Foliage

On the front slope, there's an artemesia that was wintersown in 2008/9. It's probably 'Silver Brocade'. From tiny clumps, the artemesia has spread out across the dry, rocky soil. Small yellow blooms should arrive any day now. I've taken three cuttings to test propagation. If it roots, I'll take more cuttings in a couple weeks. This plant is extremely drought tolerant. The foliage remains through the winter.





Hosta and Aucuba.



Sedums in a container by the basement door.



In the shrub border, the butterfly bushes are doing well despite the lack of rain. The tallest one is up to my shoulder. I'm 6'1.



Euphorbia "Blackbird"



When I went to bed last night, there was thunder and lightning all around. Still no rain. The chance today is 60%. It's currently clear and humid at 70%.

More new growth.

On the front slope, the daffodils are stealing the show.



A few interesting ones have popped up in the past few days. This one has three blooms on each stalk. There are 4 of them that I found. The centers are ringed with orange.



More hostas are emerging.



The Aucuba cutting I made last year is almost a foot tall now. It's really shot up in the past week.



A hydrangea in the corner with heuchera. I've never seen the hydrangea bloom. It's a mophead variety.



Columbine. It was labeled "purple". This one was wintersown December 2008.



Ginger lilies. I moved them a month or more ago as soon as I saw new growth. They need more sun than I had given them. I hope for many fragrant blooms this year.



It's 54 degrees. The high today should again reach into the mid 80s. There's a chance of afternoon thunderstorms around 3pm.

Back to life.

It was a cool day after the wonderful temperatures we had this weekend. Later in the week, we'll be in the 70s again. It looks like my day off will be a nice one. As the clouds parted this afternoon, I snapped a shot of the evening sky. It's great getting home while it's still daylight.



The flowering quince growing around the chainlink fence that belongs to my neighbor is a welcome sight. No blooms on any of mine this year.



Nearby, what I think is an amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) may need to be removed this year. They can become very invasive. If it blooms soon, which it looks like it will, the yard will be full of fragrance for the first and last time.



The Loropetalum is coming in to bloom.



Azaleas are budding. This is a formosa purple that was here when I bought the house. I cut it down to the ground because it was so wretched.



The oakleaf hydrangea is sporting new growth and last year's leaves.



One of the three aucuba I rooted last summer. All three are showing growth. It'll be years before they fill in. I'll start pinching later in the season to get some bushier growth.



The Snowball viburnum cuttings are pushing out leaves. They were so tiny when I put them in last fall. I was afraid they wouldn't survive. All three made it. I will have to transplant these soon. There's no way these shrubs can grow where I put them for the winter.



It's currently 45 degrees. We're expecting to drop into the upper 30s tonight, maybe low 40s. Rain could come at any time, or not. Tomorrow, it should warm up a bit to the mid 60s. By Wednesday, we'll be back in the mid 70s. I plan to spend the day mowing and doing some more planting. My sinuses are stuffed. My nose is running. My throat is sore. Pollen has started to fall from the maples. The oaks will begin their assault soon.