Meanwhile in the backyard...

Bush peony "eyes" sprouting stalks

During the winter, since most of the plants in containers are dormant, I don't pay much notice to what is going as nasturtium seeds sprout everywhere, covering the pots. But as I start to poke around and pull weeds, the wonder of nature is exposed.

For example, in the photo above, you see stalks of a peony plant start to sprout from the "eyes". Yes, they also look a little creepy, too, at this stage. These stalks will grow to at least 12 inches high, and hopefully the plant will also produce fragrant, lovely peonies.

This is a Sapphire salvia plant that I bought 2 years ago. It did well for the the first year, then gradually dried up, in spite of our efforts to keep it hydrated. Last summer it was completely dried up, seemingly another drought casualty. I left the plant in its pot, somewhere on the side of the backyard, meaning to toss it in the green debris bin.

Last weekend as I was pulling weeds, I noticed that the salvia has sprung back to life, probably because of the winter rains. What a wonderful surprise! Now it is back with the other salvia plants, soon to provide nutrition for hummingbirds and bees.