Author: Amanda C.
The weather’s been warm enough this past week that things have started growing quite nicely. A quick rooting around at the Alcove to see how things had wintered showed the Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginiana) I put in late last season had survived and were coming up, with leaves and flower buds showing in shades of violet. Very exciting, because they were dormant when I planted them (they go dormant early), so there was no real way to tell if they had survived until now! Some of the violet colour is probably from the cooler weather – there were other purple-tinged shoots of things in the garden – but soon enough it will turn to green leaves and pink and blue flowers.
Some of the other garden inhabitants were enjoying the warm weather as well. While I was checking under the leaf mulch for new shoots of things, I came across several seven-spotted ladybugs, awake, and clearly ready for another season of their aphid-fighting duties after their winter’s rest.
The purple shoots of Virginia bluebell leaves and flower buds emerging from the soil at the Alcove Garden in April
Photo: Amanda C.
