For the past two years, I have been wondering about this spreading ground cover. This spring, it seems to be extra bossy and is spreading down my shady flower bed with abandon so I did some searches and it appears to be Viola Hederacea or Australian Violet.

My actual worry was that it was some crazy invasive plant that would choke out everything else. On the contrary, it seems that this ground cover is excellent at keeping weeds down and the small white blooms are an added bonus as well.

The snow has tapered off and I got the nerve to peek under the plastic tents J put up yesterday to shield the tomato plants. All seems well. Fingers crossed and prayers said along with a stiff drink.

I have no words...

Tulip

So, here we are...the May Long Weekend. The starting gun has sounded and Calgary gardeners are off to the garden centres in a mad panic to buy ALL the flowers.
I admit, I popped into 2 of them this morning but my list was short; white impatiens and a couple trellises. While I didn't find the trellis I am envisioning, I was successful and came home with a flat of white impatiens.
And some white New Guinea Impatiens and a few orange trailing petunias to disguise my rain barrel. Oh! and some bamboo stakes for the tomatoes.

While only 2 of the daffodils I planted last fall dodged the squirrels, my tulips fared slightly better. I estimate that 10 bulbs were lost but I have probably 15 yellow ones that have popped up and flourished. Those odds aren't that bad and I am planning on adding more next year.
They are just too gorgeous to resist.



P.S. A Quick update
New stuff planted today for the shade garden
Sweet Woodroof
English Daisies-white
Impatiens-white
Ostrich Fern

It seems that I haven't posted in way too long but since the snow not much has happened...at least weather wise.
We are done digging out the grass and have managed to get that out of the yard and to the dump. Last weekend, the weather was gorgeous and I have the sunburn to prove it. We planted a Rosy Glow Barberry and a Winged Burning Bush towards the back of the yard and Joel put in his beets and zucchini.
The May long weekend is the official planting weekend here in the prairies and it has been a long time coming! The seedlings have been hardening off for the last 10 days and they should be good to go this weekend.
I have columbine, sunflowers and sweet peas to plant and will have to hit the garden centre a few times before the end of the week. J has an array of veg to start and has been babysitting his tomato plants daily.
I am on the hunt for white Impatiens and promise to get out with my camera this week and post some new photos.

Poppy

Judging from the long term forecast for Calgary, spring is here...finally.
After last weeks cold snap and snow, we thought it would never arrive.
Everything that had popped out survived, even my tulips which were in full bloom.
Our trays and trays and trays of seedlings are growing nicely and today was nice enough to open up the patio doors and let them feel the breeze. I guess I can start hardening them off this week.

I did plant one thing today, even though it's not the May long weekend. That is the rule here in the prairies. I always try to push it a bit and imagine I will be putting stuff in the ground next weekend. For today, I put in the Chippewa Blueberry bush. I am having visions of blueberry pie!

J still has to fight the good fight and get that shrub out of the ground but he needs a chainsaw. Scary! We tried using an axe but it seems that the wood is just too hard and too alive. The axe just bounces off which is even scarier!

Click the link if you dare. I have decided that I am simply not going to acknowledge  it.

Your Weather: Snow in May - The Weather Network