humphreyhufnagel's Blog

Warm April
Apr 17, 2008 | 3:05 PM PST

The weather is very mild by me, in fact it's downright hot, almost like June.  All the small Spring flowers are blooming; I don't know half their names and don't care -- they just pop up wherever they want.  They're among my favorites, blooming cheerily, and in ways that other flowers in my garden just can't match.

Almost all my daffodils and Hyacinth survived the winter and are exulting in the early warmth.  The flowering quince is ready to burst.  Likewise for the Dogwoods. I don't care if every garden in NJ has a Dogwood -- I love them.  When they're full of blooms they look like they're covered in snow.  The pussy-willow across the brook is blooming.  Just overnight, I found scattered like confetti little white blooms across the front lawn.  Forsythia, of course, are also blooming.  I know it's a little early, but I couldn't resist planting another foxglove by the potting shed, and also a couple of Jacob's Ladders for my very humble (right now) shade garden, and a couple of Blue Spruce Sedum by the brook.  I'm also trying a few containers which I purchased cheaply over the winter, but I just don't think I have the eye for container planting.  My Primrose survived a deer attack, and actually rebloomed.  Everything's growing by the minute.

April
Apr 13, 2008 | 6:12 AM PST

April is the cruellest month, breeding/ Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/ Memory and desire, stirring/ Dull roots with spring rain.  Or something like that. What's the old maxim?  "March is lovely, April's ugly"?  I'm inclined to agree, although it is exciting to see everything returning to life.  My Crocus survived my inept planting and rewarded me with about a half dozen blooms along the walk to the road.  I posted a pic. I'm adding a border garden along the wall behind the carriage house -- I'm halfway done.  The back edge will be a lining of really old bricks I found at the back of the house when I first moved in.  I'm going to plant mostly peonies there, so that for three beautiful weeks in May it will be an ocean of peonies.  I'm also going to try some Gladiolus, although I think it's a bit chilly by me for them.  Other than that I'm cleaning out the other gardens, especially behind the dining room, and today I'll clean out (and expand) the far side of the brook garden.  Also, my folks are bringing a Lenten Rose today, which will be the first contribution to the shade garden along the road side of the house.  As a postscript, it looks like my Wisteria somehow managed to endure my bungled pruning -- hopefully it blooms.