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Nature keeps us focused


This Tamora rose wins the title of first full-size rose to bloom in Debbie's garden this year. (Photos:  Debbie Arrington)

Flower photos chronicle garden; share some virtual blooms



How are you celebrating spring?

Nature has not slowed down during our home-bound shutdown. Instead, she’s full steam ahead, popping out flowers and pushing out green leaves. Everything seems to be growing rapidly, as you’d expect during a “normal” spring.

Clivia loves the shade.
While taking this forced timeout from life as usual, this is a good time to get in touch with your garden. Enjoy the slowdown and take notes about what’s growing. If you haven’t already, start a garden journal, jotting down when things sprout, flower, harvest dates and more.

Or just take photos. Make a visual record of what’s blooming when. Then, share those cellphone snapshots with your friends by email or social media as virtual bouquets.

It’s amazing how many smiles you can multiply with a pretty plant photo.

A dear friend, Jan Burke, started doing this snap-and-post exercise during an extremely stressful time in her life, gathering snapshots of flowers on her daily walk. Since then, she’s posted hundreds of flower photos to Facebook as daily pick-me-ups that are always well-received by her wide circle of friends. They always make me feel better.

As a gardener, I also appreciate the visual evidence the flower photos offer. For example, I know for certain that Tamora, an Austin shrub rose, was in bloom March 20 – first full-size rose in my garden this spring – and I have the photo to prove it.

Last weekend, I went through my garden, snapping photos of every flowering example, big or small. I came up with quite a list, including some that are blooming extra early and others that seem late.

Narcissus looks so cheery, even on cloudy days.
Two other roses, both minis, joined Tamora in bloom. My list also includes: angel’s trumpet, azaleas, begonias, camellias, calla lily, cymbidium, clivia, crassula, crocosmia, freesias, geraniums, grape hyacinths, hellebores, lilacs, narcissuses, dwarf quince, strawberries and white wood violets.

Next week, that list will be much longer. Nature will keep us focused on small joys and the positives in life.

What's blooming in your garden? Show us. Send us your snapshots and we'll share with our garden community, too.

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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of Dec. 3:

Make the most of gaps between raindrops. This is a busy month!

* Windy conditions brought down a lot of leaves. Make sure to rake them away from storm drains.

* Use those leaves as mulch around frost-tender shrubs and new transplants.

* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.

* Just because it rained doesn't mean every plant got watered. Give a drink to plants that the rain didn't reach, such as under eves or under evergreen trees. Also, well-watered plants hold up better to frost than thirsty plants.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while they're dormant.

* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.

* Brighten the holidays with winter bloomers such as poinsettias, amaryllis, calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies and primroses.

* Keep poinsettias in a sunny, warm location. Water thoroughly. After the holidays, feed your plants monthly so they'll bloom again next December.

* Plant one last round of spring bulbs including daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, anemones and scillas. Get those tulips out of the refrigerator and into the ground.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers such as California poppies.

* Plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Late fall is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Bare-root season begins. Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb. Beware of soggy soil. It can rot bare-root plants.

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