Won't you come into the garden?

Won't you come into the garden? 
I would like my roses to see you.*

Finally!

A garden update.
Sunday morning my garden looked like this:

Happy Mother's Day?!

Yep. About four inches of snow and everything underneath about to bloom.

I was a bit panicked, thinking everything would be dead. 

Fortunately, I was wrong. 

I have daffodils...

And the tulips are just starting to bloom...

I find it interesting that last year I bought expensive bulbs at the garden shop and they pretty much did nothing. This year I bought a cheap 200 bulb pack at WalMart and they are all up and  blooming like crazy. Not sure what the lesson is there or if there is one.

See?

Last year's tulips- no blooms, hardly any foliage.

And they actually look better this spring than they did last.

The volunteer grape hyacinth is going to town though.

I think I can, I think I can .

And this is going to be my pride and joy. I just know it.  These are my peonies although I am pinning all of my hopes on that larger one. Doesn't look like much but it was here when we bought the cabin and I have been working on getting it to grow ever since. We made some missteps like over mulching it. And last year it got divided and I was afraid that would be the death of it.
I LOVE peonies. They are my most favorite flower ever.  I have dreamed of owning an actual plant that produces actual peonies. That would be Heaven! And yes, I know.  I could just run down to the garden store and buy a grown up plant and I would have peonies and life would be perfect. But not yet. I want THIS peony to produce.   I may be asking too much but I'm not giving up yet.

Overall the garden has flowers with more to come.
I realized that the swing, which has been there since we got it a few years ago, was blocking my view.
The fact the swing needs refinishing did not help.
Also, no one ever sat in it because it was too far from the house to engage in a conversation with the porch sitters, but also faced the cabin which was silly. There's nothing but views and pretty surrounding this place- why look at the cabin?

 This bed used to be empty except for the logs and wagon wheel.

It's a big bed, takes a lot to fill it.

So the swing has a new spot and I can see the flowers from the house. 

 It needs a flowering pot on the end, I think.

All in good time. 

View from the swing.

This is where the deer graze every morning. 

And this is a much better view than staring at the cabin.  Look! Even the weeds are getting in on the action. Blooms in the grass....

What makes it a weed? 

I think these are pretty.

Crossing my fingers that was the last snow.  The tomatoes got burned a bit as did the basil.
Hopefully they will pull through and do what they are supposed to do.

I am ready for Spring!!!

*Richard Brinsley Sheridan. One of my favorite quotes. And there are roses in the garden,  just still very tiny.  

Happy Thursday

T.G.I.T.
Thank Goodness it's Thursday.

I confess. I got nothing. At least nothing new.

My challenges are getting to be more of a ...challenge.   They are time specific or place specific. And I'm not in the right time or place! 

But.
I do have a garden update.

It's starting to bloom!

Daffodils near the drive.  Sorry- didn't realize this pic was a bit blurred.

 Goodness. I thought I looked at these when I took them. Must not have had my glasses on.

Anyway, more daffs in the zoo/garden.

 Johnny Jump Ups!! Particularly exciting because there are a bunch of them and we didn't plant them.

Left over from the previous owner and they must have appreciated the fertilizer that was sprinkled about last fall.

 Even the Allium is trying to get in on the action.

Tulips and Grape Hyacinths.

The Grape Hyacinths are also volunteers. 

I wish I had seen these beds when the original owners were here.

I bet they were lovely.

However, those pesky vegetable seeds I planted aren't doing much. That would be No. 39: Grow a Vegetable.  Apparently I planted the most under achieving seeds ever. Especially those tomatoes. The green peppers are at least making an effort...

And outside the sugar snap peas have sprouted and totally surpassed the inside sprouts.

The slacker tomatoes. 

Honestly. They are no larger than they were a month ago.

The green peppers at least look more robust.

Still. Not much of a showing.

Another thing that I have been working on is No. 36: Find a Signature Fragrance. I have always had a thing for gardenias. Ask anyone who knew me in Mexico- there was a gardenia lotion available only there that I lived in.  And while since then I have never considered myself a "floral"scent person, guess what I realize I've been attracted to? Yep. Florals. 

This morning I read two different blogs that were espousing grown up versions of gardenia perfumes. Off to "The Perfumed Court" website and decants are on their way to me. Yay! It's an early Mother's Day present to myself. Maybe one of these will be "the one". Or at least "the one for right now".

(What did I order? Arquiste Boutonniere and Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion. I'll let you know…)

And Thursday is the last day to get in on the double give-away for a blanket from my new venture, Cherry Creek Co.  That's No. 10: Start a business.    Click here to enter. Or go here if you just want to see the lovelies and buy one flat out.  That's okay with me, too.

Have  a great weekend.  After this week, I need a break!