I've been doing so little in my garden that I shouldn't even call myself a gardener anymore... Maybe it's the chilly weather, or maybe something else that I don't really want to define for the moment.
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Anyway, I decided to make amends, weeding myself through the worst parts of the borders. I found dozens of alert little baby Irises that had self-seeded into all the wrong places but were too cute to be tugged out; and then, these two love birds, cooing soft little nothings to each other... Spring is definately in the air, not even the freezing cold can hold it back now.
These excellent, sometimes invasive groundcover violets were sold as Viola labradorica that are native to Labrador, Greenland and Nova Scotia, but they probably are V. riviana, a garden variety from Europe (it is improbable that the arctic variety would thrive at these latitudes...). I love their dark leaves with a purple tinge, and the edible flowers are perfect to decorate chocolate cakes with. Might actually make one for tonight, after all, it is Friday...
3 comments:
A beautiful photo. I can't get enough of violets...the drought we've had here has seen many northern hemisphere plants like it disappear from our gardens, though we have our own native species. Fortunately the drought seems to have broken.
Everyone gets sick of gardening sometimes ( I do )...eating chocolate cake seems like an excellent solution!
Don't feel guilty, Liisa. I'm normally out there in all kinds of weather, but this year's bone-chilling cold/wet has simply been too much. Although like you, I worked in my garden for a while today, thanks to warmer temps and sunshine. Some violets from our old garden had hitched a ride in my flower pots, and I was happy to see them. Anything that covers the ground and is not grass or a true weed is a good thing in my book.
Faisal, I loved the native Australian violets that we had in Melbourne, Viola hederaceas, but they definately need water too to thrive. But maybe it can still survive through droughts like so many other Australian plants? And yes, I made a chocolate cake yesterday, with flowers, it makes one feel so summery even if the weather is still cold.
Megan, I feel so ineffective. Or maybe I just need to thaw properly? I love things that grow without too much fussing, too; they make it possible to have just a few little difficult darlings in the garden.
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