Garden update 3rd week of January ect.

The cold frames have had some new stuff planted. I removed what was left of the nasturtium (which froze) and planted Detroit Red Beets, Early Blood Turnip Beets, Mesclun salad mix. These were planted in the solo cold frame nearest the beehive. This was on January 21.

In the double cold frame left side I harvested(pulled out) half the mustard greens and half the Lactino Kale. I then planted White Stem Bok Choy and Bloomsdale Longlasting Spinach. In the right side cold frame I pulled half the arugula and planted more Mesclun salad mix. Planted these on January 23.

It have been lightly raining for days now. We are hoping as soon as it dries up we'll plant Sugar Snap Peas out in the garden.  We still have a 3 foot tall Sugar Snap Pea patch that was planted last fall and it has frosted tips currently. Do not know if these peas will produce peas or become fertilizer. The Garlic in the garden looks great, the onions are still skinny and puny looking.

Hellebores in the garden 3 mentioned previously are blooming and 25 others have buds on them, several will be open in a few days it appears. The best news is out of those 25 budding plants 3 are my new doubles!

 These hellebores were blooming at Duke Gardens when I visited there last Friday. This one above and below is called Helleborus 'Snow White'. It was a huge clump don't you think?

 To me this hellebore is yellow, no name was given with this one.

Here is Helleborus Erichsmithii 'Winter Moonbeam'

This beautiful red hellebore was labeled at Duke Gardens Pine Knot Double Strain. You can see clearly it did not come out as a double, this happens with hellebores. I have a handful of 2 year plants that could become doubles or end up like this a single.

Crocus, the blues ones look to be rain drowned now and the yellow ones are busting out waiting for a sunny day. Daffodils a few have small buds on them, most are just breaking ground. The snow drops had a bad year it seems. I noted the same thing at Duke Gardens on Friday. Our snow drops are barely out of the ground what is left of them.

Snow Drop from Duke Gardens last Friday.

Duke Gardens did not have any crocus I could find last Friday. This photo was taken in our garden today. At one point there were 3 bees feeding on these crocuses. The bees were busy busy, at one point mid day I could hear them buzzing from our deck 60+ foot away. I did see them again with orange, yellowish and light brown pollen. At one point they were so busy there were 5 bees with pollen not able to get into the hive due to so many bees exiting the hive.

Here are the bees just before lunch, it had been raining and cold for several days. One word busy....