Signs all around us

   In late March spring begins to show its signs. The sky is blue, the sun warms a bit, and a magpie inspects his possessions from the top of a tree.

Mosses are green in the warm air of my greenhouse.Another moss warmed up on the bark of an apple tree and   begins to grow . 

My pelargoniums have blossomed and are waiting to move into the garden.

The Drops of the Spring

    Today I've just come back from my summer house, my garden. 

 The snow melts very quickly, temps +4C (+32F) and some drops are on the branches instead of snow.

The thuyas are still green-brown, but will get greener when temp is 50F and more.

My nice silvery oleaster stands without leaves, only one silvery berry still hangs on its branch.

   Each summer the  silvery oleaster is very nice with its silvery leaves and berries.

A Beauty grows near an arbor

   The Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata Sieb.), an ornamental shrub grows near my garden arbor. Its large flower bunches attract butterflies, bees, bumble bees, flies and beetles.

   I planted the Hydrangea in the spring, seven years ago. It was one of my first plants.

I’ve read that due to increased demand in the moisture a Hydrangea can’t be planted under the trees, and I’ve chosen the place for it in partial shade near the arbor.

    It‘s not difficult to look after the hydrangea: to fertilize for the best buds flowering next year, to cut its dry branches in the spring. Hydrangea bushes are thickened without pruning, have neglected appearance. 

   I multiply it myself, this is not complicated; take the cuttings at the beginning of June, from the upper part of the shoots. This is a photo of the young  Hydrangea.

    In July, my Hydrangea starts blooming. First, it dresses in light green tones, and then flowers become white and fragrant. From August until frost my Beauty stands in the pink - carmine dress.

The hardiest rhododendron

                                                                                                                                               По-русски

March, the calendar spring is now. But the snow still lies, condenses at night and melts during the day. I wait for changes in the garden.The titmouse arrived, asking to eat. They love nuts.

   I wanted to see how my plants are there; looked under snow cover and saw green and healthy leaves of evergreen rhododendrons. 

   One of them is "Helsinki University" grown in the Finnish nursery, is one of the hardiest, up to -25F. So these rhododendrons do not require any cover from the frost, only from the snow breakup.

   There were a lot of branches with flower buds in the fall, they’ll bloom in May. The cover ensures that the snow won’t break the plant branches.

   "Helsinki University"  blossoms with large, pink-purple flowers, opens buds one by one, within 2-3 weeks.
The bush looks beautiful, adorns our garden and I want to enjoy and to take its photos. 

Watch my 2 videos about my rhododendrons: