What's Coming Up in your Garden?

18 years ago

I'm always surprised at what makes it through the winter, and also what doesn't.

Late last fall, a herd of free-range cattle wreaked total havoc in my garden. They pulled many plants out root and all, and drove others six inches into the ground. I scrambled to get everything re-planted and was pretty certain I had lost 2/3 of my perennials. Surprise! They almost all came back strong!

My salvias, penstemons, and Powis Castle sage already are as big as they were last year in late May. And of course the ever-hardy yarrows.

My good surprises are the false lamiums (boy, are they happy!) and the chrysanthumums that were ripped out roots and all by the afore-mentioned cattle infestation, and the vincas (this is my second attempt at growing them).

My bad surprises are my largest lavender, which appears to be dead while its adjacent smaller sisters look wonderful, and the Colorado Gold Gazanias are quite dead.

I am going to patient a little longer with my verbena.

My three year-old lupine is getting one last chance this year. The darn thing won't die, but it never does much, either. I moved it to a more protected spot last year and was surprised to see it come back this spring (they are hard to move because of the big tap root.) But if it doesn't bloom this year, I am going to admit defeat.

How about you? What's coming up? Any surprises? Any big plans this year?

Comment (1)

paintergurl
17 years ago
On a sad note, gophers ate almost all of my penstemons over the winter (a lot of plants). They also ate almost all of my Powis Castle artemesias and Silver Sage, one stand of maximillian's sunflower, and several Mountain Mahogany shrubs. I won't be replanting the penstemons - instead, I'm going to concentrate on planting more shrubs and roses (in root cages, just in case).

Lupines, my few surviving penstemons, bearded iris, agastache, gaillardia, dwarf willow, catmint, and actually almost all of my perennials are coming up nicely. Rabbitbrush and roses are all leafing out now. Some of the roses are going like gangbusters, even through the cold, cold weather we've had over the last couple of days.

My lavenders have not started to leaf out yet, so I'm a little concerned for them. I'll wait and see as the weather warms up.

On a good note, some English varieties of penstemon that I started from seed last year survived the winter and gophers just fine! I expected that they would not be hardy here, but they pleasantly surprised me.

Another surprise was that my "baby" rocky mountain junipers all doubled in size over the winter.

Nancy
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