Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Miracles in my Garden

Don't believe in miracles?  Become a gardener.  There's just something about being in touch with nature that makes you see everything as a miracle - or if not a miracle, at least as amazing.


Take today, for instance.  I walked outside with my camera, mostly as a habit.  I didn't expect to see any blooms.  But I wanted to be in my garden before the rains started.  (Rains are a miracle - if you don't believe me, ask anyone that's lived through a drought!)


Walking through the garden, rounding the corner, I was surprised and delighted to see my rosemary blooming!  This particular rosemary has never bloomed before.  I never expected it to, either.  It was a gift of remembrance given to me three years ago.  It has grown and flourished, better than I ever expected.  But it has never bloomed.  This past autumn, I gave it a small pruning.


Just seeing those bright blue flowers made my heart leap.  Blooms!  Blooms on this particular rosemary!  Well, it seemed almost like a miracle.


Then I realized that the garden was full of miracles.  Buds on trees and roses are pregnant with the promise of spring.  New little leaves are welcomed by the warmth, and the rain.


Bulbs and perennials are waking up from where they have been blanketed all winter by the warm, soft earth.


I don't clean up my gardens until after the perennial plants begin to emerge in spring.  (The lantanas always emerge last.)  The old stalks and stems are an indication that what is coming up is a flower, not a weed.  (I'm very bad about pulling up anything I don't immediately recognize.)


When I first started gardening, I only planted shrubs.  They stay on top of the ground and there is no mistaking them for a weed.  But then, I began to plant perennials.  Sometimes, as I walk through my gardens in winter, they look bare to me.  I begin to make plans to fill in bare patches, and start a grocery list of new plants to purchase.


But then, when spring begins to arrive, the perennials poke their heads up out of the sea of leaves.  And that's when I know - those bare patches are, in fact, full.  Full of little miracles.  Don't believe they're miracles?  Ask my husband.  That list of plants to purchase gets trashed, and all that money is saved.  He would say that's a miracle!  ;0


Plants emerging from under the ground.  Blooms.  Rain.  Money saved!  My garden is full of miracles! And if you don't believe in miracles, you'll at least have to admit - it's all quite amazing!

77 comments:

  1. Sometimes (like now) I really envy the South. Wonderful to see things blooming for you already.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. I am thrilled, too! I hope a late freeze doesn't set things back!

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  2. It really is amazing what happens before spring officially arrives. We have a camellia in bloom ~ it is gorgeous and miraculous. What I don't find to be amazing or miraculous are the weeds that grow in full force when February rolls around.

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    1. I don't know how they do it, but the weeds are always the first to show, the last to go, and the most hardy in winter's cold or summer's heat!

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  3. Your garden looks a lot like mine right now. Bushes have already begun leafing out, some of my daffys are blooming...so much to see if I really look. Watching plants grow is absolutely watching a miracle take place!

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    1. My daffodils haven't started blooming yet. I'm looking forward to it, though - I planted a lot more this past fall.

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  4. We have some green peeking through here, too. Not much. Still have some freezes to come. We're in a low spot. When it's just sort of cold in Austin, we can be below freezing...ugh.
    Hope we get at least a sprinkle today. And, hope you don't get strong storms. Rain is good...a real miracle here in Central Texas.

    Love the Rosemary....and, deer don't. That's a good thing.

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    1. I just woke up - we did get some winds and there are a couple of trees that fell. Thankfully, they only fell across the driveway, so no damage was done. We were happy to get the rain!

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  5. I just bought a rosemary plant with blooms on it and was thrilled. I love seeing things starting to come alive after winter in your area. Enjoy.

    FlowerLady

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    1. I am so thrilled about the rosemary blooming, I think I'm going to put more in another area! :) haha - that's all it takes for us gardeners - just a small taste of success!

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  6. all flowers are such miracles to think something so lovely and big can begin so small...I'm not sure why, but Columbines take the cake for me!

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    1. I planted some columbines last year, but not sure if they will come back up. I need to get the yellow ones.

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  7. A wonderful walk, plants are amazing things indeed!

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    1. If you stop and think (which we gardeners do a lot), everything about and in a garden is a miracle!

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  8. Hi Holley, in my garden it is miracle time again, as well! A pruned and de-leaved rose that looks almost dead, first bursts out into fresh green leaves in what seems to be just a blink of an eye, and then just a little later into blooms. Now that is a miracle of nature to me! Yes, it is happening in my garden, right now!
    Christina

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    1. I'm so thrilled for you, Christina! No matter how many years we garden, I think we still get the same excitement in seeing the first blooms of spring!

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  9. Looks great! I love gardens in the winter. I was hoping the fairies would stop by and weed mine for me - no such luck. I better get busy - spring is almost here.

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    1. If you see those fairies - tell them to come my way! ;) I need to get busy, too. I know it goes from a little too cool to too hot in such a short time here!

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  10. I love your joy and enthusiasm for your garden, droughts are not fun things, quite a few years ago we were suffering from drought and the dreaded water restrictions, but now we get just enough rain to keep the plants going. Love the fragrance of rosemary its a pretty plant even without its flowers. Beautiful images of rosemary.k.

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    1. I worry about droughts every year. They are probably the worst thing I have to contend with in my garden. And it's so sad to see everything dry up. Glad you're getting some rains. I hope none of us have to deal with drought this year.

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  11. I like that description of buds being pregnant with next season's leaves. That's the perfect word for it.

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    1. They will give birth to new blooms this spring! :)

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  12. You are so right! It is a miracle and your rosemary blooming is such a sweet treat!!! So happy that you got some action out there!!! We don't have anything yet and I'm kinda getting stir crazy!!!!!

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    1. I was very surprised to see those blooms. I was not expecting them at all. I really do believe we'll have an early spring this year - at least that's what I'm hoping for!

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  13. Love the flowers on your Rosemary and the site of green emerging from your bulbs. We've had single digits here and now it is warming a bit, but we have a long way to go until spring. It is refreshing to see some green in your garden...enjoy!

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    1. Brrr - single digits! I honestly don't think I could stand it!

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  14. Hi Holley, Love the blooms on your Rosemary. SO pretty!!!!! Looks like your spring bulbs are doing well so far. We went to the Biltmore yesterday and I saw a Daffodil in bloom. That gave me HOPE.... ha

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. Oh, I can imagine the daffodils at Biltmore are spectacular! It's always exciting to see the first blooms opening!

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  15. It absolutely is a miracle. One that keeps me coming back each spring. I'm thrilled to see blooms on your rosemary. They are such a useful and beautiful plant.

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    1. No matter how many springs we see, they are all different -and all exciting! I love rosemary, too. Especially the scent. mmmmmm

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  16. What a pretty blue miracle! Like you, I often feel that panic in early spring when my flowerbeds look empty and bare. Unlike you however, I have no restraint. I end up buying new things reasoning that I still have lots of room to squeeze in a few more plants. Then the established perennials fill in and the new plants end up getting crowded out. I need to learn to relax and just let the miracles happen all on their own.

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    1. I did that for a couple of years, but then I really didn't have anywhere to put them! It's funny because I really do know that there are not any bare patches left. But it's hard to resist thinking that something needs to go there when all we see is bare earth!

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  17. Funny take! Time to see if some spring pruning gets my rosemary to miraculously flower once again - last time was Dec 2010.

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    1. I don't know if that did the trick or not, but now I'm wondering if it really was just the pruning! Good luck with yours! If you prune it and it flowers, we'll know the secret!

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  18. Things like buds and bare roots are akin to lottery tickets, the expectation is just part of the fun!

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  19. I got a question, one of those pics looks like mums...I have mine in pots and I want to put them in the ground...is that what one of those pics are? It's the 3rd pic from the bottom.

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    1. You are right! Those are mums. They will bloom in the spring and again in the fall. :)

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    2. I have ten in pots that I need to put in the ground. They look like that. Right now, they are just outside of my greenhouse? Can I put them in the ground? If not, when? Do I need to prune them back?

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    3. Oh, and you want to hear something newbie...those leaves you see..mine have the same leaves..I thought they were weeds and was gonna pull them off. I remember your story about when you first started gardening and how you planted seeds and you thought weeds had grown up and you pulled them all out...I know how that feels. I made the mistake of planting rye grass on top of daffodils...Now I cant figure out which is which...will leave the grass until I figure it out.

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    4. Janie - yes! Put those mums in the ground. Now is fine, and they will overwinter fine in your climate, too. I usually let mine bloom in the spring, then cut them back so they don't get too leggy. They bloom again in the fall. I think the rye grass will die when it gets warmer, so you don't need to worry about it. I still have to try to pull my hands back - they want to pull up all the "weeds" in my garden, and I know some of them are not weeds!

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  20. Hi Holley, Gardening is indeed a miracle, and I do the same thing in the spring; walk around and look at the bare spots only to find in a few weeks that the stuff is actually planted much too closely.

    Our garden here won't look like yours until well into May, so we have a way to go yet, but I sure do like sharing your spring. Love the rosemary, beautiful flower!

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    1. I'm hoping this spring "sticks" and that winter doesn't decide to make a final appearance. But, the plants seem to be just as ready as I am!

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  21. I think it's that color - blue. Blue is always so welcome in the garden, and to have it in January seems even more exciting!

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  22. I love that a garden gets us outside, ready and looking for miracles. And you know what they say, when you look, you will find! Happy spring :)

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    1. You are right - we just have to look closely, the miracles are there!

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  23. Today I have two daffodils in full bloom. And, as you say it is a miracle. I am going over to "Daffodil Hill," which is a place on a country road just full of the native "Little Sweeties." I hope they are blooming as well.

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    1. How exciting! My daffodils aren't in bloom yet, but I'm hoping that they will be any day now!

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  24. Don't you just love the rain!!! It can do amazing things to the garden- water and water but let it rain... and it's a whole different thing. Our Texas Sage bloom like crazy a few days after a rain - you can never get that with watering. Very exciting to see the blooms and all the others starting to bud up and come back to life.

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    1. You are right - rain is truly a miraculous thing. Very different than water from a hose! I'm ready for spring to be here. And I have a lot of work to do, so I need the early start!

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  25. It must be nice to see such plants at this time of year. Today it is snowing like crazy. It will be months before I see anything like you posted today. Here on the shores of Lake Michigan - winter is long!
    I will say that my rosemary is doing very well. I have it in a pot and for 10 years now I bring it into the sunroom and it survives very well, blooming at the moment. I have been working the last four years on trimming it as a bonsai. So far so good. Jack

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    1. Oh, as a bonsai! I bet it is gorgeous, especially in bloom! I am not good with inside plants, so I'm glad that mine lives planted outdoors!

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  26. It never ceases to amaze me the wonder of the garden, so I totally understand your miracles! Enjoy then! They all look so exciting!

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    1. It seems the more we gardeners look, the more miracles we see in the garden. They are everywhere there!

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  27. Holley these little miracles sustain us....I saw rosemary like this blooming in Nov in Arizona. Mine never blooms either....I hope to see these miracles in about a month to 6 weeks.

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    1. I just thought this one was never going to bloom. Now I wonder if that pruning helped it. I think I may give it a pruning every year - I love those little blue flowers!

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  28. It is funny how we seem to have our eyes shut until a particular flower catche our eye and then suddenly we start to notice more. I like this time of year and spotting the changes in the garden however small

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    1. You are right - once I saw these little blooms, it seemed as though everything was suddenly emerging for spring!

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  29. When early spring arrives here I also go out to inspect the garden and get excited every time I see a bud swelling or fresh leaves emerging.

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    1. It really is thrilling. And I bet we're not the only ones that get excited by seeing these things. I bet every bird, bee, bug, spider, etc., all get just as excited as we do!

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  30. If my rosemary ever bloomed, it would definitely be a miracle... I wonder if pruning did the trick with yours, or if it just reached an age when it decided it was time to bloom. Any theories?

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    1. I'm not sure, but I will definitely be giving mine a pruning from now on, at least a tip pruning! It can't hurt! I really don't think it's due to age, because this one is over 3 ft tall and wide, so I would think it would have bloomed before if it was going to. I'm going to stick with the pruning making the difference, until I learn otherwise. Good luck with yours! I would definitely give it a light pruning! I would also love to know the results!

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  31. I think the pruning does the trick because I prune mine every year and every year it bloom. The butterflies love the blooms too; so its double the treat!

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    1. I think you are right about the pruning. I'll be giving mine a light pruning every year from now on!

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  32. Those Rosemary blooms are such a lovely French blue color! How fun that it's blooming for you this year! I, too, am envious--we just got another blast of winter today. Eight inches of snow and windchills of -30 F tomorrow night! Spring is a long way off for me. :(

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    1. -30!!! Wow! I just can not even imagine that type of cold. I would be bundled up in a blanket next to a fire with hot cocoa in my hand until it warmed up in spring!

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  34. I do believe in miracles... and I believe they are there to be found every day if we just take time to look for them. Today as I look out my windows with 20 inches or more of new snow, I know that underneath that deep blanket of snow my tender plants are protected from the biting cold that might otherwise be their demise. And when the sun comes and begins to melt the snow, we'll have an awakening in my gardens that will be the beginning of Spring... like what you are experiencing now. Oh we have so long to wait... so happy to see green in your gardens!

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    1. Yes, even though we can't see it, there are miracles occurring underground. It's just like miracles to be working in the background, only revealing themselves to us when it's time.

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  35. Hi Holley, my garden is full of miracles too! It's sprouting everywhere and this week-end I am pruning all the roses, sad with all the new leaves but it must be done...my daffodils look just like yours, not long to go now :-)

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    1. I am going to prune my roses this weekend, too. It's early for it here, but I think it's safe.

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  36. I just got back to Pennsylvania yesterday and Carolyn's garden was blooming. She had many Hellebores and Snowdrops. My garden has few miracles I am guessing. Our weather was 5° then 64° my husband said.

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    1. It's amazing to me how much the temperatures can vary over a day. It would be awful hard to be a plant and know when it's safe to emerge or bloom!

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  37. Beautiful shots of the promise of spring! You seem to have a lot of us believing in miracles. Does that make you a Miracle Whip?

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    1. haha - I'll think of miracles in my garden every time I spread MIracle Whip on my sandwich now!

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  38. I love this time of year, it seems to be constantly full of new surprises, as yet another plant starts to wake up again and make its presence felt.

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    1. You are right. There is a new surprise in the garden every day during this time of year. I guess that's just one of many reasons gardeners love spring so!

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