With all of that sunshine yesterday I couldn't ignore the urge to plant something in the garden. Since the ground was too wet to even walk on in most placess I could think of only one alternative, plant some pansies.
The planter on the front porch was screaming that it was tired of this winter look. All was yawning or actually dead and gone.
After all we wouldn't want the Easter Bunny to pass us by just because it still looked like winter on the front porch.
I found some pansies and violas at the big box store plus some gorgeous yellow lillies. This combination gave us a big shot of color that I don't mind telling you we needed.
So we went from winter drabness in the planter on the front porch to something to give a cheerful welcome to all who come to call on us this spring.
Of course I bought a few more than I actually needed for this big green planter. I always seem to overestimate the size of this planter. It was a happy accident since I could plant up a couple more smaller planters.
The only sad thing is that the stores don't have any spillers available yet. I guess those spillers are just a little too delicate to be out yet.
I want to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, Blessed Easter. I hope the only bunny that comes to your garden is the Easter Bunny.
My best performer in the garden at this time is the freckled Hellebore. It is just blooming its little heart out.
The daffodils must have sensed that I was becoming a little impatient with them so some of them started to bloom. This cluster of daffodils are remarkable. I know I can hear you saying well, they look awfully common. I'm not going to argue that but these daffodils are remarkable in that these are some leftover bulbs that I just threw on top of the ground several years ago when I dug up a big clump to seperate and got tired of planting. I threw them here thinking I would get back to planting at some time and didn't ever do it. There was a big bush here that I am ashamed to say hid a lot of, ummm, things I didn't want to deal with at the moment. Do you have any spaces like that? Behind a garage or behind a big old bush in the corner of your garden?? I think what helped them most is that I would throw leaves and sticks here to keep "until later". Finally we took out the bush and the daffodils started blooming. They were so grateful for a little sun. Why I even pulled the weeds from around them. I might even get around to moving them since there are other bushes now planted in this area and they will be shaded too much again soon. That is something I can do "later". 
By this little group of daffodils you can see the varigated sedum is beginning to rear up. I keep having to dig out the all green reversions. I don't like the way a lot of my varigated plants seeem to revert. I wonder if it is the soil here or do all varigated plants eventually revert back to their mother plants?
Amongst the naked ladies the tall garden phlox is popping up. I can think of several places I would like to move a hunk of the phlox. It smells so good when blooming in late summer. I need some up by the patio.
And in answer to your question Barbara about whether I worry about the lillies freezing outside this time of year, No I don't worry. You see they are under the front porch roof and with the brick on the front of the house holding heat it would have to get very cold to actually damage the lillies. They are quite happy sitting here with their feet covered with purple pansies and yellow violas. I will wait until it is steadily warm to put them out into the garden. Which should be in about 3 weeks. We have had frost several nights this past week but they don't seem to mind their location. So here is hoping they will be ok.
