The Yard: 2/8/16

I finally finished cleaning out all the beds last week.  What a job that is initially.  I still have a ton of pots to empty into the compost bin, but it's starting to look like someone lives here again.

I'm always surprised at how early things start happening out there. Once the debris is all cleared away, the signs of life are everywhere.

These little guys out front are so stinkin' cute.

The package said Iris reticulata and danfordiaea.

Not sure which these are.

The Daphne by the front door is officially in bloom and the smell is somethin' else.

Out back, the two blueberry bushes are comin'.

I got all the roses whacked back.

The 'Knock Out' standard is always the most dramatic when I've cut it back in the spring.

All my little primroses are attempting to bloom, in spite of the slugs.

I also got all the Hydrangeas cut back.

I'm pretty ruthless when it comes to the big, established ones.

I generally take those down to the first or second set of leaves.

But since the love of my life, 'Ayesha', just went in the ground last year, I only dead headed her.

The buds on Maddie's Hellebore are swelling.

Won't be long.

It's always exciting to find the Bleeding Hearts coming.

Crazy, this is the limey-green leafed one.

And last, not exactly pretty to look at, but this was my most exciting discovery so far.

I may have squealed when I saw it.

Take a gander at that bad boy.

Can you guess?

I checked my second one and found this.

Eeeeeeeeeee.

That, my friends, is my fancy Digitalis.

Both of them overwintered.

Did I mention, eeeeeeeeeeee?

They're both the 'Foxlight Ruby Glow', one of my favorite plants in last year's garden.

I didn't have high hopes, after reading of so many people saying their Digiplexis 'Illumination' didn't winter over the previous year.

I broke down and got one of those last year, too, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of it yet.

BUT, in my opinion, this Foxglove hybrid that DID make it, is just as pretty.

And the bumblebees LOVED it.

Just for fun, let's take a gander of it in all its glory last July.

And the other one.

And among his sun-loving friends.

Fantastic plant.

For those of you who follow along on Pinterest, I created my new board for this year's garden.

You can find it here:

My 2016 Garden

You can find boards of gardens' past here:

My 2015 Garden

My 2014 Garden

My 2013 Garden