Spring Triumphs and Winter Losses

This is meant to be a gardening journal so I can compare between years what blooms when. Last year's photos lack accurate dates, so with them I don't have a reliable guide to timing. I guess I will start this year. The photos posted here were taken this evening during a short break in the rain.

First, the daffodils are coming along and some in the south-facing front yard seem close to blooming. Also in this picture are lambs ears (stachys) in the bottom left corner and a couple of poppies on the right.



Moving to the back yard now, the way I know it is truly spring is that the black oil sunflower seeds we feed the birds are now sprouting where they fall on the ground.



Here is a hyacinth, and a daylily (hemerocallis) showing new growth.



Sedum 'Autumn Joy' starts growing early, but waits until September to bloom.



Here is some beautiful, unusual tricolour stonecrop that took a long time to establish (it kept getting dug up by skunks) but has turned out much better than I ever dared hope.



For the most part, these hens'n'chicks and stonecrop survived well through the winter, even in planters. (The contents of the plastic container in the top corner are destined for the composter.) The spectacular echevera, however, will need to be replaced. Next year I will know to winter it indoors.



The saucer on this terra cotta pot from IKEA did not survive the winter. Hmmm.