It is still cold, but the plants are growing, The spring is settling in.
The Weeping Redbud is showing the colour


The big tree peonies are growing buds. Here is Hoki


I love this phase when the leaves protect the bud, like hands around the bud Here is High Noon


The new herbaceous peony bed is looking better than the last year. These peonies were planted in this bed in 2020. Hopefully, they have recovered and they will be strong enough to fully bloom this year

While hundreds of other peonies in the area are looking good, this is what greeted me this morning - and it's the only one mowed down - note not eaten

Jasmin, it is really looking gorgeous! Can't wait to see the peony blooms.

Valerie!!!! What did this? Was it stepped on or bitten off? And of all the ones, Lois Choice! I really feel so bad for you.


Here is my Kern's Pink Viburnum. It "climbs" up the ginkgo tree and then droops down. I highly recommend this one to viburnum lovers.

Mieko2 said:

Here is my Kern's Pink Viburnum. It "climbs" up the ginkgo tree and then droops down. I highly recommend this one to viburnum lovers.

• Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum 'Kern's Pink')
• Uploaded by Mieko2

LG, wow How tall is the arch of the Viburnum? Could you walk below the arch? Is it fragrant?

Valerie, I am so sorry for your bud. Squirrels? Birds?

Caroline, I am glad to hear that signs of spring are showing in your zone. Your wait is almost over. I bet you are very excited to see some color in your garden.

Jasmin, your garden is looking great! Love the stone paths! Hoki TP early foliage is so beautiful. Its color is very nice!

Val, so sorry that you lost some peony stems. THese things can happen to the best of us. While weeding I accidentally picked a few stems myself.

Wow LG, that is a gorgeous viburnum! I am in love with its color! What a magical and dreamy sight! I need to find a spot for this beautiful shrub. It sounds like it does well in the shade?

We think it was either a skunk or rabbit - and have since found that it was compelled to fell Do Tell in another area - not to eat, just to mow down OMG

Jasmin, I walk under it a lot. That is a little slope down to the yard there.

Karen, it only gets morning sun and does really well. After the blooms are gone you get nice dark green pleated leaves. And no bug like Japanese beetles bother it!

Valerie I hope you find what is ruining those peonies. It's so sad to wait a year to see the blooms and then find the plant ruined!

Mieko2 said:
Valerie I hope you find what is ruining those peonies. It's so sad to wait a year to see the blooms and then find the plant ruined!

I may have found the culprits after accidentally snapping off a peony stem today (some of them are very brittle in the current cold weather ) - as it's mating and nest building time I think it's fighting birds accidentally snapping them off - grackles, blackbirds, robins etc

I think this will bloom any day now, top hat. I'm shocked because this is much much earlier than last year. In the fall I moved it from the back to the front of house, with the iris that is blooming incredibly early as well. Has anyone experienced this? My abalone pearl, which is usually my first to bloom isn't even showing color.

Wow Ruthanna, if you moved it in the Fall and you have that many buds, you should feel lucky. Did you put soil amendments in the new holes? Maybe that would stimulate early growth.

You must have done something right Ruthanna to have that many buds forming after a move.

Every year seems to be a little different here. It is very weather dependent. The sequence of blooms has varied slightly, no longer is the "first to bloom" necessarily the first to bloom, though the early ones are still early.

It's been a stretch of cold nights, several below freezing. We'll see how things come through. Not a lot of damage so far, but sometimes it take take a couple days to show.

I am so sorry to hear that Tracey. We just get so full of anticipation and then a favorite doesn't produce a single bloom. Here's hoping yours all made it through.

It was raining for two days over here. Nevertheless, I moved three old clematises. Today, the rain stopped and I could even see a ray of sunshine I became optimistic and I went to see the garden centers around my place. They have just opened. I bought some popes and creeping flox, still optimistic Then the sky became dark and it hailed Hopefully, it will be a better day tomorrow


These tulips are like this for two weeks. There is no sunshine and warmth to open them

Top hat, almost there.

Jasmin, the hail has been everywhere this Spring!!

Ruthanna, I hope you love the fragrance of White Cap as much as I do.

It's a race between Spumoni Whisper and May Lilac to be first to open! Summer Carnival was way ahead but the recent chill has put it on hold. Perhaps because it is in a East facing bed and the other two are south facing?

They look great Hiyamakki!