This post was scheduled for the first Sunday of the month. Unfortunately, there has been little in the garden to look at or even to really talk about for the past five or six weeks, so this month’s stroll was postponed until today. Though Old Man Winter has settled in and will be with us for a while longer, he has taken a break for the past few days and allowed for some closer and more hands-on investigation of what’s going on outdoors.

Surprisingly, Daffodils (Narcissus) are beginning to emerge. I noticed that several dozen have have come up in an area along the driveway. Sadly, I also noticed that the mailman has already tromped over them. A couple of small poles and some heavy duty cord was quickly converted into a temporary fence to help him steer clear of them. The Daffodils seem to be a week or two early this year. Checking the backyard garden I found they were sprouting there also.

Rocket Larkspur (Consolida ajacis) came up not long after last year’s plants self-seeded in the fall. They have remained nice and green all winter and have put on a burst of growth over the past few weeks. Some are already three to four inches tall. These annuals are so amazing — they thrive through the extreme heat of our North Texas summers and through our sub-freezing winter temperatures.

Tiny Autumn Joy Sedum (Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’) are popping up amongst the previous year’s foliage. Don’t they remind you of little Brussels sprouts? Last year’s stems are now brittle enough to be snapped off at the ground without accidentally uprooting the new growth. This is another plant that is tolerant of cold, heat and drought.

After digging through a couple of inches of fallen leaves I uncovered several plants that are probably lilies of some type. I’ll have to wait a while to find out exactly what type they are. There is an Easter Lily planted in the area where these two came up but it seems awfully early for that to sprout. But then again, with our strangely temperate December and the thick covering of leaves I suppose anything is possible!

The above lily has remained almost white in color after sprouting beneath the leaves, while the one below boasts a wonderful green shimmer. I replaced the leaves to protect the plants during any upcoming freezes.

Here’s some Pink Wood Sorrel (Oxalis crassipes ‘Rosea’) that has been resuscitated by the cooler weather. These plants die back during the hot days of summer, then return with a vengeance in the late fall and winter. Their pretty dark pink flowers add some nice color to the spring garden. Over time, light pink and even white blooms begin to appear on the plants.

This Shasta Daisy ‘Silver Princess’ (Leucanthemum supurbum ‘Silver Princess’) has retained its dark green foliage. Before long it’ll be putting on new growth and by early summer will be showing off pretty white flowers.

Last but not least, these Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryiana) buds bode well for the spring. These trees aren’t always the best for landscaping, but we needed a little shade in a small area of the backyard and decided to plant this one about ten years ago. It’s been a relatively slow grower, probably because of some tall hedges close by along with poor soil conditions.

I guess that’s it for this Sunday Stroll in the Garden. It was nice to get outside to do a little plant “foraging”! The day was a clear one, with a light breeze and a temperature of about 67°. This is the type of weather that can quickly spoil you, but we’ll most certainly get another blast of winter before the warm temperatures return for good. Hopefully for next month’s stroll there will be more to see and talk about!