Thursday, April 15, 2010

Giddy in the Garden

Slept through two, [two!] alarms this morning after my first glorious day of playing in the mud. 

Do you have micro-climates? They're a big deal in this mountain garden, with spring arriving a full month earlier in the hot spots. I suppose that's because intense mountain sunshine bakes the big rocks ~ which serve as a natural space heater, keeping seedlings warm long after the sun goes down.

My cooler (full sun) gardens still hold die hard drifts of snow, taking their sweet time as they melt into memory.

This being the 15th, it is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day but I just don't have enough pretty things to participate. So, pop over to Carol's and see what's cooking in kinder climates! :)

17 comments:

Amy said...

Hi Kate, Your daffs are lovely and congrats on the beginning of Spring - it was 41 degrees here (far northern CA) but there have been days when we hit the 70's. Thanks for the reminder of the "bloom day." My dogwood, spireas, and redbud are all gorgeous right now. Lilacs are coming soon I hope!

Snowcatcher said...

Love the daffodil pictures and names. I'd never had any until this year. The house was under two feet of snow the first time we bought it, and by the time we closed, we'd missed this season, so I'm seeing them for the first time. It was so cool to find out the different colors have different names! Thanks!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Amy;
Oooh... Lilacs! Though they are not the first flowers to bloom, I consider Lilacs the true harbinger of spring. I'll have to scoot over and pay you a visit. Excited to see the blooms!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Snowcatcher!
Glad you like the Daffs. They're such cheery flowers. Every autumn I find an excuse to squeeze another style into my gardens. Current fave - The Empress! :D

sweetbay said...

I love the Lent Lilies. I have one clump (dug from DH's grandmother's garden), but one day I'd like to have about a million. They are really lovely.

Brad said...

I just spent last weekend playing in the snow near Lake Tahoe. It was a lot of fun. I even had a great time shoveling snow, but I'm glad we're in full glorious spring down here. Sounds like you don't have much time to wait.

Ann Flower said...

Pretty flowers. I just got a bunch of seeds and bulbs and need to weed the flower bed so I can plant them.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Kate girl .. take heart ! That snow will disappeare SOON and you will have a lot more mud to play in ? I have spent quite a few hours in the garden this week .. on my hands and knees and every muscle complaining about it today .. which is supposed to be a rain day hopefully because the garden can use it and I need the rest ! LOL
Daffs are my favorite Spring flower .. right from the old fashioned ones on to those tiny baby sized ones .. so you have some beauties for this post girl : )
Joy

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Sweet Bay;
With any luck you will have a million very soon. At least around here, the Lent Lilies multiply very quickly... doubling their numbers every couple of years. Here's to exponential Daffodils! :)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Brad!
Sounds like fun. We snowshoed to the top of Iron Canyon last Friday, as a fond farewell to winter. Like you, I'm happy to live farther down the mountain -- I am quite ready for a change of season! :)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Ann;
Perfect time to be weeding and planting. Happy Gardening and thanks for stopping by. :)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Joy!
Oh, I hear ya! I am sore from head to toe after a full second day of goofing around in the garden.

PS: You're slipping, my dear. You forgot to tell me how many days until Halloween. LOL :D

Melanie J Watts said...

The snow has almost disappeared from the cooler parts of my garden but really the warmer parts are not that much more advanced. The whole garden seems to be in some state of suspension, waiting for a sign to grow.

Rose said...

I need one of these pavers!

jan said...

Love the daffodils! One of the very elderly ladies in my iris club introduced me to the fact that there are many varieties. (She belonged to the daffodil club, too) Eventually, she moved into the same building as my mom and they gardened together. When she passed, her family took some of her daffs, but not all, so the next spring, I 'adopted' the rest. I always think of her when I see their bright faces...

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

What a lovely story, Jan. And a sweet example of why we should spend a little more, buy the heirloom bulbs that live forever. A legacy for future gardeners. :))

Iron Needles said...

Oh, Kate. Is it really here? I have been out cleaning the deadfall from last year. Green shoots are every where, and my soul is soaring!

Also. I have holly hocks coming up in very odd places!