It’s been a weird February so far. This week it was over 50°one day and over 60° the next. I want to know where the Februarys full of snow have gone? There have been some cold days, but then it warms up. I have bulbs poking out all over. Once again, I lament climate change.

The first of the galanthus are really budding now and some of the hellebores I thought were lost have been found.

I keep wandering around thinking about what I have to do and wondering how things are going to come up. And honestly? It’s a little hard with weird weather soon I have to start my seeds inside. I think it’s almost time for another pine straw mulch order. (I use MidAtlantic Pine Straw Mulch if you are interested.)

On one of the warm days this past week, I touched up my cast-iron garden lanterns. I love them. I have collected them over the years at various garage sales, essentially. I like my lanterns to be painted red. I used to spray paint them black, and for a while they were a graphite, gray, and even a dark, hunter green, but living partially in the woods with a woodland garden I decided I needed a pop of color. I do not like orange reds, so this is a blue tone red. The red cheers up these mostly dreary February days.

February also means that it is time to clean out the birdhouses. Wear gloves and wash your hands well afterwards. But birds are a big part of our gardens, so we have to make sure their homes are in tiptop shape every spring. And when I have waited past February to clean them out, I end up having them nest on the old nest.

As I plan for spring, I have to stop procrastinating writing a description of my garden for a private garden tour this year. Only I am struggling with writing it up. It sounds silly, but what if people don’t like my garden as much as I do? Gardens are a very personal thing, and mine is not as structured as the gardens of others. My garden is my own vision and creation but sometimes I wonder if people can see what I see or do they see something messy?

Anyway, also some other baby witchhazels are blooming now, and every day in the weird weather I see signs of a changing season only a lot of people think we are in for a whopper of a March.

Inside I have various bulbs I continue to force. A couple of the lemon trees are preparing to bloom.

Time will tell.

Thanks for stopping by.