Although I appreciate the rain, the grey, chilly, damp days of December and January were tedious this winter.  From the warmth of my kitchen, I watched the Oxalis and other weeds sprouting, but the ground always seemed too wet and the temperatures too chilly to go outside and pull them.  (At this point, I wondered how I used to thrive in Vermont winters!) And then a friend posted a tour of her winter garden.  Her tour didn't involve plants of dramatic or sculptural winter interest that are covered in gardening articles, but rather, it was an ordinary backyard tour of what plants were growing and which were not.  It provided a delightful perspective, in which she observed and appreciated what was happening in her garden at the time.  It inspired me to get outside more often this winter and take a close look at the changes in my garden, no matter how wet or chilly the temperatures. 

Here are some observations of the past few weeks:

• The cinnamon-scented flowering Japanese apricot is beginning to bloom.  I've blogged about this amazing tree that blooms in early winter and casts its perfume halfway down the block so I won't repeat myself here.[1]  But this tree is a treat in the winter!
• The blueberries are starting to bud.  This surprised me because it seems so early! But I love seeing this early sign of spring.
• The anemones and ranunculus are leafing out.  I can't wait for them to bloom!
• The marigolds were left in their beds as an experiment.  (Candidly, it didn't start as an experiment.  They were so cute that I couldn't bear to pull them in the late fall and then I just left them.) They are looking quite sad and shabby.  Will they survive the winter?
•  One of the shorter alstroemerias is growing and thriving right now.  The taller ones are not.
• My quixotic attempt to grow snowdrops has produced exactly one snowdrop so far.  But it is adorable!
• My dog has started digging holes in new locations.  Well, I guess it is better to find out now rather than later!
• The Mexican lime has a small amount scale.  Oh no! But, again, it is better to find out now rather than later when the problem is worse.
• Overall, I've noticed that that native plants are still hunkering down or are dormant while the non-natives are feeling a little friskier.

A few rounds on the winter garden tour has been just the thing for me to shake off the winter doldrums and to get outside to enjoy what is happening now (and maybe pull a few weeds).  The garden is changing more quickly than I can see from my kitchen window. 

What is on your garden tour this winter?

[1] “Japanese Flowering Apricot” at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=6774