Happy Valentine's Day!

It's February 14th so most people are thinking fondly of that special someone. 

Sure, I'm doing that too but I am also thinking about gardening and spring! 

The reason for my premature thoughts? 

This patch of little springtime surprises!

It has been an incredibly mild winter In Richmond, Virginia and all the plants are confused! We have bulbs poking up everywhere and birds returning to our yard. This has me thinking of plants and yard work. I adore digging in the dirt and watching the fruits of my labors.

I am a huge fan of perennials. I think the bang for the buck is obvious. I have many different types and I'll blog about them as they show themselves this spring.

I would just like to make one suggestion for you to think about now as you plan your springtime planting. In two words, Japanese Maples. I have three, two in the backyard and one in the front yard. I took a few pictures of them because their beauty in the spring is not all they are about. Their form is beautiful in the winter as well as you can see here. They have a lovely shape and you can trim them to your liking.

They are not inexpensive trees and they are slow growers. I have gotten them as little twigs and they have grown over many years to their current sizes. They are well worth it and their foliage and form makes them beautiful at all times of the year, even on Valentine's Day along with some surprise Daffodils!

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

And please hurry up spring!

I'm ready!

How about you?