Spring Cleaning

I finally paid Mr. Snowplow for his services the other day and committed to the fact that it is spring.  It's cold and wet and then alternately hot and windy but it's spring.  The threat of frost is diminishing with each day and the tulips, now standing 6 inches high, are declaring that it's high time I cleaned some of the debris out of the flower beds. 


Spring cleaning my garden is always fun because it's the first time in the new year when I'm really able to get out and garden.  I get to check on my plants progress, see where I have room for more and dream of all the blossoms to come.  This year it's a bit like peaking in somebody else's closet.  I did not make these beds, nor did I place the plants in them.  The voyeur in me dreams up stories of how these plants came to be, the personality and likes and dislikes of their former mistress.



A great favourite appears to be bleeding hearts.

I've counted at least a dozen thus far.  Had I seen this garden when I was 9 years old I would have been ecstatic.  There was no plant more fabulous to a little girl than one than bloomed rows upon rows of dainty pink hearts.  It was a plant fit for a fairy tale princess.  I still love bleeding hearts but the gardener in me wonders how empty these beds will look come August.  Something to think on.

Peonies were also planted in multiples.  Four bushes so far. 

I'm anxious to find out what colours they are but I'm not even sure when they will bloom.  I have, alas, never grown a peony before so I've got a lot to learn.

Something else I've discovered about the former caretakers is their level of lawn care.  I have heard stories that they were very vigilant about mowing their lawn but a quick walk through the yard tells me they weren't so passionate about weeding.  Thank Goodness!!  Otherwise I wouldn't be looking at a yard full of gorgeous purple blooms.

That's ajuga reptans.  Here's a closer look

And what's that beside it?  Looks like the leaves of Achillea to me.  Oh goody. 

And Violets!!

I am most definitely not a lawn afficienado and am hoping to get away with only mowing a tiny fraction of our yard.  Knowing that there's flowers out there is a great relief.  Hopefully it will take on the look of wildflower meadow as opposed to just messy overgrown grass.

Every day there are more great finds.  I'm not sure what these flowers are but I am sure enjoying them.

Here's another flower I would have liked as a child, simply for it's wonderful name, Candytuft.

This shrub has me stumped.  It's only a couple feet high and quite round.  The leaves remind me of an azalea but it's orange.  I don't know of any azalea's with orange leaves but that doesn't mean they don't exist.  We'll just have to wait and see if any flowers appear.

The other great thing about spring is that every day brings new plants and flowers to admire.  Who knows what we might find tomorrow!