What to Do With Tulips When They're Done Blooming

Dutch Flower Fields

While spring flowers are slow to bloom here in central Alberta, we can enjoy and admire those of others.  I've been admiring a magnitude of floral beauty from Vancouver thanks to my son who sends me photos regularly.  I really appreciate that in the middle of winter.  Cherry trees began blooming in February this year, early for them but what a sight in a beautiful city.  Then in the Okanagan valley the apricot trees have been flowering (early April) and that was a thrill to see thanks to another son and his wife who shared photos.  

If you're like me, even in the slightest, you can never get enough garden exposure and sometimes you just have to seek it out when your own is just awakening.  Today I came across this drone footage of Dutch flower fields and they are too stunning not to share.  Enjoy!

Tiptoe Through the Daffodils and Tulips

While in Vernon BC for my son's wedding reception, we took a day of leisure and enjoyed an afternoon in a gorgeous park.  No further words are necessary.  The beauty requires no explanation.  Enjoy.

 Vernon's spring is easily three weeks ahead of ours.  These photos were taken May 10.  Even the lilacs were beginning to bloom there while here in Edmonton leaves were barely beginning to break bud.  It was hard to leave this beauty behind.  

Coming up, the Japanese garden.

The Look of Spring is in My Eyes

All photos here were taken by myself in the Vernon area of British Columbia 

the second weekend of May/14. 

forsythia in bloom

forsythia

in the Japanese garden, Harry Lauder walking stick (front left), a flowering tree (variety unknown)

 in the centre of the scene surrounded by topiaried juniper and manicured cedar.

above, flowering almond with tulips and iris

magnolia

tulips, pasqueflower, grape hyacinth

Irises, blue muscari, pasqueflower

above and below, magnolia in bed with tulips and irises

above and below, flowering almond

Japanese maple

Canada goose with three goslings

azalea

above and below, horse chestnut in bloom

So This is Spring....

A friend brought by this lovely bouquet of tulips as a get well wish.  Today is the first day of spring and sights like this are ever so welcome!!

However, this is what spring looks like here this evening:

Not quite what I expected but then again March is like winter's last hurrah as a tradition here.  We usually get at least one big dump of snow during this month. This was an accumulation of a couple inches accumulated during the day today. By mid week next it will be all gone again.  There are no signs of vegetative growth here.  No tulips, crocus nor daffodil in the vicinity.  My mom told me her tulips are coming up where she lives in Southern Alberta.  Sigh....

Snow or not, I'm just glad it is now officially spring!!!  

It's Spring in Vancouver

My son sent me this photo taken last week in Vancouver.  

I'm feeling a little jealous right now!

Greenland Inspiration (Come see Greenland's Indoor Winter Garden)

Last Saturday my friend Kim and I headed for a favourite destination to get some much needed rejuvenation.  The scent of the plants and soil invigorated me and the beauty to behold reaffirmed why Greenland is one of our all-time favourite greenhouse destinations.  Join me for a small tour that is sure to make your green thumb itch for spring.

Terrariums and dish gardens like the one above seem to be the new trend in gardening.  

Even *lifestyle stores are incorporating them into their merchandising.

As, the sweet orchid!  Someday I shall add this beauty to my home.  

I am told they are not nearly so difficult to grow as some would believe.

There is always a pond in Greenland's winter garden and this one is large with short waterfalls and a stream.  Colourful Koi glide through crystal clear water, pleasing visitors of all ages.

Don't you love the bright splash of colour offered by this collection of bromeliads?

This leaf inspired table and chair set caught my eye so I captured it from a few angles.

Missing our twisted Young's Weeping Birch from our old house.  This one was masterfully trained in a tight twist.

 The perennial geranium was actually a deeper purple than my camera could portray with 

the bright lighting.

The plant groupings are good examples for gardeners to mimic in their own gardens.  

It's helpful to see a more mature specimen in relation to others so one can design accordingly.

A dogwood in bloom, above and below.

Hostas are one of my favourite perennials.

The tender fiddleheads of a young fern gently uncurl above.

Rhododendrons will always have a spot in my heart and hopefully again in a future garden.

Another angle showing the gentle incline of the leaf table top.

There's nothing like tulips and irises to brighten a day!

Above and below, white calla lilies.  The double calla lily flower begged capture in the last photo here.

From here we went to Salisbury Greenhouse, also in Sherwood Park, just east of Edmonton.  

It's totally a different feel than Greenland but still very much worth the visit.