Garden in early…

Windowbox: pansies and herbs. Pansies are edible, so I thought they'd be lovely to mix in with herbs for spring. We can pick some and put them in a salad. So far in the box, chives, golden thyme, culinary thyme, basil. Lots more to come. :-)

Yesterday I finished putting up the hanging baskets. Just pink bacopa and licorice plant for now, to trail down; I'll add something taller in the center a little later in the season. Suggestions welcome -- I was thinking maybe impatiens? I'd like something that will last into summer.

I like these planters a lot; they have a vaguely Victorian feel, and an interesting pendant shape, without being overly fussy.

I've only seen bacopa in white before; the pale pink is delightfully delicate.

Sorry for the blurriness of this shot, but at least you can see where the ajuga, pulmonaria, and dead nettle are, around the big blue plot. (There are also a few volunteers I can't identify. Must take samples to nursery and ask.) They're all still a little thin, and there's a temptation to add more perennials, but I think it's best to just wait. The ajuga is twice the size it was last year already; I suspect they'll all fill in pretty nicely. If I add anything, it'll be something silver, to lighten up the area.

This close-up gives you a better view. From left, clockwise: pansies, pink linaria, white stock that should get twice as tall and center the container, hopefully soon, lavender nemesia, and deep blue lobelia that will hopefully trail down (with thanks to Arthur for introducing me to one of my favorite flowers; it'll always remind me of him).

White bleeding hearts brighten up a dark corner of the garden:

This is a funny corner, where my sharp angles are visible against my neighbors' curved path. There'll be a metal fence between the two soon, and I'll have to move my alliums, which I planted a little careless of the property line. Oops. Move them after flowering, hopefully? I think that will be better, though I'm not sure.

These May-flowering Maureen tulips glow beautifully white against my porch and the climbing rose Zephrine Drouhin, which I hope will flower this year (it didn't last year). The rose is certainly growing nicely, at least. Maureen started out a little yellow, and I was disappointed, but within a week or so they had aged to a creamy white that I'm very happy with. I'm going to add more of them next year, and I hope these come back. (Tulips around here may or may not come back; we'll see how they do.)

I'm really delighted by these Purple Sensation allium -- they're so elegant, standing up straight and firm and tall. I have some Bulgaricum that should be opening soon, and now that I see how lovely these are, with such sculptural presence, I'm thinking we'll be adding more allium throughout the garden next year.

Smile for your close-up! (I should note, this Purple Sensation allium is still opening -- it should be more of a globe shape when fully opened.)