After the frenzy of family and fun as one year turns into the next, a gardener’s eyes, and the to-do list turn to the garden. It can be overwhelming, all that needs doing. The fact that each year the bulbs that are planted far and wide across the landscaped slope emerge earlier puts even more pressure on getting right to it.
While the winter interest is peaking, with swaying golden grasses and the luscious leaves of dark green hellebores looking almost tropical amid colorful Heucheras, Ajuga, Dianthus and the brilliant mosses, there is change afoot. Daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and others are peeking up out of the soil, ready or not.
Everywhere I look, there are cuts crying out to be made. Where to start? Looking back at the garden journal entries for earliest January, 2012 and 2011, we see that the place to begin cutting is where the first bulbs will not only appear, but soon be in bloom, the crocus and rock garden iris growing in the lower Gravel Garden.
The Aster tataricus ‘Jin Dai’ was still scrumptious in sable robes, but whack whack chop chop, down it goes, along with the Japanese blood grass, Louisiana iris and various creeping thymes.
Along with the grasses, muhly and more, the hellebores must be clean shaven.
The bearded look was allowed one year, click here to read about that, and was deemed unacceptable so the hand driven hedge trimmers will set upon this task.
All ready now for the show to begin. Almost ready. Beginning to get ready. Just starting to get ready. Wait! I’m not done!
Frances
Fairegarden 
I will be thinking like you now that the snow has finally melted away. It is 50 degrees here this morning. CRAZY. Things will start popping here too. Must get out after the rain stops and start all that whacking. Have fun this weekend whacking away.
Where to start? That is always the question when a garden starts to wake up after winter, isn’t it. Your garden is way ahead of mine, but we are having January warm up, so I, too, may see emerging bulbs soon.
Yes, where to begin? My garden is a bit behind yours, but I’ve been thinking about what to do.
Aha! At last my little patch has a tiny advantage over your glorious garden, Frances. I get the delicious pleasure of going over mine by hand, inch by inch, Felcos at the ready, lovingly nipping and tucking and patting it all into readiness. Must remember to plant more bulbs, though. Your sweet little crocus is gorgeous.
I’d better get busy… You are always an inspiration! And the sweetness of the Prunus mume becons! I love this time seeking out all the little discoveries of life anew!
Jayme B
We will be having a warm day today (upper 60’s) with snow predicted for Sunday! I’ve been going over my to do list for today. It’s pretty long! I’m also going to check on my crocus. Even in the winter, your garden looks good. Have a great day! Brenda
Oh, my, I’ve been lolling about…happily dedicating myself to indoor tasks but after reading today’s post, a sense of panic has set in. I suddenly feel like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland singing, “I’m late, I’m late”. I need to make a date with my hellebores so that their much appreciated early blooms can be more easily seen. Yikes, so much to do!
You really do have a lot of cutting to do Frances. You are an inspiration! I have so much less space and when I see what you have before you I am in awe of your energy.
My hellebores were trimmed yesterday as I browsed for life in my gardens. Many bulbs are showing green tips and I’m inclined to pile leaves over them to keep them hidden for a bit longer. I still expect winter to come, eventually! My winter daphne is about to scent the neighborhood but not much else is popping.
Frances
I’m always unsure when to cut things back…but it usually seems to happen around the last week of January or first week of February…and with our warmer-than-normal winters, that seems to be earlier each year. Seeing those Crocus is so exciting!
It’s supposed to get up to 59 here today and I think I will have some snowdrops blooming in a week or so, barring a major shift in the weather. Still, I’m going to hold off on the clean up until around the end of February.
It sure is getting that time. Can’t wait but will go slow.
Where to start indeed! I got a little off course with the garden, and sowing and planting schedules last year, so much so that this winter I forced myself to sit down and turn my list of garden chores into a giant chart! A little excessive perhaps, but I’m determined to not let the garden rule me this season 😉 Although this post reminds me that I still have a little winter pruning to do!
Your endeavors have encouraged me to go ahead and start on the pre-spring cleanup here on my corner of Katy. I cut back the Barbados Cherry shrubs in back & discovered Leucojum foliage emerging! Why does it seem like the more I do, the more there IS to do?
Oh, your crocus remind me of England, and country lanes, such a variety of flowers grew in the hedgerows way back when I was a small child, they brought back a warm memory for me of ‘Paper Mill Woods’, oak & ash trees, and massive carpets of bluebells.
Here, in Tasmania, large tracts of land are now blackened by bush fires,but I know what the regrowth looks like, blackened eucalypts sprouting vivid green shoots all the way up their trunks, ferns popping up through black ash covered land, a few showers, then the green fuse is lit, mother nature once more reigns supreme.
That same magic is at work in your garden, brilliant treasures waiting to show their faces, they know of your admiration of them….look, look I’m here, am I not so beautiful. Warmest wishes Sandra.
Gosh, you have a lot of Hellebores! My garden is so far behind yours it isn’t even funny. I won’t be able to seriously think spring until at least early March. Oh well, I’ll just have to make a lot of visits here!
I was lucky to have a week off after Christmas and had a good tidy up but I started feeling just like this until I adopted your policy of starting where the first bulbs would appear and ending up in the late summer border. I felt so much better at the end of it. It one of the things I love about gardening, how spending a few hours tidying and weeding can result in a lovely border
Yes, it’s time to cut down the aster stalks, goldenrods and other perennials. I leave the Panicum up a it longer, it still looks lovely swaying in the breeze. Don’t you love the snow Crocus~it makes me smile. xoxogail
You mentioned hand-powered hedge trimmers. Is that what you use on the blood grass, too? Do you ever use a string trimmer?