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Charlottesville, first day of spring, garden, garden design, home, lifestyle, raised beds, spring flowers, Virginia
Despite the 40F temperatures and overcast sky this morning at Swallowtail Cottage, here’s a glimpse of what is blooming in my half-acre gardens…enjoy!
PJM rhododendrons show their stuff this chilly spring morning.
O’Neal blueberry flowers…provide edible, delectable fruit come May, with the help of local pollinators.
Two years ago, I collected 2000 heirloom daffodils, crocus, and lilies from around the property and added them to a 30′ ditch. A powerful early spring statement…with more blooms to follow in weeks to come.
One deep rear shrub border is home to Japanese maples, hellebores, daffs, an adopted clump of old variety spirea, Green Velvet boxwood (raised from cuttings), assorted lilies, chindo viburnum, oakleaf hydrangea, one floribunda rose ‘Tiny’, hostas, phlox Davidii, clematis, red hot pokers, miscari, and three tuteurs.
Buxus Green Mountain boxwoods never fail to impress. Easy care and sprinkled with tiny, delicate blossoms in late March. Have I confessed I adore this variety of boxwood?
This herbaceous Euphorbia or garden spurge has survived fifteen years in the same northerly spot at the front door. Cut to the ground after bloom time, this plant is bullet proof, bouncing back year after year. Highly regarded for their brilliant chartreuse bracts, textural foliage, and elegant growth habit, places them among the elite plants with significant garden significance. Note: all euphorbias ooze a milky white sap, latex, when cut or broken, so wear gloves when pruning and avoid skin contact.
The hellebores are stunning this time of year. Over twelve inches tall, they brighten the landscape. A winter/spring garden favorite…
When the sapsuckers girdle my dogwoods or maple trunks, I dangle shiny CD disks from inner branches. Highly effective.
Hard working raised bed area produced various veggies and herbs for over a decade. Now they are dedicated to heirloom daffodils and tulips.
A new addition to my 2016 gardens…a mason bee or “solitary bee house” as the UK designers describe…was sent to me as a birthday present this month. Thanks again Barry!
The resident Eastern bluebird pair chose my nestbox during late winter, and today the wee female adds finishing touches to her nest…built one pine needle at a time, in three days.
Has this post inspired your first day of spring? And please check out the related spring post links below…
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
home, garden, life 
This post solved the mystery of what happened to the bark on my Prague viburnums. The sapsuckers had a feast! Multiple branches died as a result. 😦 I had no idea boxwood had flowers! Happy spring!
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Aha! Problem solved, good! Most of us never knew Buxus had flowers…good too! Enjoy your spring and thanks for the comment! Diane
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Diane, I’ve read your previous posts & your dedication to your home, garden & blog are something to see. I am looking forward to more of your posts. Good luck with building your new front entrance & future adventures,Joe
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Thank you Joe. I am so glad that you had a look around my blog…160+ posts to date, with more adventures ahead.
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I’m always surprised at how big a difference there is between you in Virginia and me in NJ as to what’s in bloom. Here, the forsythia is just coming in, some daffs and crocus — not nearly as much as what you’re seeing. Hey – It’s going down to 32˚ at night again next week here!
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We had a light frost this week, then the day was 70F. Go figure! Happy spring!
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Each of your pictures is suitable for framing to show the very best of spring. We are a few weeks behind you. Today we are getting a lovely gentle rain and I can practically see leaves popping! Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden with us.
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Spring in your garden looks wonderful! I had thought of planting some Sedum in a few bare parts of our garden, but maybe not if the sap can be harmful. I love your solitary bee house, and it must be nice to watch your Eastern bluebird and partner build a nest and raise a family….look forward to some photos of the markets in May.
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Thank you! Most sedums are harmless. I misspoke and corrected the description to Euphorbia myrsinites. IF you would like to see earlier posts of the farmers market I attend beginning next month, follow this link…or type city market into the search bar on the front page. Cheers! https://dianelasauce.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/city-market-iii/
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Our PA gardens are not that far along yet but soon. I especially love your fence.
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Thank you cousin. Happy spring!
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The garden looks great and I enjoyed the read.
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Thanks Barry!
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Everything is looking great! I love the Hellebores and that’s a great shot of the bluebird. The plant you show as as a sedum is Euphorbia myrsinites (maybe E. rigida). Love it, but if you didn’t know, the sap can be very irritiating to skin and can even cause blindness (I think temporary) if it gets in your eye. I keep it around because it is a great plant and I am not fearful, but you should be careful when you cut it back. Cheers!
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Thanks Tim. Yes I did discover the sticky, white sap in the Euphorbia years ago, and thanks for educating my readers. I very much enjoy your comments…Diane
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Do you have any reason to believe that sapsuckers really injure your trees ? Insects get trapped in those holes and the sapsuckers eat those too. I think they are helping, not hurting, your garden. I have sapsuckers all over my trees here on the farm, but I’ve never seen that the trees actually suffer injury from the birds.
Let me recommend a book I think you might find useful: Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemingway. It’s one of my favorite gardening books.
tj
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Tom, When they girdle in a band around the entire limb and cause the bark to die, this is a problem…there are plenty of other trees nearby that they are welcome to tap…
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