Hello friend. I just saw on the weather that it is fifty-five days till Spring. Spring, oh how I love Spring. This January has been brutal with ice, cold temperatures, itchy skin, and nosebleeds. I need moisture, sunlight, and warmer days. Last week I remembered that I planted tulip bulbs last fall. Tulips will be a nice treat after this winter. Speaking of flowers, are you poring over the seed catalogs dreaming of what to plant? Those of you that have greenhouses, are you preparing to start seed trays?

My dream is to have a green house some day.

Last year I planted lots of creeping phlox in my front flower garden.

These bloom in the spring as well. I planted a border of them two years ago but added to it last year. They are beautiful and smell good, but the reason I mainly planted them was for weed control. I try to plant all of the plants close together for weed control. I really dislike weeding. I also try to plant mostly perennials to get more bang for my buck. But I do add in zinnias, the second runner up to my favorite the tulip.

I did collect seeds from the ones I planted last year. I will plant them, but I know I will purchase some new, already flowering zinnias at my local greenhouse.

In one of my back flower gardens, I have a lot of ivy. I love the look as it grows up on our shed; if only it would just grow in the right direction. But it grows in the direction of my flowers, and every year it seems to creep more and more onto them. So this year, I already have plans with my lawn guy to get rid of it. I would, but it is overgrown, and I’m afraid of what critter might be lurking underneath. So that is an area that I have a lot of planning to do.

I wish for you the best weekend.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here.

Best,

Amy