Winter Survivors

It's spring. Really. The weather has been wet, cold, and at long last a day of sunshine. In the dead of winter, I was tempted to clean out the pots. But, thought maybe something would pull through. These winter survivors have been struggling to blossom, and once they do, slugs devour them. At long last, I think they are making headway.

Tulips

Tulips have been around for about 3 weeks now. They've had a tough start with all the rain and cold. They are looking kind of ragged. But they like it when the sun shines.

Some of them have "fat lips" - they curl funny.

Weather yesterday was upper 60s for the first time this year. Today mid-50s and showery again.

A moment of sunshine between the April showers.

Before

It's getting about time to pick up some plants at garden centers and begin the process of developing 2011 container garden. So, I thought I'd show what "before" looks like. Pretty rough, end of winter, rain continues to get in the way. Today, more rain, and about 55 F.

Here are some of the daffodils that have finally appeared.