First Blooms and Buds

Despite this morning's fresh layer of snow, I was able to survey the progress of spring in the yard and garden. A few bulbs are coming up. The crocuses have started to bloom, though several flowers were obviously frozen and wilted from the -14 C temperatures and snow on the weekend.

The species/botanical tulips are starting to poke up in their shady flower bed:

My hardy ice plant, Delsperma nubigenum, is looking great after a winter in the alpine garden:

The alpine bed, a home for dwarf shrubs and low-growing alpine perennials:

Siberian squill:

Sempervivum (hens and chicks) in the alpine bed:

Sempervivum are very hardy plants and do well here. I've had one or two varieties die over previous winters, but most are fine.

The evergreen shrubs in the yard are all green and show no signs of winter damage this year. My successful hardy evergreen shrubs include mugo pine, dwarf balsam fir, and nest spruce. In the next few weeks, I'll be cleaning up the dead growth from the perennials, making room for the new growth. The indoor light garden is expanding to include dozens of pots of annuals and a few vegetables. It's feeling like spring, finally.