Thursday, April 3, 2014

It's Here!

Spring is finally here!  What a tease it has been this year.  But now, new, young leaves have begun to show on the shrubs, 


creeping phlox is blooming,


tulips are blooming, and are well worth the price to have a few in the garden.


I planted the beginnings of an iris walk, and I can't wait to see if my efforts pay off.



The grass needs mowing (ugh), but the asparagus is fresh and super yummy.  This is the first year I've been able to harvest them, and they are better than I ever expected!

The late cold snap damaged a lot of my roses.  Most are recovering, but I'm quite worried about a few of my old garden teas.  We'll just have to wait and see how they fare.  But as always, the garden is full of sweet surprises.


I think my peonies are going to bloom this year!  Peony blooms in Texas!  How exciting!  

68 comments:

  1. Peonies and tulips in Texas? That's crazy talk! You must be magic! (As in a good gardener, not as in let's burn her at the stake.) Although there's lovely weather outside for barbecues, picnics, and witch burnings. Anyway, Hooray for spring and your beautiful blooms!

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    1. The tulips won't return, and I'm too lazy to dig them up, but I am quite excited about the peony blooms. When I planted them, I had no expectations other than to have a filler with some pretty foliage, but if I get blooms - wahoo! - I may just have to add more!

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  2. Hooray for spring! We're still waiting for it to reach us in the north... at least the snow is finally gone though. Your tulips look so bright and cheery, and that iris walk is going to be lovely! Are those Dutch iris? Are they perennial in your area?

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    1. Yes, all irises seem to do well for me, and these should return every year. I have several different varieties planted in this "walk", and I hope it turns out the way I have it envisioned!

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  3. How lovely! Can our spring be far behind? First daffodils are blooming here.

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    1. Spring is coming to you! Love when the daffodils bloom - it gives us winter-weary gardeners such hope!

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  4. Wow, so colorful, so beautiful! I have never seen red shoot's asparagus. Does it have the same taste with the green ones?

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    1. Yes, they taste the same. I think they grow a little bigger around than the green. But when they are cooked, they turn green anyway!

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  5. Hi Holley, there is no doubt that spring has reached your garden! How exciting! I really love the creeping phlox and your tulips are so adorable. Are tulips coming back for you each year or do you have to plant them as annuals? I am glad to read, that your roses are recovering from the cold snap and hope that it didn't do permanent damage to your tea roses. That would be really sad. I guess, what was bad for your roses was good for your peonies! They like a cold winter and I am so happy for you that they have set buds this year! Happy spring gardening!
    Christina

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    1. I do have to replant the tulips if I want them. I decided it would be worth the expense - and I was right. To me, it was worth it to have some bright, big blooms in the garden now. I was surprised and discouraged to see how much my teas were damaged in that last cold snap. I am hoping they are more resilient than I think, but a couple of them look almost dead. :(

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  6. Woah asparagus already? You lucky, lucky gardener! I can sense the excitement of spring in this post. The Phlox is very pretty.

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    1. I think (well, I hope) that our freezes are over, and it's so exciting to me to see all the new spring growth - especially the new growth on shrubs that have looked dead (but were just sleeping) all winter.

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  7. Happy spring, Holley! I love that cheerful tulip bed. Congratulations on your peony blooms. I planted one last year and the first bud opened this week...so exciting!

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    1. How very exciting, dorothy! Mine have been in the ground for several years. Not sure if they are just now maturing, or if the cold winter made them decide to bloom, but I'm going to drink in their beauty this year. It will be fun to see if they will bloom every year, or if this year is just special.

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  8. Yes...Spring is here, too.
    My mother grew peonies...and lilacs...in Texas. The peony was a cutting from her grandmother, my great grandmother. And, I didn't get a cutting before the her house was sold. :(
    Love all your signs of REAL Spring.

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    1. So sad that you didn't get a cutting. I have tried lilacs, but they didn't work out for me. Your mother must have had a very green thumb. Just goes to show, you never know until you try!

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  9. An Iris walk sounds wonderful, I can imagine how beautiful that will be. And you have already peony buds, I have peonies in the garden too, but they are not yet so far. Every year it is again exciting when spring arrives.

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    1. I agree, Janneke, every year I get so excited about spring. In the winter, I can't imagine the excitement, but when things start turning green, we gardeners just can't help but jump for joy!

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  10. Glad to hear and see that spring has finally arrived there Holley! Enjoy! :)

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    1. It's been a long winter for us. Spring is late this year, but it has made me appreciate every tiny bloom even more!

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  11. So many great things sprouting in your garden. Enjoy that asparagus. This will be our first year to harvest too, but no sprout showing yet.

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    1. Enjoy your asparagus! I was thrilled that mine wasn't dead. I didn't realize it was in a spot that never got watered all summer long. I really wondered if it was dead, so it was quite a thrill to see those shoots coming up!

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  12. How wonderful to see all of these blooms! And the asparagus looks just divine! I have always wanted to grow it but have never tried yet...hmmm...maybe it is time!!! Enjoy your spring friend! Nicole xoxo

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    1. Oh, definitely grow asparagus! I have mine in a container, which I like because I don't plant things on top of it, and it will keep it contained. It sounds like a long time to harvest, but you can find two year crowns, and time has a way of flying by!

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  13. I have two Peony plants here in my Dallas garden. One I can see two buds on and on the other, nothing. I remember reading somewhere that the key to growing Peonies in north Texas was to plant an early blooming variety and plant them in part shade. My mom has Peonies in north Oklahoma and she always said it took three years for their roots to mature for them to bloom. So I guess mine need another year to check!

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    1. I think your mother is right - mine are three years this year, I think! Well, I wonder why peonies are not more popular here. I am soooo anxious to see their blooms - I don't even remember what color I chose, because I never expected them to bloom!

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  14. Asparagus?!!

    >>envy<<

    And... admiration!! :)

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    1. They really are easy to grow - just takes a little patient. But worth it!

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  15. Are those herbaceous peonies? In Texas?!

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    1. Yes! The old fashioned kind. I hope they decide to love it here - I can't wait to see their blooms!

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  16. Congrats on the Peonies! Wow, that is unusual for you, isn't it? It's like me trying to grow Camellias here, but I'm going to try it! ;-) Your garden looks very springy and lovely, Holley!

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    1. Try it! You may just be as pleasantly surprised about the camellias as I am about the peonies! :) That's the fun of being a gardener!

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  17. Beautiful phlox and irises - love the idea of an iris walk - long may yours flourish. I'll keep my fingers crossed for your roses!

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    1. Thanks, Cathy. It looks like some of my tea roses are going to spring back. But I'm still worried about a couple of them. One was one of my favorites, too! :(

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  18. Congrats, Holley! You're in spring! Love your peony, they are early this spring. Hope your roses are well after cold winter.
    Have a nice weekend!

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    1. I hope my roses live through it, too. I know it was cold for them, but I didn't expect to see so much damage. Such is life as a gardener - we never know what Mother Nature will throw at us!

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  19. Wow - those peonies look big already! I have shoots but no buds yet. Glad spring has finally got to your part of the world too!

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    1. It is such a relief to see fresh green growth! I forget each winter how much I miss it!

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  20. Nice to see all the plants growing down your way. Here maybe even more snow this afternoon. When will it end??? Glad to see your photos. Thanks Jack

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    1. I'm sorry to hear you're still having such cold weather still. Even though spring is definitely here, it has been a very late one for us, and a very long drawn out one. I'm hoping this means that summer will not be so hot!

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  21. I can remember commenting on your peony and your wish for blooms last year (at some point) - I'll bet you are over the moon with those flower buds. Am I correct in remembering it was Sarah Bernhardt? Your garden is miles ahead of some things over hear yet the Iris reticulata have been gone for a few weeks now. Strange! Happy Springtime Holley :)

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    1. Angie, this has been a strange spring, but then again, it seems that every year has some degree of strange to it. And yes, I actually have several peonies planted, but you're right - one of them is Sarah Bernhardt, and I can't wait to see her blooms in person! They are so pretty in photos!

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  22. Oh an iris walk - that will be beautiful! It's been such a hard winter. I'm so glad to finally start seeing some signs of spring! Your daffodils are lovely. At some point I am going to get some peonies now that I am up North. I didn't have a lot of luck with them down south!

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    1. It will be fun for you to grow things you couldn't before, even though I know there will be some plants you will come to miss. Definitely plant peonies! How exciting!

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  23. Holley, I'm so happy for you having your peonies! I know how you wanted them and yes...like the others, I'm surprised you have them in Texas. Good for you protecting your asparagus so well. One day I will try white asparagus the way they have them in Europe. As the plant grows, you build up soil around them and they stay white underneath. I find that fascinating. Well, my Oregolds are taking off slowly--I'll let you know how they do and be sure to take photos.

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    1. I didn't know that about the white asparagus. Interesting! I can't wait to see your Oregolds. They even sound pretty - I love yellows and golds, and bet they will be gorgeous.

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  24. All looking lovely Holley....looking forward to your blooming peonies.

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    1. I hope they don't bloom during a rain storm! haha - wouldn't that be just my luck!?! ;)

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  25. I've had my peony for 3 years now - still waiting for blooms, maybe this year. I'm wearing flannel pj's tonight. I'm sure Spring is almost here.

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    1. Oh, yes - I hope you get your blooms this year! Three years seems to be the magic number!

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  26. It is so wonderful to finally see things growing again. This has seemed like the longest winter yet. LOL!

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    1. It really has been a long winter. Usually by now, we have much hotter weather and many more things blooming. But I'm hoping this means that July and August won't be so very hot - so, I'll take the cold now if I don't have to suffer through the heat later! ;)

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  27. Lovely to see spring in your garden! Over here spring has been a long, drawn out affair which started in late January – but my peonies are still not as far as yours! Most of the spring bulbs are gone, only some late tulips and daffodils left and I am now waiting for the first rose to appear again after the pruning in early February. Loved your tulips, they look so jolly!

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    1. I'm afraid my roses will be late this year. They are finally putting on leaves, but I am still finding damage here and there from our late cold snap. The first rose bloom is always so exciting - I hope neither of us has to wait too much longer!

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  28. Score two for you! Peonies AND tulips in Texas. You should get a prize.

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    1. Not sure if the prize would be for ambition - or recklessness! :)

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  29. Beautiful blooms Hollygarden, an iris walk, such a wonderful idea. Spring is a glorious time of year, we are in Autumn now and this season is also perfect.

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    1. Yes, autumn is another beautiful time of the year. It's those golden rays of sunshine that make things look so lovely in spring and autumn - not harsh light like we get in the summer.

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  30. You have things taking off there great. I would love to have asparagus growing, what a big plus but didn't realize you could have some ripe already. How nice.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. They have been wonderful to eat. But they won't last long, I don't believe. It will soon be very hot, and since mine aren't very old, I will have to quit harvesting them soon. And then I'll have to wait again until next year!

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  31. I transplanted some old peonies last year and have my fingers crossed as I finally see them peeking through the cold ground!

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    1. Wahoo! Peonies have such a bad reputation for not transplanting well - stems coming up sounds like a great sign! :)

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  32. Hooray for peonies! I am so excited for you. They are one of my favorites!

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    1. If mine are as beautiful as all the photos I've seen of peonies, they will probably become one of my favorites, too! :)

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  33. I had forgotten about tulips not making it in Alabama, where my father was statoned in the USAF - not enough chilling hours? Peonies were everywhere where I went to high school in Denver, but they must have a wider range of optimal conditions than tulips. Always something!

    Yes, spring is here, and there!

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    1. No, there is not enough chilling hours for tulips to return here. :( And I will be interested in seeing if the peony blooms fry in our heat, or if they really can thrive here. I'm zone 8, but zone 8 Texas is a LOT different from zone 8 say, Oregon. Anyway, it's been fun experimenting - and it's always a thrill when one of my experiments pays off!

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  34. Peonies in Texas? Yeehaw! :o) I hope they're awesome! My iris reticulata foliage is extremely burned form our nasty winter so I wonder if they will even bloom at all. Your spring garden looks wonderful!

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  35. My goodness Holley peonies...I love seeing what is blooming far ahead of me as I will wee it again in a month.

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