More than a year has passed since my last entry. Now I have a new garden helper: my little baby girl JULIETTE. She was born February 2, and she's grown faster and is prettier than any flower in the garden. Because I was pregnant last fall, I didn't plant any new bulbs or dig any new beds, so there's nothing new blooming — it's the same as last year, with some increase in the daffodils, 'Gavota' tulips, and trillium and some decline in all other tulips.

This spring Juliette and I have been busy rethinking the arrangements of some beds. I've placed more of my potted roses within garden beds rather than at my home's entrance -- they should get more sun where they are placed, and thus they will bloom better.  Now that I've placed some of the more sensitive plants in pots, the invasive ones in my garden beds are free to fight it out amongst themselves. I've increased plantings in a shady bed in front of last year's new fence, adding Heucheras 'Regina' and 'Smoky Rose,' along with some divisions of the daylily 'Happy Returns,' Geranium macrorrhizum 'varigata,' assorted columbine, Lamium maculatum 'Silver Beacon,' and Ajuga reptans.  I've divided and moved a number of plants, especially my lilies, hosta, variegated Kalmeris 'Shogun,' and variegated Phlox paniculata 'Norah Leigh.' My main additions are some new roses, 'The Dark Lady,' 'Excellenz Von Schubert,' 'Belinda's Dream,' 'Clotilde Soupert,' 'Carefree Wonder,' 'Climbing Pinkie,' and especially the old Gallica 'Juliette.' So far, all of these are potted except for The Dark Lady and Juliette, which are in-ground roses.

I took a number of pictures last year, but I didn't post them. I hope I'm more faithful this year, but with a new baby, I can't promise anything...