My very first gardenia I’ve ever tried to keep is blooming in the greenhouse,which to me is a sure sign it’s happy there. It has to be because I can’t keep it as a houseplant and there isn’t a permanent place for it outside since gardenias are in the coffee family and are more suited to an African climate than an arctic one.

Still, it is lovely to look at and the fragrance is heavenly. Hopefully I can keep it happy indoors through winter so it can keep me company every summer out there.

Our tulips, which are hardy enough to withstand Idaho’s six month winters, are starting to show themselves here and there, mostly the early blooming red and yellows. They are so shiny they look almost plastic at first glance!

I haven’t had time to get to their beds to clean them up but they don’t seem to mind. By the time the next batch of mid-season tulips start blooming, I will hopefully have all the flower beds sorted.

This year I have promised myself no more new flower beds, except the rose garden I’m planting under our bedroom window. More beds means more work and less time to just enjoy the garden!