Tulips and Other Spring Delights

I planted these Darwin Hybrid tulips in Fall 2013, and they still bloom well in this sunny, south-sloping bed.

Spring is progressing nicely here in Iowa, and we've had some warm days in the 80s already. Today was cooler as will be the next few days, although we're not supposed to drop below freezing before it warms up again later in the week.

I was incredibly busy in the gardens over the weekend, planting numerous perennials, transplanting things that need to be moved, cutting back last year's foliage and digging out weeds that have managed to gain a foothold already. This made me pretty exhausted and sore, as it does every spring after a lazy winter inside, so today's windy, chilly weather was a welcome opportunity to rest up.

But I made sure to spend some time enjoying the lovely sunshine and also managed to snap a few photos of what's in bloom around the gardens during this "tulippy" time of year.

The Front Border, with Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxatilis), tulips and grape hyacinths.

More of the Front Border. The more times I see the Basket-of-Gold blooming in the spring to cheer up cloudy days, the more I grow to admire and like it. The big clump next to the sidewalk is probably ready to divide, and I know some places that could use some of this good cheer....

Red tulips and purple creeping phlox in front of my porch.

The pear tree next to my Garden Shed, in bloom and underplanted with tulips. I think I'll plant some bluebells under this tree as soon as I run across some. I've never had any in my gardens, and I think this is an oversight on my part.

Tulips and hyacinths just coming out in the White Garden.

Tulips and violets near my front steps. The little violets have such cheerful little faces!

The North Border in Year 3. It definitely has more growing in it this spring than last spring -- my post last month about this border shows how terribly sparse it was last year. (And only some of the growth is weeds, especially right on the edges; I have asked my husband to spray the edges before I mulch them....)

Another view of the North Border, from my kitchen sink window. I just transplanted the boxwood shrubs from another location in my gardens to form an "X" among the daylilies planted in this bed (the stick is to mark the middle point). This will give something more to look at during winter, I hope. I may also add some annuals, bulbs or something else in this bed that is on the north side of my house; I haven't quite decided yet. There is an old stone cellar below, and there is not more than 18" of soil depth here, so I have to stick with shallow-rooted, partial shade plants, and I might have to water supplementally during periods of drought. (It's kind of a tricky area, but I was tired of mowing it -- usually scalping it because of the uneven terrain -- when it was covered with grass, so I made a bed in this raised area. Some more thought is needed... suggestions?

The Yellow Garden, in Year 2, is starting to "yellow up" quite nicely, with tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, as well as golden foliage plants. Crocus, winter aconite and rock garden iris have already finished blooming here too.

Another view of the Yellow Garden. I'm pretty sure that the butterfly bush (the big skeleton at left) is dead, as I have never been able to overwinter them here, but I'll wait a bit more before hoicking it out -- however, its replacement is already waiting in a pot by the side of my house....

The good news is that nearly all the shrubs and trees that I planted last year have made it through the winter, with only a few exceptions. The magnolias and other flowering trees planted in my new island beds are starting to bloom, and I hope I'll be able to include a few pictures in my next post.

Hope you're not working too hard in your own gardens -- this can be a busy time of year. Thanks for reading! -Beth