march bloom day

I feel like I'm bragging by showing off this photo.  But Carol's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day is all about sharing what is blooming in your yard, and this picture is too good not to share.  It was taken with my iPhone on Tuesday and then filtered with "low-fi" on instagram. Nothing fancy, but it makes me happy, and I love it!  I'm thinking I will even have this picture printed on coasters.

It seems like every evening when I walk in my yard, I find something new! (If you are visiting my blog for the first time, this is my first year in my great grandmother's cottage house.)  This is great, because I'm on a tight budget with not much room for new plants.  My plan for this year is, with my grandmother's help, to document what is growing where, and see how much little sun I have once the trees fill out.  Then I can divide plants this fall, and start planning for next year.  I'm also trying to nurse a few plants back to health, and clear the very old and settled in ivy from around the house.

Now on to the surprises!!

The first surprise this month has been the blooming ground cover.  I have these wonderful wildflowers all in the moss and in the front yard, and it's just beautiful.  I also have vinca minor near the house and in the back yard.  I think it's so pretty near the trees, and I love the fact that it doesn't climb up them! My goal is for the yard to be as maintenance free as possible, and since there is little sun, I don't think that will be too hard.  I'm encouraging the moss to grow and spread, and I'm letting the vinca minor run free.  If I don't have to mow anything I will be one happy girl.

The other fun surprise this month has been how 'helpful' and friendly my neighbor's golden retriever, Brady, has been.  He thinks that my yard is his yard, and now that he knows I belong, he always comes to keep me company when I'm working in the yard, and even greets me when I come home.  All the benefits of a dog without the vet and dog food bills!!  In these pictures he's standing in the garden between our houses.  My forsythia is in the shade, so the blooms are a little behind the rest of the area.  Also, next to the forsythia is a similar drapey shrub, with white blossoms on the end.  It's on my list of things to look up soon :)

Since it has been so unseasonably warm, my dogwoods have started blooming and the first hostas are coming up!!  I feel like this means that spring is really here, and there is no chance that we'll see snow or even have another hard frost.  This is fine with me, bring on the sunshine and warm weather. :)

 

 

I have found violets in my yard, and also these silver leaved flowers starting to spread and bloom.  Another groundcover maybe?

 Even this morning on my way to work I found a new bloom, and had to snap a picture.  I believe this is a type of woodland iris.  If so, this is a kind of iris I can learn to love.  The foliage is a lot softer than the traditional, stiff leafed irises.  Edit: My mom has informed me this is a spiderwort.  I like it and it grows in the shade.  Perfect! My daffodils, or jonquils as my grandmother calls them, are still blooming too.  I like how someone planted the different varieties together.  Just as a few start to fade, new blooms appear. 

 And the best surprise I saved for last.  Tulips!  They are some of my favorite cut flowers to have in the house, and I've always wanted to have some.  I was THRILLED this Tuesday when two shots of red appeared in one of the gardens.  There is one more spot where I think more will appear, and I can't wait to see what color they are.

And that's it so far, I can't wait to see what comes up tomorrow!!