Spring in a Zone 3 Garden
I awaken daily to this view from my open bedroom door: my purple Spring garden. This is the garden that awakens the Earth and holds promise of what is yet to come. The tender new growth and purple flowers bursting through the vibrant green foliage paint a canvas with my favourite colour combination.
The garlic scapes (almost) at the feet of St. Francis flail in the early morning breeze while the self seeding lettuce thrives and is ready to harvest.
Everything is finally planted, but there has been so much rain, that the seeds have yet to be warmed by the sun for more than one day….
Rhubarb rebels the lack of sun by producing thin, spindly stalks while the alium, iris and salvia compete for attention in their quiet corner.
This blurry purple-blue honey berry (or haskap) is ready to harvest, but most are small, green and waiting for warmth.
Fragrant lilacs burst into blossom all in one day. This year, there will be lilac blossom jelly!
The back is all purple and green, and the front? Pink. I don’t know why. It just happened.
My grandma’s white peone is not in bloom yet. It was over 100 years old from her grandma. When it blooms, we cut the bushy perfumed blossoms and her fragrance fills the house. The rose bush is peppered with thousands of buds this year. The Earth will soon be covered in pink petals…. but not too soon.
And the promise of what is to come? Apples, cherries… raspberries, currants, saskatoons, and oh, so much more….
Honeysuckle blossoms… in thankful abundance this year, as I will be making Honeysuckle Sorbet… who knew?
The harvest begins in May and June with rhubarb, tarragon, lettuce, chives, lilacs, and haskaps… and continues throughout the entire season.I know what is yet to come. This post comparing my June garden to my July garden tells all.
But, the Purple Garden is my favourite.
Such a beautiful garden, thanks for sharing with us. I had to plant flowers again this year because during the winter the rabbits ate lot’s of plants and one tree. Hope I can find a way this year to keep them away from the garden.
Helene,
I hope you saw Kathy’s suggestion for you here.
🙂
V
Lovely photos Valerie. I am intrigued by the Lilac jelly?? A suggestion for Helene: bloodmeal spinkled around your plants will keep the rabbits away.
Kathy
Thanks for the suggestion of the bloodmeal – as I have never heard of it – we used chicken wire for years, in the winter, here! I have the recipe for the lilac jelly and am happy to share it. Will be making it this weekend, I hope, and posting it soon. The honeysuckle sorbet is wild, too, no? Can’t wait!
🙂
V
You have done such a beautiful job with garden design! I would love to wake up to that. The first thing I do when I wake up in the summer is to look out the window at my vegetable garden. Everyday something new is growing – don’t you love the way a garden changes? Peonies are my favourite flower and your story made me think of our grape vine. We grew it from a cutting we took from our first house. It was a heritage home and the garden was heartbreaking to leave behind. To this day, when I smell my grapes I think of that house.
And you grow grapes? Lindsay – I can only imagine how lush your garden is on the island! I just love gardening, but haven’t a garden, per se… though, I grow tomatoes, zucchini, radish, chard, carrots, celeriac, celery and all of the other fruits etc mentioned above – lots of herbs… but no peas, or beans or corn… some years I do beets… no potatoes… but I am so thankful for what I do have, and for others that grow great food I can buy!
🙂
V
Such a beautiful garden, Val! I remember you giving me a ton of chives last year. Looks like you’re going to have a lot more this year!
HI, Addie
Come on over for chives any time!
🙂
V
That’s a gorgeous garden… I know it takes a lot of work, but you are a lucky woman! When I read “purple garden” I automatically though eggplant though xD
~Andrés
Ha! We can’t grow eggplants here, unless we purchase bedding plants or start them in a green house… the season is just too short, and sometimes even then, they get an early frost. I wish!
🙂
V
Valerie, such a beautiful garden… the love you pour into it is evident! Thank you for showing us.
A heritage peony that is a family heirloom, how precious is that! I have a magenta single peony that I hope will become a family heirloom too, I’ve moved it along with me (leaving divisions in previous gardens). I could relate as soon as I saw the title “My Purple Garden” because my June garden is very purple too, with catmint, chives, and lavender.
Dear Mary,
Isn’t that fresh purple hue such a soothing quiet promise of the hot lively summer garden to come? And, yes – the peone is cherished… it was my mom who insisted I take a division when I was quite young – before I realized how valuable it would become.
XO
Valerie
Wow Val! Your garden is so beautiful!! I love the vibrancy of the colours and can just imagine the smell of the lilacs (I LOVE THAT SMELL!). Thanks for sharing your gorgeous garden with us through these pics!
Teresa,
Do you grow anything or have a little garden, yet? You will have to visit during the growing season.
🙂
V
Hi Val,
Lol…I live in a little condo, so any growing is indoors 😉 I have a couple of little plants, but nothing particularly vibrant in colour~ Your garden is so inspirational!
Teresa