We didn’t have a terrible winter of heavy snow and freezing temperatures, but then, we rarely do. We had enough winter, though, of cold, dark days, high winds, and heavy rain. The days are warming up, and the forsythia and daffodils are blooming. Tiny leaf buds are forming on the branches of trees and shrubs, and little green sprouts are poking their heads up out of the soil.

Tuesday, March 19 was the Spring Equinox, and one of my favorite times of year. I spent a few hours last Friday walking around the front garden and the various beds to see which perennials and shrubs made it through the winter. So far, things look good.

Yesterday, I discovered that the five blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) plants that I purchased last September at the Gloucester Master Gardeners Plant Extravaganza survived the winter and are about 2 inches tall. Also called blue cardinal flower or great blue lobelia, this attractive eastern North America herbaceous perennial is a member of the Campanulace...