Eranthis pinnatifida opening
My granddaughter raised a question in a video-chat dinnertime conversation the other night which was something along the lines of ‘what would you be doing when you are happiest?’ For me it is somewhere between lying on the grass in the warm sun contemplating the leaves overhead and the discovery of ‘new’ plants that are the result of what I planted last year and have completely forgotten about. The latter has been happening a lot lately. Either because I forget more than I used to or I was really busy planting last year. Day after day I am finding delightful new additions to our garden and it makes it really rewarding to explore the yard as though it were a new place each day. Last week it was Scolliopus biglovii (how’s that for a mouthful), a Christmas present from last year that I had quite forgotten about. Probably no flowering this year, but still a nice surprise.
Foetid Adders Tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii)
And now this week the Eranthis pinnatifida.
Eranthis pinnatifida
I discovered this little gem in an issue of the International Rock Gardener that focused entirely on Eranthis. I hadn’t any idea there were so many variations of the Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) which we have grown for forty years. We imported the Eranthis pinnatifida from England last year. At the same time I ordered a creamy yellow cultivar of Eranthis hyemalis from Lithuania and that was visible for the first time this week as well.
Eranthis hyemalis ‘Schwefelglanz’
Yet another new arrival this week was a rather unusual Fritillaria that we also obtained from Augis’ bulbs.
Fritillaria stenanthera ‘Ihnatshai’
This promises to be a very interesting flower as it opens up.
The small species Iris are also showing up in the Monument bed just now.
Iris danfordiae
And then there are the three yellow flavors of Adonis — plain, special, and extra-special.
Adonis amurensis
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
Adonis amurensis ‘Sandanzaki’
In the greenhouse the Ferrarias are continuing to open up. Here are three flavors of Ferraria crispa.
Ferraria crispa
Ferraria crispa ssp.nortierii
Ferraria crispa
The wonderful Scilla peruviana has flowered extravagantly and earned a spot inside the house.
Scilla peruviana in pot
Also in the house right now is a pot of Freesia.
Freesia leichtlinii
And soon to be arriving is this Tulbaghia that is just opening up.
Tulbaghia simmleri
I was busy photographing the water droplets on the Aeonium in the greenhouse when a surprising visitor popped in front of my lens.
Waterdrops on Aeonium
Jumping Spider (Sitticus pubescens?)
I’m just guessing at the species from web photos. There are a lot of spiders in the world. Anyway, that was another joyful moment…
Hello Springtime!
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
Is it just me or has spring been incredibly slow in arriving this year…
Anyway, with a few warm days it looks like all the normal players are contributing to the daily walk around interest in the yard. Key for me are always the Adonis which got a little bedraggled from the back and forth of snowstorms and freezing ground. But even the special Sandanzaki is beginning to bud out.
Adonis amurensis ‘Sandanzaki’ just opening
The little species crocus have been popping out in the lawn where I scattered them years ago
Small mixed species crocus in the lawn
And there is an especially nice tommassinianus that I would recommend to anyone.
Crocus tommasinianus ‘Roseus’
Just today the little histroides iris that has been threatening to bloom since December has finally opened up.
Iris histrioides ‘George’
Another standard for the early garden is the primrose that dots the spring pastures in England.
Primula vulgaris
With things starting to pop outdoors it is ironic that some of the most fascinating flowers right now are in the greenhouse. There’s a spectacular Moraea that opened up today.
Moraea elegans in bud
Moraea elegans
And a little Romulea that is the first of its clan to flower this year.
Romulea monticola
A couple of years ago (thanks Dick) a friend gave me some peruvian scilla bulbs that I potted up for the greenhouse. Mine were in the outside garden and have since perished from two really cold winters in succession. Anyway these squill have chosen to flower out of the pots this year and they are spectacular. There are 5 bulbs in each pot and this what just one of them looks like.
Scilla peruviana
There’s a another Oxalis that I got from Brent&Becky last fall.
Oxalis adenophylla
It has lovely crinkled foliage and is said to be hardy as well (I put a few in the flower bed so we shall see).
We have three good sized Clivia and they are flowering now as well. Nice enough that they earned a spot in the house.
Clivia miniata
Everyone should have clivia, they are so carefree and reliable.
And last but surely not least the first of my Ferrarias has come into bloom.
Labeled as Ferraria uncinata but I think it is more likely one of the crispa forms
Starfish lily is another of the names that the Ferrarias go by. It is hard to imagine a more complex curling of the flower petals (claws) than on the Ferraria. This was another acquisition from the Pacific Bulb Society’s Bulb Exchange. I don’t know of any other way to get these little jewels. Can you picture what a field of these looks like in South Africa?
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day February 2016
Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)
A few days ago it looked we were finally overcoming the 40 inches of snow that absolutely clobbered us at the end of January. You could see finally see little spring delights like the Winter Aconite peeking through. The first daffodil was unhappy but it was at least about to open up.
First Daffodil (probably Rijnveld’s Early Sensation)
But such was not to be for very long. We got more snow this weekend and once again the flowers are pretty much hidden. Even the redoubtable Hellebores are looking pretty shopworn for this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day.
Hellebore in the snow
Some things look pretty good in the snow like the holly and the witch hazels.
Blue Holly in the snow
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’
But I can see lots of damage from the volume of snow. Several small shrubs (camellias and daphnes) have badly broken branches just from the weight of that snowfall.
You can imagine flowers like this snow covered Clematis seedhead.
Clematis ‘Waterfall’ seedhead
But once again we turn to pots in the greenhouse for more colorful flowers. The potted daffodils are continuing to flower and the lachenalias are all coming into bloom right now.
Lachenalia namaquensis
There is a very pretty little star flower that blooms right now.
Ipheion uniflorum ‘Charlotte Bishop’
And a wurmbea that I think is flowering for the first time for me.
Wurmbea stricta
And a Tritonia that flowered in February last year as well.
Tritonia dubia
Dubia for those who wonder about such things means ‘doubtful’ as in not conforming to standard. Anyway, it looks pretty nice to me. It’s another South African native that looks like a miniature glad.
Lastly, another plant flowering for the first time for us is a little Scilla from Turkey that has the most marvelous dark purple stamens. It is said to be hardy in Michigan so it will probably go outdoors this year.
Scilla ciicica
All of these five plants from the greenhouse came from seed distributed by the Pacific Bulb Society in 2013. They constitute a pretty good example of what you can obtain by joining the Pacific Bulb Society. Despite the name, the society is inhabited by bulb experts from around the world and they are most generous in sharing their seeds, bulbs, and expertise.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day January 2016
Gymnospermium albertii
Since it’s been a cold couple of weeks leading up to this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day it’s appropriate to share this image of the first flowers of Gymnospermium albertii working it’s way out of the alpine bed. A month ago we had lots of flowers popping out but many of those have been blasted by the colder weather ever since the Christmas holidays. The G. albertii come from the rocky hillsides of Uzbekistan and have no particular problem with cold weather. That’s why they are one of the few outside plants with flowers to show this month.
The witch hazel is often in flower in January and the first of those are showing now.
Chinese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollis)
And the snowdrops persist even with the temperatures that have been down to 15°.
Galanthus elwesii
Otherwise the outside is many full of potential. In particular the Hellebores are just on the edge of opening their blossoms.
Helleborus x ballardiae ‘HGC Pink Frost’
Helleborus x ericsmithi ‘HGC Winter’s Song’
Helleborus hybrid ‘MG Apricot’
For other flowers we need to turn to the greenhouse. The small daffodils have been quite nice and one of them, Silver Palace, is coming back for a second go round.
Narcissus catabricus ‘Silver Palace’
Many oxalis continue too, including Oxalis versicolor.
Oxalis versicolor
The little False Yellow Crocus has a brilliant color to start each day in the greenhouse (only fully opens when the sun is out)
Nothoscordum sellowianum
One of the nice surprises this week was to see big fat buds on the Scilla peruviana.
Scilla peruviana in bud
This was gift several years ago and it looks like it going to have a full set of its big purple flowers. These are marginally hardy in our area but the last two winters did in the outside plants. Stay tuned for these in full flower.
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud …
Narcissus romieuxi ‘Julia Jane’
If Wordsworth had been here this morning he might have been inspired to compose ‘I came down the stairs and saw a pot of golden daffodils’. Perhaps it doesn’t have the same poetic zing, but nonetheless it’s a wonderful way to start the day.
Narcissus romieuxi ‘Julia Jane’
This is another product of the greenhouse which is my go-to place in the wintertime. Beth captured a nice picture of the greenhouse against a winter sky the other day.
The Greenhouse (via Beth)
Every day provides some new delight from the small bulbs and seedlings that populate the greenhouse. This week it’s the Babiana curviscapa that has been living over the kitchen sink after coming into flower in the greenhouse.
Babiana curviscapa
Babiana curviscapa in pot
Also in the greenhouse is the False Yellow Crocus which is well ahead of last year’s flowering.
Nothoscordum sellowianum
And the double yellow blooms of Oxalis compressa are pretty dramatic.
Oxalis compressa double form
Outside there had been numerous things blooming, for example this Algerian Iris
Iris unguicularis
Arisaema triphyllum
And this Arisaema was jutting upwards.
However they all got hammered with 15° temperatures on Monday night.
Arisaema triphyllum post 15° night
It looks the focus will be on the greenhouse for the near term…
Happy New Year!
Cherry blossoms downtown Frederick
Who would have imagined that we would be looking at cherries in bloom for christmas, but it has been that kind of year. All over the downtown of Frederick you can see the cherries and plums starting to bloom. The extra heat of the city is popping these plants that are supposed to bloom late March or April. Fortunately our trees (except for the camellias and quince that I’ve already posted) are mostly just hanging back, not wanting to be fooled into spending their spring flowers ahead of time.
However, I did see that the Gentiana acaulis that I coaxed into growing on a piece of tufa rock in the front garden has put out one very large flower bud, almost ready to open up.
Gentiana acaulis bud
Unlike the Gentiana paradoxa that a I posted a few weeks ago, this one is a spring flower, with glorious blue blossoms, normally in late March/early April.
The Daphne odora along the driveway is often an earlier bloomer and its flowers look ready to appear.
Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’
Another flower that is among the early spring contributors is the Primula vulgaris and indeed the first of these blossoms is now showing.
Primula vulgaris
But one that has me completely surprised is the Jeffersonia dubia.
Jeffersonia dubia
This is part of the spring ephemerals but definitely not of the first to appear. Nevertheless it is out now buds with several more buds looking ready to pop.
So as we begin the new year, it’s worth quoting from a letter that E.B. White wrote in 1973 – ‘Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.’
Peace and Joy — jw
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day December 2015
Bee on Japanese Quince
Well for this December’s Garden Blogger Bloom Day you would be hard put to find any indication that winter intends to show its face. Not only is the red Japanese Quince fully in bloom but the bees are all out to take advantage. I watched them collecting pollen this afternoon and they went mostly into the closed buds. My guess is that there were so many bees around that they had already cleaned out the open flowers.
Japanese Quince in bloom
There are many other plants that are pushing the season. The Christmas Rose continues to flower up a storm…
Helleborus niger ‘HGC Jacob’
And the two early flowering Camellia japonicas are also putting out new flowers every day.
Camellia japonica double flowered pink
The first snowdrop is fully open at this point.
Galanthus elwesii
And the Pineapple Sage continues to hang on with its brilliant red blossoms.
Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)
In addition there is a Calendula that won’t give up on the season.
Yellow Calendula
Rather more remarkable right now is the Spirea thunbergii ‘Ogon’ which is showing both lovely rust colored fall leaves combined with the white flowers of spring.
Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’
The first flowers on the aubretia in the alpine bed are also coming out now.
Aubretia ‘Blue Beauty’
In the greenhouse the little hoop daffodils have been coming out.
Narcissus cantabricus ‘Peppermint’
Narcissus cantabricus ‘Peppermint’ (note the buds yet to come)
I think I definitely need to divide the bulbs in this pot next year.
I’ll close with the third pot of Daubenya stylosa that has flowered this year.
Daubenya stylosa
It will be interesting to see what this warm start to the winter portends for January and February…
What if Winter Never Came…
Gentiana paradoxa
So far this December is looking more like October. We have yet to experience a real killing frost and many things are still flowering that should definitely be dormant by now, including the lovely gentian pictured above. Two of the Camellia japonicas are in full flower.
Camellia japonica double flowered pink
Camellia japonica ‘Spring’s Promise’
Not surprisingly, the usual harbingers of spring are in flower, both the snowdrops and helleborus niger are blooming.
First Snowdrop
Helleborus niger ‘HGC Jacob’
Nevertheless, I pretended winter was coming and planted another 200 daffodils in anticipation that spring will come with all it’s profusion next March.
A bag of 100 daffodils from Scheepers
Daffodil planter
Quick digging
Daffodils in the hole
From the greenhouse we have freesias and daffodils right now, but I wanted to close with this pretty amaryllis relative
Cyrtanthus mackenii
The flowers are a wonderful pastel with an almost waxy texture. I enjoy exploring all the bulbs that come by way of the Pacific Bulb Society‘s exchange program.