Spring has definitely sprung

My allergies are reminding me of this every hour of every day at this point. Thankfully I can solve most of my issues with basic antihisthamines from the grocery store. I perpetually feel like I'm that breaking point of a cold, but it's better than the alternative.

The magnolia trees and cherry trees are now fully in bloom, and the forsythia are starting to wane. In Copley Square the tulips are getting pretty close to opening. I'd give them perhaps another week. And trees everywhere are leafing out in various shades of green.

In my own yard, we have a bunch of violet-like wildflowers that have spread over a three-foot patch of ground near the back walkway. In one corner, we have tall stalks with small, carnation-like flowers beginning to pop over the stems (I'll take a photo this weekend once they're in bloom). The formations of lilac bloom shoots are developing-- we probably still have about three weeks or so until they open, though. Other than that, our yard is mostly weeds, including tons of wild day lilies that continue to sprout anywhere and everywhere in the garden. Last year, I dug up about 40 of them and put them in windowboxes, intending to replant elsewhere around the yard. I only managed to plant a dozen of them before the weather became too cold, though. The replanted ones are growing, but not well. I think I need to mix in some peat moss and better soil so they can grow a bit higher. It's in an area where I think a lot of the better soil has been washed away, so I just need to give it a good kick of nutrients.

The lillies I hadn't replanted, by the way, are growing happily out of the window boxes. Determined little buggers.

I'm definitely getting an itch to attack that yard and make it pretty. We have a lovely swatch of land that has tremendous potential. It just needs a serious case of TLC to make it beautiful. I know it takes time-- my parents did a huge overhaul of our yard when I was little, plus additional changes or upgrades every year. I know gardening is never static, and that things change or don't go quite how you want them to, and I'm definitely patient to watch the results of my ideas. I just want to dive in and get stuff started at this point.

My ultimate goal-- and this is one that will take several years to accomplish, is to create a garden full of heirloom plants, but with some more modern breeds to give it that necessary dose of contemporary flair. I love the look of English gardens- although I probably will lean to something looking a bit less controlled. Having a garden to me is experimenting in a collection of color and texture. And honestly, I think some of the dream comes from books in childhood-- having that Secret Garden to bring back to life.

In keeping with more of an heirloom feel to the plants, I've started with some of the very traditional old flowers- hydrangeas and bleeding hearts (both which I love). This weekend I'm planning to pick up some creeping phlox to plant down the hell strip between the sidewalk and the street. It's an area a bit too sunny for myrtle (plus, we have a major problem with poison ivy in our yard... which the ivy can easily hide in). I'll also probably find spots for the rest of those day lillies. It's still a bit too cold to get planters going-- the only thing as of last weekend in the stores were pansies and the first batch of hardy geraniums.

Anyone have recommendations for other flowers I might want to consider? Most of my yard is either sunny or partly sunny, and the soil ranges from near sandy-dry to (in summer) moist.