march bloom day 2016

This is one of those springs where it's mid March, and we've already seen 80 degree temperatures multiple times.  It makes me happy, but the daffodils are not fans of the heat.  I wasn't smart enough to cut the daffodils so I could prolong their lives inside.  Oh well.

Anywho, this is what was blooming in my yard on Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, the 15th of the month!

Front Walk:

Vinca Minor

Daffodils:

 The heat got to these just before I took my pictures.  This wide shot does not do my rock wall justice.

 

 Hellebores:

 Midnight Ruffles is my first 'fancy' hellebore to bloom.

 The rest of the hellebores are standing tall and taking the heat pretty well.

 

  Wildflowers: 

 

 Bloodroot, trillium, and bluets.  

The spiderwart below doesn't count as a wildflower on most lists, but I didn't plant it, and it comes up everywhere on its own.

 Azaleas:

My first azalea bloom of the year!

hellebore - midnight ruffles

I've started buying 'fancy' hellebores.  This is 'Midnight Ruffles' from Green Thumbs Nursery here in Chattanooga.  It didn't bloom its first year, but has settled in, and has some pretty snazzy blooms. 

Now I need to plant the yellow ones I got last spring...I'm sure they'll be much happier in the ground than in their 4" pots.

spring cleaning 2016 - part 1

Look at my shed.  It's so pretty.  It has a fresh coat of paint, and a pretty wreath up for Christmas 2014.

So cute from the outside right? Inside is another story.  I'm not even going to show you the inside, it's that bad.  Inside are the last unpacked boxes from my move (just a few years ago), an unplugged deep freezer (no outlets inside yet), a stained glass workbench (and corresponding tools etc), yard stuff (this is actually organized), assorted scrap wood, my recycling, and furniture & boxes I've been storing for my sister.

It's a mess, but a mess that's easily hidden from public view.  This weekend spring cleaning started with my shed.  I sorted my recycling, broke down all the cardboard boxes, stacked the lumber, and started the process of making it a usable space.

The goal is for my sister to move her stuff out, so I can put my boxes, and my Christmas decorations, upstairs.  (This will free up some much needed space in my spare bedroom.)  Then I'll be able to run power so that I can set up a stained glass workstation, have a functioning deep freezer, and be able to plug in a lawnmower.  The building has two light bulbs, so adding outlets shouldn't be a super huge project, but I want to put my stained glass workstation on a different breaker.  (That may be phase 2.)

I may even buy matching trash cans to sort my recycling in.  Crazy talk, I know.