Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up March: Spring Blooms and Anticipation!

Welcome to my March Garden!

Welcome to my Long Island, zone 7a March garden! With spring arriving in just five days, the garden is full of excitement as winter flowers are in bloom, spring bulbs make their appearance, perennials come to life and trees are forming buds and catkins. Come along on the tour! 

Black Mondo Grass Planter

As we all know, March is a month of surprises. We have had a combination of daytime temperatures in the 50's, followed by drops of twenty degrees the following day with winds and snow squalls. One day life is all about being in the garden, while then next it is back to staying warm inside while gazing out the window to watch the snow fall upon the spring blooms. 

Weeping Pussy Willow Catkins

One of the first and also one of my favorite signs of spring are the appearance of white fluffy catkins on the Weeping pussy Willow by the back patio. It only takes a warm day or two to really get them going and sometimes it seems like they just pop over night!

Hello Hyacinths!

In the back perennial border, Hyacinth bulbs are forcing their green foliage with delicate pink tips as they appear above the soil...

Crocus Blooming!

and the Crocus are blooming right along side them!

Front Garden Views

The front garden still looks rather winterlike, but I am convinced that the Weeping Japanese Maple is starting to show signs of life.

Front Island Bed

But wait...look closer! There are more crocus on the way!

Sedum are Appearing!

The sedum in the front garden bed are certainly starting to show their perfectly shaped rosettes with a pinkish hue. Once they start coming up, it is full speed ahead.

Hello Allium 'Globemaster'!

An exciting view is that of Allium 'Globemaster' appearing in the back pool garden. There are nine bulbs coming up at the present time, and the daylilies surrounding them are starting to emerge too!

Winter to Spring Transition

Along the front walkway and driveway gardens, the newer growth from last season on the Coral Bark Maple is still growing red, but before long foliage will start to appear...

Hellebore 'Champion'

and Hellebore 'Champion' is displaying its lovely yellowish-green blooms with pink highlights in the back shade garden.

Hellebore 'Merlin'

'Hellebore 'Merlin' and 'Shooting Star' are joining the show with the deeper pink blooms of  'Merlin' and pinkish-white blooms of  'Shooting Star'.

Hellebore 'Shooting Star'

The Hellebores perform very well at the northern side of the property and along the shadowing from evergreens bordering the back fence line, and they provide that well needed gardening goodness from January though March!

Arborvitae 'Anna's Magic Ball' and Mugo Pine

I enjoy seeing changes in foliage this time of year. The orangey hue of 'Anna's Magic Ball' Arborvitae from wintertime really pops in color against the deep green foliage of Mugo Pine.

Back Patio Garden

In the back garden, Osmanthus 'Goshiki' is showing signs of new growth...

Glorious Seed Cones (Skyland's Oriental Spruce)

and the mature female seed cones of Skyland's Oriental Spruce are abundant against its golden foliage.

Thanks for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my March garden and as always, I look forward to your comments and seeing what's growing in your neck of the woods! Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Macro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party every other Monday with Everyday Living. I am also happy to join the Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden. 

A GUIDE TO NORTHEASTERN GARDENING NEWS:

We have been continuing our regular zoom meetings with GardenComm and Metro Hort. It's a wonderful way to get together with colleagues, participate in webinars and share gardening adventures! 

Are you a gardener or wanting to learn more about gardening and design or could you just use a little inspiration? If the answer to any of these is YES, then check out my four books, all available on Amazon!😊

More news!!!🎕 If you haven't heard, I am in the process of working on a new book for the northeast and Mid-Atlantic garden! Organized in a similar fashion as Gardening By Month, this one will be a reference of plants and inspiration specifically for the shade garden. I have been writing a couple of hours each day, will need to take some high resolution photos in springtime, then hopefully will have it ready to publish in 2023! 

📚 My Author Page 📚

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations

Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener 

Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden. 

"As Always...Happy Gardening!" 

 Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2022. All rights reserved.

This Month in the Garden: Long Island Places and Garden Memories-A Few of my Favorite Things II

This Month in the Garden

Welcome to This Month in the Garden! Last March I was was feeling nostalgic and dug into my soul by sharing some of my favorite things that I had captured with photography over the years. The post was well received while generating lots of smiles, so I decided to post a Part 11 for this March to celebrate past memories and bring in spring. Come along on a photo tour of some special memories. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Spring Crocus

Nothing speaks spring more than the appearance of crocus. This was one of the nicest photo captures I have ever gotten that was taken last spring. Every time I look at it, it gives hope that spring is not too far away, so I am sharing some of that hope with you!

Garden Statuary

I have several garden statues throughout the property, but this one by far is my favorite. It is a reminder of when I was a little girl and playing in the garden would bring so much joy. We didn't have a kitten at that time but I would play with our dog Specky, who was so gentle that he allowed me ride on him like a pony, with not a care in the world on his part, except to make me happy and hear my laughter. In my more mature years, my husband and I are the parents of two Himalayan cats so this statue certainly touched my heart. 

Allium 'Globemaster'

Giant Globemaster Alliums speak for themselves. I started with three bulbs mainly as an experiment and now they have multiplied to make this perfect grouping of color in the late spring garden. They are positioned between clumps of golden Daylily with Spirea Magic Carpet in the backdrop, so I look forward to their display every year, but in the meantime I can enjoy this photo!

Monarch Butterfly

The late summer blooms of Butterfly Bush bring the Monarchs, something I treasure, as the population of Monarchs has been decreasing year by year. I was able to get this capture last season.

Iris Garden

This is a photo of my mother's iris garden, which she planted back in the 1960's and still exists today. I have never left my childhood home and while I have redesigned 99 percent of the property, this little piece of the past simply has to stay.

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

This is Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit', which I discovered some years ago. The thing that is unique about this perennial is that it can have multiple colors of flowers on one plant. It's always a surprise to see which colors appear in late summer, and every so often, you get multi-colored petals like this one, which I was able to capture.

Mattituck Sunflower Maze, Long Island, NY

As you may know, sunflowers have a very special meaning to me. I will repeat the story just in case you hadn't seen the post from last March. If you are familiar with my third book, Dream, Garden, Grow, there is an entire chapter about the meaning of sunflowers, and it was sparked by a single visit to Mattituck, Long Island in 2018. I had childhood memories of taking car rides out east with my parents and seeing huge fields of sunflowers, and always felt a need to stand among the huge flowers. During the summer of 2018, the first sunflower maze became open to the public and a childhood dream came true. The emotions were so strong that it was something I wanted to share, so I started writing and the memories flowed out onto paper.

Mattituck Sunflower Maze, Long Island, NY

There is another special meaning to sunflowers which I was made aware of just this past week. Sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Sometimes you just need a Red Headed Woodpecker to make your day and this one appeared not to long ago on the feeder in the back garden. Every so often we can hear a continuous pecking sound, usually in the early hours of the morning right from the street median outside our window. Timing is everything!

Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Great River, Long Island, NY

This is a memory that just makes me smile. This photo was taken at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum this past fall. The vibrant colors of autumn foliage, a bridge which crosses over a small dappling brook and the silence, except for the sound of rippling water, was so calming. This moment which just whispered the true essence of the season, is now captured in time.

Autumn Landscape

Autumn this year was magnificent and resembled an artist's palette with an array of vibrant colors. Here is one of my favorite captures of the driveway garden with the yellowing foliage of Coral Bark Maple against evergreens Skyland's Spruce, Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and Weeping White Pine.

Autumn Landscape-Weeping Japanese Maples

I do enjoy the changing seasons where we live on Long Island. In the front yard are the two Weeping Japanese Maples, each over 30 years old.  This is the view in late October-early November...

Winter Landscape

and here they are in January. Welcome to a winter wonderland!

Container Planter

Back to scenes of springtime, soon it will be time to bring out spring-summer bear with his basket of live plants. I can't believe how much I love this purchase from the local nursery last year, so it had to be included as one of  my favorite things!

Cottage Garden

There is a story behind this small cottage. This was one of my first clients when I started up my landscape design business. The lady had contacted me and explained that she had a cottagey looking shed that she wanted to plant a garden around. She also informed me that she didn't know much of anything about gardening. Well, twenty-six years later with a treasured friendship and a property which consists of gardens everywhere, she blames me every time she has to go outside and weed!

Canadian Geese

Life is full of adventures and it is always fun to run into some of the local wildlife. These Canadian Geese often occupy the nurseries I go to since they enjoy the plants and constant irrigation that supplies them with food and water. I always smile and chuckle when they feel so comfortable that they will not even move when a truck is passing through, so I just have to sit and wait and have a photo moment. This capture goes under the category of favorite creatures!

Sparrow Love

Another recent addition to favorites is this perfectly positioned pair of sparrows sitting upon the Weeping Pussy Willow by the back patio. This yearly tradition signals the time when they start seeking places for nesting and means that spring in on the way. I was happy to have this photo moment just a few days ago!

Sunflower Love

Sometimes it is that unexpected encounter with something as simple a garden ornament in the garden of a friend that can prompt a smile every time you look at it, so I captured it in a photo and revisit it often.

Helleborus 'Shooting Star'

Finally, my garden writing has been inspired more often by unexpected encounters than planned. Helleborus was the inspiration behind my fourth book, Gardening By Month. Seeing this garden addition blooming in the midst of wintertime sparked me to create a reference that could prove something to gardeners, that there can be interest during every month of the year. Yes...a picture is worth a thousand words.

Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden for March. Be sure to stop by on the 1st. and 15th. of each month as I continue to share gardening tips, information and horticultural adventures! (Linking up with: Floral Fridays, Macro Monday 2, Ruby Tuesday and Image-in-ing Weekly Photo Link-Up.)

For gardening information: My Author Page and Books

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations 

Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener

Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden. 

As Always...Happy Gardening and Be Well. 😊

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2022. All rights reserved. 

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up February: Winter Snow & Upcoming Blooms!

February Garden

Welcome to my February Long Island, zone 7 garden! It has certainly been an interesting month, with the Blizzard of 2022 starting on the evening of the 28th and continuing all the way through evening of the next day with 22.4 inches of bountiful white! The temperatures finally started to rise, and the ground could finally be seen again after two weeks, but then on the 13th...Mother Nature gave us another go around with a layering of more snow! Since this is a virtual tour, you will get to see what the landscape looked like just two weeks ago, just three days ago and now. Come along and I hope you enjoy the views!

Front Entrance Garden After Blizzard of 2022

For two days, there was no getting out of the house. The snow had drifted three to four feet in some spots and had blocked the entry to the garage and back door. Here is a view of the front garden a few days after the crew had dug us out. The entire planting along the walkway had been buried, with just the taller trees in view. 

Welcoming Commitee!

The welcoming committee along the back patio garden had completely vanished in the snow, so it was nice to see their smiling faces once again!

Winter's Beauty-Ripples of Drifting Snow

The drifting snow caused by the high winds was pretty though, as the sun's shadow cast upon the covering of white.

Pool Surround

Along the pool surround, Green Giant Arborvitae can be viewed in the backdrop with an assortment of other evergreens along the edge. Thankfully, the temperatures were so frigid that the snow was light and fluffy, allowing it to easily blow off the branches of the trees.

Back Island Bed

There is something to be said about a winter's snow being magical. Here, looking from the back patio is the left side of the island bed with Crape Myrtle and Gold Lace Juniper, with Weeping Norway Spruce and Blue Globe Spruce in the foreground. The layer of snow changes the perspective of the garden, making the two beds look connected.

Sculpture in Snow

In the back garden, is this statue of a young girl and her kitten...

Driveway Entry

and the driveway entry garden still layered in white.

A Welcomed Visitor

At last, just three days before Bloom Day, only remnants of snow had remained along the landscape and the wintering birds started out once again to make their appearance. 

Front Walkway Garden

As the snow slowly melted, the garden had appeared again from under the cloak of white. There was a huge difference from just two weeks ago.

Southwestern Garden

There were still some gentle reminders of the blizzard of 2022, but the grass was visible once again and there even blooms to be seen along the way!

Holly Berries

In the back shade area, the berries of  Nellie Stevens Holly, are all bright and cheerful. They make a nice addition to the winter landscape. 

After the Storm & Getting Back to Normal

Along the northern perimeter is Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and grass! I never thought it could be so exciting to see the green lawn again!

Hellebores Northern Garden

Even in the midst of winter, there can be blooms! Here is Hellebore 'Shooting Star', one of the first of the Hellebores to bloom. It is a little delayed this year, but should be in full bloom soon.

Helleborous 'Shooting Star'

Here are the beautiful pinkish buds up close and getting ready to open.

Mondo Grass and Osmanthus

Foliage is important, especially in the wintertime garden. Here is a view from the back patio with a foliage combination of Black Mondo Grass and Osmanthus 'Goskiki' in the backdrop. The Mondo Grass is a little beat up right now from the snow, but does well in the planter under the shade of the nearby Weeping Pussy Willow tree.

Skyland's Spruce and Coral Bark Maple

Here along the driveway border is Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce with Coral Bark Maple in the backdrop. I enjoy how the bark of the maple glows a vibrant coral-red this time of year.

Skyland's Spruce Seed Cones

Here we can see Skyland's Spruce seed cones. They look so pronounced against the golden foliage of the tree and the blue sky.

Skimmia japonica Flower Buds

Last, but not least is Skimmia japonica. This is such an interesting shade plant with flower buds now forming, that will lead to blooms in early spring...

Thanksgiving Cactus

and indoors...Thanksgiving cactus started blooming in November and is still going!!!

Here we go again!

But wait!!! Just when the snow had disappeared, Mother Nature wanted to let us know that she is far from through...

February Patio Surround Garden

so it's just a good time to appreciate nature and gaze upon the snow...

Winter Snow on Weeping Japanese Maple

and dream of spring until we meet again. Happy Bloom Day!😊

Winter's Greetings

Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my February garden and as always, I look forward to your comments and seeing what's growing in your neck of the woods! Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Macro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party every other Monday with Everyday Living. I am also happy to join the Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden. 

A GUIDE TO NORTHEASTERN GARDENING NEWS:

We have been continuing our regular zoom meetings with GardenComm. It's a wonderful way to get together with colleagues and share gardening adventures! Now we meet two times a month, once for the northeast regional meeting and again for a "Better Together", where gardeners from all over can connect at once.

Plant-O-Rama went virtual this year and it was wonderful, with guest speakers, chat rooms and a virtual trade show. It was a very enjoyable experience and I got to make some new friends!

More news!!!🎕 I am in the process of working on a new book for the northeast and Mid-Atlantic garden! Organized in a similar fashion as my last book, Gardening By Month, this one will be a reference of plants for a specific type of garden. I have been writing a couple of hours each day, will need to take some high resolution photos in springtime, then hopefully will have it ready to publish in 2023! There's a long way to go, so details will follow.

Purchase Here

Looking for some winter reading?: Visit My Author Page

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations

Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener and

Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden. 

"As Always...Be Well and Happy Gardening”! 

 Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2022. All rights reserved.