Definitely a Gardening Day

Beautiful spring day, clouds building up though,  for rain is coming tonight and tomorrow, but for today temperatures in the 70's and just right for gardening.  I've been cleaning out the shady garden bed outside the garden proper.  The first couple of years we were here all I tried to  did was keep the weeds down, but about 4 years ago I decided that although it was in the shade all the time that I would find some plants that would grow there, and it has become one of my favorite beds.

I began by putting in Asperagus Ferns thinking I'd probably have to replant them each year, but they have been a wonder.  They're not truly a fern and originally from South Africa,  in some locations it's  been declared a weed, but I love them.  Delicate and lacy they've come through each winter, though this year they definitely got burned by the frost and I had to do some judicious pruning.

Each year I plant Coleus, Dusty Millers and Jacob's Coats in the bed. This year I'll add some begonias.   When the winter is mild, as it should be, they all come back.  This year I fear none of them will be back and I'll need to replant, time will tell.  There's also a Honeysuckle in this bed, but it hangs over the  garden fence and mainly blooms on the other side.  I've got Gladiola bulbs along the sunnier ends and put Pansies there in the winter.  The Mimosa tree overhangs this bed and though it blocks most of the sun its flowers are so pretty that I forgive it.  It is the last tree to leafout in the spring  and the last to lose its leaves in the fall.

The bed around the corner is my main rose bed and I started cleaning it today.  Last year at this time the Wisteria along the top of the fence had already started blooming, but not this year.

Mac is putting in a new raised bed in the garden proper.  Right now there are Day Lilies, Ginger Lilies and Freesias there.  Hopefully   it won't be so damp there now and I'll try some other plants in there.

In the small bed next to the driveway my Daffodils and Hyacinths have started blooming, finally!

It feels so good to have my fingers in the soil again!