Category Archives: spring

Just a Simple Crocus


I snuck out for a few minutes this morning to take photos of one of my three, yes three, crocus that are blooming.

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I think that this might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Spring is really, truly here!

I’m sorry I haven’t been around. I was on such a wonderful chicken posting roll and then the reality of life with a large family completely took over. I’ll be back in action very soon.

Love, Michele (that blogger you know who’s getting ready for oldest daughter’s prom, planting seeds, planning several gardens, caring for chickens, pets and people, serving on various community committees and working part time).

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I Promised…

and there they are!

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 Snowdrops!

In part sun, part shade, and not even open yet. We’re still waiting for crocus and all of the other bulbs and most anything that’s green, but this is a start! The ducks made a brief appearance on the pond yesterday but their gone today. I’m sure their hiding because it’s too cold to swim through the skim of ice on top of the water.We’ll see them again in a few days. It’s supposed to snow tomorrow night into Wednesday, then warm up again at the end of the week.

This is spring in New England. We wait and wait and wait!

More chickens coming!

Love, Michele

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day-March 2014

Well I can’t say that I’m the bloom day game just yet, we don’t have any blooms outside. We still have quite a bit of snow and I’ve heard a rumor of more snow possible on Monday. So for now I have to look at the patches of garden where the snowdrops and crocus usually are and just know that their under there and in a few days or weeks we’ll see them again. I’m very confident that by APRIL I’ll have some really authentic Salem Garden blooms to share. In the meantime I’ll share the indoor flowers that I’ve been enjoying while I wait.

I had a birthday recently and my friends and family were very generous in their gifts of flowers. It was a few weeks ago so most have gone by but I’ve managed to hold on to a few.

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The last few flowers of alstroemeria from the bouquet that my family gave me.

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A lovely white azalea, which will be planted outside soon.

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This is a mystery… anyone care to identify for me? It came from a company called proplants.com but I don’t see it on their website. It’s pretty on my kitchen countertop.

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And another that arrived in a lovely arrangement without a tag. It looks like it might be a member of the clerodendrum family…anyone?

Next month there will be bulbs and flowering trees, I just know it! In the meantime be sure to visit May Dreams Gardens to see lots of spring gardens in bloom!

Tomorrow I’m back to the chicken series until that crocus blooms!

Enjoy everything!

Michele

What’s Happening In the Garden- May 1

Happy May Day!

 I hope that you had as nice a day where you are as we did in Salem. It was gorgeous out there!

 I had to spend some time poking around outside and checking things out.  Here’s what I saw in between dropping off and picking up children…

Lady’s mantle and siberian iris, with the bleeding heart in the background.

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I pruned the beejeebes out of this poor butterfly bush the other day. I’m planning to move it way over to the left in the next few days. I ran out of time and steam when I started this project so I have to get back to it (or get Michael to help me, soon)…IMG_0855
The sweet peas are all in a row, ready for their climb up the fence and trellis…
IMG_0860 Asparagus is peeking through!IMG_0864 And we have this beautiful pile of red twigged dogwood branches. I have to decide what to do with them. I think that they would make a great little fence!IMG_0869The rhubarb is ready. I wish I liked rhubarb more. My mother-in-law makes the best rhubarb custard pie in the world! I should work at that.
IMG_0872 The flowering pear tree that we planted last spring is turning out to be beautiful!IMG_0874 The soloman’s seal is poking through. I need to clean up and get rid of the dead stuff around it, however that requires me to  steel up my courage because it’s snake country over here, not across the yard, just over on this side ;)!IMG_0875 There’s a pot of potatoes underway. This year I’m planning to add a little bit of soil at a time, as the plants grow.IMG_0877 The radishes pushed through. Radishes are great to grow with kids because they germinate in 4-6 days and you can be harvesting them in just a few weeks. IMG_0856 Here’s the view looking down through the dogwood tree. Dogwoods take several years to flower after transplanting. I think this is going to be the breakthrough year for this tree. I have a feeling that it will have been worth the wait.IMG_0848 And finally, looking out at the juneberry tree. This is another example of patience paying off. I was very tempted to cut it down a year or two ago because it just looked so sad and sickly. We treated it with Treetone organic fertilizer last spring and fall and the comeback is dramatic. It looks quite healthy and happy this year!IMG_0843

Try to hang in there with your plants and trees.  If your having difficulty with something in your yard go ahead and google for a solution, or ask me to help you find one.

My husband will tell you that I live for this stuff 🙂

Enjoy everything!

Michele

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day- April 2013

And now for something new and different–I  thought that I’d participate in “Garden Bloggers Bloom Day” this month. This is a group of garden bloggers from all over the world who share a post about what’s blooming in their gardens on the fifteenth of the month.  You can see all of the participants and link to their blogs here at maydreamgardens.com. It’s really fun to check out all of the beautiful gardens and see the huge variation by climate!

My one reservation about doing this is that it’s still early here in Salem, Massachusetts. I didn’t plant daffodils last year and everything is a few weeks behind due to the cold weather we’ve had. In spite of that I’ll show you quite a bit of green, and a little color. Don’t worry, in May and June we’ll be overflowing with blooms!

Since it hasn’t snowed or sleeted for the past three days the primrose popped out!IMG_0723This morning there was dew on the lady’s mantle.IMG_0695 And I had my first glimpse of the bride and groom plant that my mother gave me years ago.IMG_0699The chives are ready to enjoy.
IMG_0702 And the tomato cages are waiting. Our neighbors gave us the lupine plants last year. I’m hoping that these will be blooming as beautifully as theirs do soon.IMG_0705 This is largely a children’s chicken garden, as evidenced by the “sculpture” that Michael brought home recently and the three gnomes waiting for their summer assignment out in the garden.IMG_0706The chickens may not be blooming but they add lots of color and personality.IMG_0708

Lamb’s ear is poking out…IMG_0715 Siberian irisIMG_0716 And finally a little bit of bloom from the scillaIMG_0717and from the pansies that I planted a few days ago.
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Happy Spring from the Salem Garden! Thanks for visiting!

Enjoy everything!

Michele

Militia, Daffodils, Ants and Sunsets

Here’s a little bit of my weekend, the part spent with camera in hand.

Our first stop was at the muster down on the common. We got there at the very end but still saw soldiers marching in formation. As the daughter of a career army master sergeant I get a thrill whenever I see this, which isn’t too often these days.
IMG_0562There were horses…IMG_0565The colonial militia men..IMG_0571And tanks that fired. What is it about boys and tanks? He loves this stuff, it’s just in him. Maybe it’s a piece of his grandfather.IMG_0579Of course we had to visit the playground for a minute. It was very cold and windy. My older kids played here every day when we lived a few doors down.IMG_0587We checked into the Derby garden and found that I was correct last week, this is indeed a daffodil! I thought so!IMG_0600Here’s the next mystery plant… I think this might be a tulip, believe it or not. I’ll check back soon.IMG_0608I spent a good twenty minutes on Saturday night photographing this ant. Perhaps I need to get a life, lol.IMG_0632They are fascinating creatures if you stop and look at them. I started this project in my quest to figure out where their coming into my kitchen from. I continuously look down to see an ant looking up at me. They are really driving us all a little bit crazy.IMG_0634Of course, by the end of the twenty minutes the ant was named Wilbur and had a framed portrait in sepia finish. I think I need help here 🙂IMG_0626Out on the deck last night my little guy took this photo of one of thousands of planes heading into Logan over our house. Their so close that we can see the landing gear come down.IMG_0646But to our left we were really enjoying this.IMG_0647I’m hoping that this helps anyone who’s still recovering from the ant photos.
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Today it’s going to be in the sixties with less wind. I’m hoping/planning to get out and plant these!

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Seed packets are buy one, get one free at Home Depot! It’s a great time to stock up on anything that you need.

Happy Monday!

Enjoy everything!

Michele

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Happy Easter! It’s Time To Plant The Pansies

Usually I’ve planted some pansies by Easter, but this year between the late snows and our crazy schedule I almost didn’t make it.

This morning I managed to pick them up at the garden center, just in time.

Be not afraid!

Their very hardy and they’ll be just fine!

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Every March when I put them out people roll their eyes and tell me that they won’t make it, but they do…

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Give this pot a week or two and it will fill in with a mass of happy little pansy faces.

You can even eat the flowers if you’d like to!

Have I mentioned that spring is here?

Happy Easter!

Love,

Michele

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A Spring Morning In The Derby Garden

I had a chance to pop into the Derby garden this morning. This garden is really precious to me. Michael and I helped with it’s installation about 23 years ago. At that time I had an appreciation for gardens but no experience or knowledge.  This is where gardening really started for me. The young couple who created it worked very hard to design it to represent a garden typical of this setting and the early 1700s time period. I should back up a bit and explain that it sits behind the home of the first American millionaire, Elias Haskett Derby, hence it’s name the Derby Garden. 

At first glance over the fence it may look a bit barren and gray, but if you slow down and look closely you’ll see that the beds are about to spring to life.IMG_0415

I believe that these are the first few leaves of hollyhock.IMG_0409There are plenty of snowdrops.IMG_0384They really are one of the first signs of spring. These will be there for a few more days before it’s time to say goodbye till next year.IMG_0385I’m pretty sure that these are small daffodils. I’ll have to try to check back in a few days to confirm.IMG_0387Something from the allium family? Time will tell us exactly what.IMG_0388CrocusIMG_0390A beautiful carpet of green, maybe grape hyacinths? IMG_0407

This apple tree bears small, tough fruit but I’ve made a pie or two from here.IMG_0406

Here’s the view looking out toward the water. We lived in the blue building to the left when we were first married. It was a perfect honeymoon loft for us. We have lots of good memories from our days on Derby Street.

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I loved thinking about how we were looking at the same view that the Derbys did when they lived there.

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It has changed a bit but their spirit is here.  I can feel it. Especially when I spend time in the garden and imagine what they might have grown and raised in the yard.

Enjoy Everything today!

Michele

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