We travelled to New Orleans in March of 2020. The azaleas and magnolias were already finished blooming, and we were too early for many other things. But we enjoyed the gardens, plants and trees that we did see.

The Longvue Historic House and Gardens

New Orleans City Park and Botanical Gardens

The live oak trees were so amazing!

Flowers and Orchids

Robins are always late to my garden, or I am late to see them. I am always happy to welcome them back.

This one was determined to get into the office, flying into the window again and again. We had just cleaned the window – so maybe I should have left it dirty!

I hung a jacket in the window and he moved on before he knocked himself out. I’ll need to clean the window again!

The winter of 2019-2020 was a fairly mild one. The coldest spell was in November, and then temperatures were never that low again. There was not a lot of snow. In January there was an ice storm that brought down a large piece of our willow tree.

So excited to see buds on the fragrant viburnum this year!

Leaves unfurling – so beautiful.

Lilacs are coming.

The redbud trees are full of buds.

Last year the Japanese lilacs had not a single bloom. This year both trees are ready for a great show of blooms!

A few more weeks, and beauty will abound in the garden!

It has been a cold wet spring. Farmers are behind in planting crops. Some trees are barely budding out. Local nurseries have had very slow sales so far. Nights have still been down to 3 or 4 degrees. I have had very few days in the garden.

We had one beautiful day in April. Doug and I raked everything, cut down the grasses, tidied up, got out the furniture, and Doug even got the hedge pruned.

And we had our first coffee on the patio that day.

We were very happy to get all that done on that day, because, one month later, we have hardly done anything else.

In twenty-three years living here, we have never had deer damage.

But it appears they have found us.

Rabbits have never eaten the Hostas before. Neither have the groundhogs.

I’m looking up some deer deterrent recipes. These beds are farthest from the house, and closest to the field and bush. The damage is ugly, and I’ll see it all summer on these Hostas. So I have to find a solution.

March 23rd. A beautiful sunny day. Still snow patches and soggy ground, but I took the first walk around.

The magnolia trees have lots of buds.

The tall grasses are always a challenge to clean up.

Every barberry bush has been trimmed down. The prickliest shrub, but it’s one of the few not sprayed or covered.
(Sprayed with Scoot or covered with burlap.)

The Spireas are all efficiently pruned by the rabbits, too. But these plants don’t seem to mind a good cutting back.

And the snowdrops are peeking out!

I have started seedlings under lights again. All flowers this year. Looking forward to a cutting garden. A few other ideas in the dreaming and planning stage. Here’s hoping for a great gardening season ahead!

The front of the house needed some work.

First of all, since we always drive on the grass here to park, we decided to pave this area.

A little extra beside the driveway.

It extended to the front patio area, up to the steps.

But then we noticed the steps were not in good shape.

So Doug jack-hammered them out.

And new steps were made.

And then a new planter box was constructed.

New door, some plants, and it is a great improvement.