spring fever

Spring fever has hit me hard!  I've been cooped up too long and these past few days it has been GORGEOUS outside.  It's a good thing Lowe's and Walmart haven't stocked many plants or I would already have new plants in the ground.  It's still too early for planting annuals.  But I would!  I've been known to do it before.  

I have been looking at my flower beds which are in serious need of some love.  Everything needed to be trimmed and dead-headed.  But I had to show you all!  I had some pleasant surprises.

Do you remember my driveway and the snow piled up 2-3 feet in places?  Well, my front flower bed was covered and since it's melted and the weather has been warm the plants I planted last fall are starting to look like they're recovering.  I really thought they'd have to be pulled up!

Pansies

Snapdragons, cabbages, pansies

This is out back by my fireplace.  Look!!  The ferns survived!!!!  

I guess the snow buried them and insulated them from the record setting freezing temps.

Even the base of the Carolina Jasmine has survived!

And so did some of the rosemary, thyme, and lavender..

I borrowed my friend's gardening cart so that I could sit and scoot around and trim plants.  I got the front flower bed trimmed up.  The liriope has all had a haircut. I got all of the dead leaves pulled away from the day lillies and now it's little green spikes are poking out through the ground. I got all of the flowers deadheaded and about 6 buckets of trimmings were dumped down on the shoreline for me to burn at a later date.  :)  You know that's my absolute favorite (burning things).  

I should have gotten an "after" picture but frankly I was worn out.  I'll get one soon.  

I did go buy seeds though.  I've never had good luck with seeds and don't really expect the outcome to be much different this time.  But at least it makes me feel good.  

I'm also trying to get my orchid to bloom!  I love orchids and I've never had much luck with them.  I'll get one when the blooms are big and beautiful and then they fall off and it never blooms again.  I got this little guy for Amy last summer at Whole Foods.  

So here's what I'm trying...

A terrarium!  

Let me know if you have another method for getting orchids to bloom!