garden update

I took a few pictures today to show that some of the garden, at least, is coming back. Below is May Wonder and Angelique double tulips. They're several years old and no longer produce huge flowers, and Angelique seems to have lost her rosy brush strokes, but they're still pretty. In fact, they look unusually nice this year--maybe because everything else is so dead.

Below: Sorry this is out of focus, but those fuzzy pointed blobs are flower buds of clematis Henryii. It was stunning last year, a sheet of white bloom, and of all the clematis it's looking in the best condition.

Remember the brunnera? First I couldn't figure out what it was, then it started putting out beautiful silver leaves, then the cold shriveled it into a terrible frozen mess? Well--here come some more leaves. I'm so relieved (is that a pun?)--I was afraid it wouldn't come back, and I like it so much.

This is the volunteer hosta I wrote about a couple of days ago. I wish I had gotten it while it was still in the "bullet" stage, but it's still exciting. I think intead of 8 stems there are 10!

Naturally, the dandelions all came through just fine... I've got to do something about them next year. The worst places will really need to be rototilled and then seeded. Maybe this fall. We'll see.

I need to get out and cut back the roses and things too. I'm hoping to have some energy to do at least a little bit this weekend.