Spring

I thought I should check in on this lovely spring day!  It's hard to believe that April is almost over and May is just around the corner.  Gardening is certainly different here than back home in California.  Our last frost date is officially May 15th!  It's been a tad milder this year without as much spring snow so this is the first time I've actually had my tulips bloom without getting frozen the minute they show color.  It's a mild 70 degrees here now.  I just heard that it's 92 back home in the central valley of California.  I don't miss the heat at all.  At least here when it does get too warm we can go into our cool basement and chill.  No need to run the air conditioner.

We did have a snow storm last week that was half snow/half rain.  What it does is make the snow terribly heavy.  What I should have done is gone outside that evening when I noticed it and knocked the snow off the branches of the trees.  As it was, my flowering pear took a hit and we lost quite a few large branches.  Lesson learned.  Next time I'll be the crazy lady in my bathrobe and a flash light in the middle of the night beating the trees with a broom.

I don't see as many people here gardening like I did back home.  I have a friend that does, however, and I want to go see her yard for inspiration.  This isn't probably the year to do much, though, what with the drought and all.  I know California is on water rationing but we have been ever since we moved here three years ago.  Most of the time we can water from April to September three days a week and 15 minutes per sprinkler station.  We were pushed back to twice a week for a while last year.  When I first got here I had a gardener that had me water a lot more.  Other than worried that I would be fined by the city, I stopped when I got the first water bill.  Ouch!!  We are fortunate in that it rains in the spring, summer and fall which really helps.

I keep myself happy with a few house plants in the interim.  This is one of my favorites, Purple Shamrock.  It's a tuber that can be grown outdoors in mild climates.  I have mine inside and it really puts on a show in the spring.  After that it dies back and hibernates until the next year.

Isn't it gorgeous?  I have it by the kitchen window and have to rotate it daily as it starts to "go towards the light!"

I repotted it this year in this adorable bee flower pot.  You do know I love bees, don't you?  I'm trying to find another one for one of my bee friends but no luck so far.

Have a lovely day!