mother's day 2014 and upcoming garden work

another year, another mother's day.  unlike last year, i was in the city to make and deliver arrangements.  we are thoroughly exhausted and will spend the rest of the week saving our energy for garden work this weekend.

our garden is in western mass and the climate there seems to be 2-4 weeks behind nyc (it's a very cold zone 5a).  i hear that my hellebores from last year are in bloom and perhaps some of the other ones i planted earlier produced a second flush of blooms.  and i'm excited to see how the poppies, foxgloves, bleeding hearts and columbines are faring.  back in march i trimmed back and re-tied my clematises; i think one will bloom earlier this year.  it's my third year for these clematises and two of the three are going really strong.

for this coming weekend, we have to dig new beds, order compost, buy more plants (perennials and annuals) and plant some of my seedlings that i've been doting on in my apartment.  i have some sweet peas that needed to go in a month ago but obligations have kept me from doing so.  so they will be a complete experiment as to how long they'll last into summer.  my zinnias are suffering from aphids and i'm picking them off and killing by hand.  ugh.  it was going so well until it wasn't.

but anyways, more mother day arrangements below filled with loads of peonies.  peonies get me every eff-ing time.