Violets

I know that they're weeds. I don't care. Violets are awesome. Even when they're all over my lawn. And in my flower beds.

Another orchid story

I bought my first Phalaenopsis orchid at a garden center sale after Christmas. I also bought a pretty new pot for it, figuring I'd repot it when it was done blooming. Guess what? More than two months later, it's still blooming! And it shows no signs of stopping. The shoot just keeps on growing, and new buds form at the end. Wow.

I just did some research and found out that this is normal. This type of orchid can bloom for two to six months. Plus, if I cut the stem just above where the first flower was, the plant will put out a new flower spike within a few months.

Usually all of my houseplants spend the summers on the front porch. If this baby's still blooming by then, I'm going to keep it inside where I can enjoy it!

Beautiful rainy day

It's been raining all morning. Sometimes a light rain, sometimes the gutters are overflowing, but it hasn't stopped at all. I've been waiting for rain like this. After a few days of rain in the early spring, especially when it's fairly warm, we'll wake up to the most amazing sight. The sun is out, the sky is blue, and everything is green or blooming. Never fails.

I'm looking forward to that, but I'm going to enjoy today. A rainy weekend day is perfect for a cup of tea and a good book.

Pine needles

I got my first bales of pine needles for mulch this morning. Our high school PTSA sells them for the spring fundraiser. They even deliver them. What's not to like?

I didn't grow up in the land of the long leaf pine, so I've always used shredded hardwood mulch. Since my front yard has three blueberry bushes and four azaleas, I decided I needed the more acid pine needles this year.

Things I learned:

• I love pine needles!  They smell good and they remind me of coastal piney woods. 
• They are so much easier than bark mulch to spread over large areas.  The bales are light, and I can spread by hand. I don't need a wheelbarrow, or pitchfork, or rake.  Yay!
• They're not as easy as bark mulch in areas where there are a lot of plants close together. It's difficult to get small amounts of the needles into small spaces. 
• I need to buy at least twice as many bales next year as I did this year.  

By the way, my college mentor, who grew up in eastern Virginia, called them pine tags. I don't think I've ever heard anyone else use that term, have you?

Better and better

Every day, something new is blooming in the yard! This is my very favorite time of year. When I got home from work today, I spotted these snow crocuses out in the front yard, so I grabbed the camera to see what I could get.

I got a new Panasonic G1 camera this winter. I've been working on learning how to use it to take decent photos. My husband is, literally, a pro, so I'm getting some great coaching, plus technical assistance in processing the files. I'm really happy with this one.