The Season Begins

As usual, I'm behind in the garden. OK, it's only March, but my list of things to do before Spring really arrives (forget the calendar, Winter stays here on Cape Cod until the end of April) is long, and getting longer.

My garden is small - we live in the center of a medium-sized town, and our lot is 1/3 acre. It's pretty tightly packed with treasures, and the lawn gets smaller every year.


I am drawn to plants that bloom in the off-season; right now there are Eranthis (Winter Aconite), Helleborus (Christmas Rose, Lenten Rose, and Stinking Hellebores) , as well as Hamamellis (Witch Hazel; Arnold's Promise, Jelena, and Diane), Jasminium nudiflorum (WInter Jasmine), Galanthus (snowdrops), early crocus, and Erica (winter heath). The heath have been at it for about 2 months, there's one deep purple one backed by the glossy dark green leaves and red berries of a cotoneaster that I can see from my desk - it's breathtaking.



Almost as appealing as the early flowers, Sedum matrona and the ubiquitous Autumn Joy are sending up their lovely leaf buds now, as are the peonies. These signs make it seem that winter can't hold on too much longer. Hurrah!