca/lands-forests...s/default.aspx

http://www.programs.alberta.ca/Livin...?N=770+563+570

[Ciel]

@PattySmyth-if it's sunny outside, get that shovel and clear around the house and toss snow into the sun. You'll be glad of a path around the house later when snow comes on Sunday esp. if you have downspouts or emerging flowers to check on.
I'm sure nearby neighbours probably wondered why on those sunny but cold early March days I was lobbing snow away onto the front yard after I trimmed the remains of last year's plants that I could see. All the better to see the green grass below and I wanted to reduce melting water chances near the flowerbeds/house. Strategy...

[GoJays]

we don't have green grass. it's a drab shade of khaki at the moment... the bits of it that i can actually see

[endi2000]

We are not quite as protected as some of the others on the island - but our crocuses have finished (and the lone mini iris I have) - thought I would give you a peak into what is starting now (Daffs are in full swing)

I have a pieris bush (I call it anemic because it never gets a really good green) and a white crocus sitting side by side. As well as a tiny camelia that is bursting with blooms.

[Patty Smyth]

Today