Not much going on in the winter garden….unless you get out and crawl around checking in and around the plantings! The little bud above  was midway down the stem of a huge hydrangea bush that, without looking close, appeared to be totally dead!

Some plants have green leaves peeking out and it’s tempting to trim back all the dead stuff but wait! It’s actually protecting the new growth from frosts and storm damage and can easily be removed when things warm up. This chrysanthemum is a good example:

Tossing a few leaves aside I found some freesia beginning to sprout along with some daffodils:

Walking around the raised beds I found some beets coming back after the tops froze:

Some green onions that seemed suspended in time are beginning to grow!

And it’s exciting to see the garlic, planted last October, putting on a few inches:

I was really sad to see my Alstromerias had turned to mush, but today I noticed even they are sprouting!

After months of drought I was excited to put out the rain gauge, but it filled so fast during the last two days I gave up emptying it.

(Which is a good thing!)

Along the back fence a little color showed and after a little digging around out popped a few bedraggled azaleas trying to put on a show:

And back on the deck the pansies are actually putting on a decent show!

And I thought the whole yard looked dead…amazing what you see when you really look!

Now if I can get out and prune the roses…it’s time! And add compost to the beds to prepare for spring….oh, I love the promise of spring! What’s going on in your garden?