Midwinter blahs

Freezing rain, cold temperatures and gray skies have me looking at garden books and trolling the websites of my favorite nurseries. Last year I had snowdrops by mid-March but that's still a long ways from now. I need garden porn to keep me going!

The picture below is from Far Reaches Farm in Washington state. I fell in love with this image when I first saw it last year. It caught my eye because I have a double-flowered Trillium planted on one side of a path. This will be its second year of blooming so it will take a while before it begins to approach the beauty in the photo (bottom right). I moved a tiny little seedling of Paeonia japonica opposite the Trillium on the other side of the path. This spring I'll add a clump of Hakonachloa grass. I'm hoping that a few years down the road I'll have a combo as gorgeous as Far Reaches'.

Katherine Tracey of Avant Gardens in MA has a wonderful website with all sorts of interesting articles and tips and great images. This was her "slow flowers bouquet" from a couple of years ago. It's made of bits of lichen, branches and mushrooms that she managed to gather in January. Makes me think I should get out into my garden in a few days when it warms up again. I have plant orders in at both nurseries after having great experiences with them last year, and can't wait until they arrive in late April. 

 

What I really need to do is get out to this year's Garden Expo this weekend. Smell some dirt, see some green and mingle with other gardeners. 

Comments

[Peter/Outlaw]

Garden porn will get us all through the next few weeks. Looking forward to seeing the Garden Expo through your posts!

[Linda Brazill]

Wasn't sure if I'd really go to the Garden Expo. So much stuff there that I am not interested in but some good speakers. Had not thought about writing about it. Maybe that's the impetus I need.

[Beth @ PlantPostings]

Love the slow flowers bouquet! For some reason, I'm lacking the inspiration to go outside much this winter. I started to feel it a little a couple of days ago when it was a little warmer. Today, back to cold air, and I'm snuggling up inside with the cats while I work and play. ;)

[Lisa at Greenbow]

I am happy that you are posting about all your trolling through the various places online. I think the name of the first nursery is perfect 'Far Reaches Farm'. It would be a far reach for me to get anything that beautiful. It is spitting sleet here today. Here I go again...down that rabbit hole.

[Erin @ The Impatient Gardener]

I believe I'm heading there this weekend, Linda. I'll keep an eye out for you if you decide to go. I need a gardening fix.