Spring has arrived!!! I'm doing my Snoopy happy dance. All it took was a couple of sunny days in the 50s to melt nearly all the snow in the back garden. There's still snow along the south fence though. And the front? Don't even ask.
Yesterday, between bouts of tending to sick kids, I was finally able to do some gardening - Huzzah! I dead-leafed the Helleborus nigers and cleaned up the Iris and Hosta foliage under the crabapple. But the best part was just sitting on the swing (for about a minute) looking at my snowdrops.
This is Galanthus elwesii, the Giant Snowdrop, which blooms earlier than the Common Snowdrop, G. nivalis. I started off with three clumps of Snowdrops, but through dividing and self-sowing, there are now six groups (it's hard to call three plants a "clump"). Yesterday, they opened wide, looking like doves in flight.
The honey scent of these flowers is a powerful cure for the Winter blahs. As there are so many of them, I'll cut a few today to bring in for easier sniffing.
After lingering in a state of suspended animation since January, the Witchhazel has finally bloomed!
This is Hammamelis 'Sunburst.' Unfortunately, this is one of those fancy new hybrids that has sacrificed scent for bloom size. These flowers are all the more appreciated because this plant failed to bloom last year. There would be even more flowers here, but I found two bud clusters on the ground. As does Frances, I blame the squirrels.
(Round up the usual suspects!) And if all these flowers aren't convincing enough, I saw the first robin of Spring yesterday. That makes it official.
Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for coming up with Bloom Day. (Carol, you should trademark that.)
Friday, March 14, 2008
March Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: Spring Strikes Back
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
47 comments:
Lovely snowdrops and a cute rascally squirrel.
Lovely blooms MrMcD. A person wouldn't feel so bad if the squirrels would actually eat the blooms they tear away. Naww I don't like the little furry vermin no matter.
I hope your younguns get to feeling better...and you stay well.
Hip, hip hooray for your spring blooms! I need some of those snowdrops, early bloom and fragrance too, hard to beat that combo. Your swing looks very inviting, I would spend a lot of time there, except, as you say, you always see something that needs doing. And don't get me started about those squirrels, they get bolder each day. I send Kitty out to chase them off the birdfeeder, when he can wake up enough to run that is. Thanks for the link. Our witch hazel only had two sad little blooms this year, but there is promising new growth now with the rain we have had so there's hope. Your sunburst does very lovely blooms. So glad winter has let up his thumb over you.
Frances at Faire Garden
I can't believe I hadn't stumbled upon your blog -- especially because you're another fellow Illinois gardener. Thanks for your post on my blog -- maybe we'll run into one another at the Arb to pick up our twin Dogwoods ;)
Also, I appreciate your info about the snowdrops. I have them too and didn't know I could divide them to make more, which I'd definitely like to do.
Our spring has finally begun! Yippee!
Apologies to Robert Lewis Stevenson: How do I like to sit in my swing, out where the air's so blue? Oh, I do think it's the pleasant-est thing, ever a gardener could do!
Especially given that you have a wonderful view of those snowdrops! I really must get some this fall!!! :-)
Enjoy!
I can't believe how fast your snow disappeared. It doesn't seem so long ago that you were dealing with huge drifts of the stuff. It seems to be slowly disappearing here - tantalising us, but not quite getting the deed done.
Your snowdrops are wonderful to see. The idea of sitting in that beautiful wooden swing and enjoying them is a good one!
Yes! Happy to hear you have some snow drops and witch hazels in bloom AND you got to both work in your garden and sit and enjoy it.
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Yeah Spring, it came here today too. I even sat in my swing for a few minutes and ate a popsicle (ok, it was only 50 but I wanted that popsicle anyway). Your garden looks to be at just the same stage as mine here on Long Island.
Hey, your garden is *much* further along than I thought it might be, considering what you've been through this winter. It appears just about the same as here in PA. Your swing certainly does look inviting, and it's a perfect vantage point for admiring the pretty patch of snowdrops!
I am glad to see spring has arrived at your doorstep. I don’t have a problem with squirrels my dog Rosie makes sure of that.
Oh those pesky squirrels- vermin by every account!I certainly enjoy seeing all you blooms of snow-drop that I can only imagine having in my garden.
Hope your kids are better and here's to you getting to sit in your swing for longer than a minute.
Ah, you have a lovely witch hazel. I just admired one on another blog, and now I really wish I had one. I'm glad that spring has sprung in your garden at last. Goodbye snow, hello robins.
Lovelly spring blooms. (I quite like the squirrel too, but that probably because we don't have them here ;-) )
Nice to see your March blooms, MMD. I think our two Spring like days really lifted our spirits.
Love the snow drops, I never knew they had fragrance, but to me good dirt after a rain smells good.
So for my next bulb order into the cart snow drops will go...
Loved visiting with you on the swing.
Gail
Robin - rascally is right! The squirrels are enjoying their access to the garden soil again with great enthusiasm. :^(
Lisa - it really does add insult to injury to find things clipped off & lying on the ground. I got my revenge last year with hot pepper wax spray - Bwhaa-ha-ha-ha!
Frances - for you, Galanthus elwesii would probably start blooming in December. It would definitely be worth planting.
Rosemarie - it is strange that our blogs haven't crossed paths before. I'm going to create a separate link section for Chicagoland garden bloggers. If you want to divide your Snowdrops, do it after they finish blooming but before the foliage turns yellow. It seems weird, but that's the best way to do it for Snowdrops.
Lintys - there's a lot of happy people around Chicago right now. Didn't it feel great to be outside without a coat?
Shady Gardener - RLS won't mind, it fits the day so perfectly! I must admit, it's fun to have the first flowers in the neighborhood.
Kate - there's still a mountain of snow out front by the driveway. But, it has melted enough there for me to see my Smokebush for the first time in 2 months.
Carol - after this nasty winter, I've earned these warm sunny days!
Melanie - after being used to highs in the 20s, 50 degrees feels very warm. There's just nothing better than sitting out in the garden on the first warm days of spring!
Nan - it's surprising how strong the March sun is, but I just had a feeling that the garden needed only a couple of days of sun & above-freezing temperatures. The photo doesn't show it, but there are Snowdrops on both sides of the swing.
Rusty - thanks! I'm working on DH to get him used to the idea that we are going to get a puppy this year. Whippets are fast, maybe it will be fast enough to put some fear into my squirrels.
Meems - you can tell who has squirrel problems by how cute they find the squirrel photos. :0) Thanks for the good wishes for the kids. My son's had a tough week - last Thursday he got hurt in gym class, then he was out all this week with the flu. Of course my daughter had to get it from him. OTOH, at least they were sick before Easter.
Pam - if you have room for a Witchhazel, get one (or two). There are so many gorgeous ones, I might have to get another for out front.
Gintonio - thanks, you can enjoy the squirrel follies through blogs.
Carolyn Gail - I agree, we're all feeling much better now!
Gail - thanks for the visit. If you have lots of Snowdrops, you can catch the scent in the air on sunny days. Otherwise you have to get down on hands & knees to sniff. Or, you can do what I did & cut a few to bring inside to sniff more comfortably.
I would have loved to see you do the Snoopy happy dance! And i adore your Witchhazel - wish i had one of theose...
/Katarina (Roses and stuff)
Huzzah indeed. I don't have a swing but I've got my coffee bench out in my shade garden. I sit even for a moment every day, weather permitting.
Kathryn
The witchhazel is just a beautiful color. I'll have to check out if they grow well in Austin.
Ooooh... you're still so far ahead of me! I still have yet to see some of my shrubs in the front yard. (Seems like the more snow you have, the longer it takes for it to melt. *sigh*)
I love those little snowdrops. I planted the common ones this past fall, but now that I know the elwesii bloom earlier I may need to add those!
Snowdrops unite us all! What a welcome sight! Jimmy squirrel is a cute one!
So glad to see you have flowers!
I always think about snowdrops in the spring and forget all about them come fall!
I started a list so maybe I will remember to order some.
Wonderful seeing your Witch Hazel.
Mine has not bloomed yet.
Sherry
Yeah for spring! Love the snowdrops. I htink I will have to get some of those...another flower to herald the arrival of spring.
love the squirrel. I love critters in the garden.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Sherry
Henry Mitchell said the squirrels bit off the rhododendron buds in his garden, so there is literary precendence for you blaming them MrMcG's Daughter - how wonderful to cut a few snowdrops to bring in.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I like that garden swing by the snowdrops. Nice spot to sit and daydream...
You deserve LOTS of spring flowers, and time to admire them, after the winter you've had!
Don't you hate how the squirrels chew off flowers and then just leave them there for spite? I'd feel a little better about it if they actually ate the flowers.
Lovely snow drops and witch hazel. Happy Spring!
Your snow drops looks so happy to be peeping out.
I divided mine up a couple of years ago. I already need to do it again. They are getting a bit invasive.
Katarina - I'm to shy for a public Snoopy dance.
KJohnson - thanks for visiting! It's so peaceful to sit out in the garden, on whatever you have for sitting.
Bonnie - If I lived in Austin, I don't think I'd bother with Witchhazel when Vitex & other more tender beauties thrive there.
Blackswamp Girl - how much snow did you get? My little Smokebush has finally emerged from the snow out front, it was lost for 2 months! Get some elwesii - there's always room for more Snowdrops.
Layanee - it's amazing what a mood lifter such little flowers can be. And the squirrel's name is Crabapple (I had nothing to do with naming the squirrels).
Q - one solution I've found for amnesia is to write on my big calendar at the top of the month in which I need to do the thing I keep forgetting. E.g., at top of October, "get & plant snowdrops." I hope your Witchhazel is worth the wait.
Sherry - thanks for visiting! Do you really like all critters in garden? Groundhogs? Skunks? I try to live with them as best I can, but sometimes...
Annie in Austin - did Henry Mitchell pull out his trusty shotgun? :^) I put the little vase on the window sill above the kitchen sink & I take a sniff everytime I use the sink. Ahh!
Salix - the swing is great. I used to swing & sing to my kids when they were little & still interested in being with me.
Entangled - I'd love to know what goes on in the squirrel mind when they clip off the flowers. Are they investigating whether it's something worth eating? Are they looking for something on which to sharpen their teeth instead of the fence? Is it an expression of their perverse sense of humor?
Welcome, Brianna! Happy Spring to you too!
Chigy - I've started to deadhead my Snowdrops to keep them from getting too crowded. I can see how in your climate they could become a bit of a problem.
I planted my first witch hazel two years ago and it is growing in leaps and bounds. I can see flowers buds underneath but does your leaves cling and refuse to drop? I don't really know what to do about this. It looks awful with all those dead leaves hanging on. I'm tempted to cut them off but that would take forever to do.fi
I just checked my snowdrops to see if the buds had popped open, but no, not yet, even though the sun is shining brightly today! Lucky you to get some gardening done and sit for a minute to gaze on the snowdrops. I didn't realize they had a scent.
I'm enjoying seeing the Witchhazels with their welcome, early blooms.
We count our blessings to only have one little red squirrel, and just hope he hasn't acquired a taste for the tulips in the gardens.
Hope your kids are all better!
MMG, I'm so jealous of your witch hazel! Seems like everywhere I look on blogs, there are pictures of them. They're beautiful and at the top of my list of things to buy this year, if I can just find them!
Phillip - the dead leaves hung on to my Witchhazel also this year, so I very carefully pruned them off before the buds burst into bloom. Some of the leaves I was able to crumble in my hand, which is definitely faster.
Kerri - you'll have to cut a few of your Snowdrops when they bloom so you can get an easy sample of scent.
Kylee - if you can't find any Witchhazels locally, Rarefind Nursery has a large selection of them for mailorder. They are wonderful every season.
That's it- I need to plant snowdrops this year. I miss having them. They are all over by my parents house, and I transplanted some to the "garden" at the old rental... but the new house most DEFINITELY needs a nice big patch of them out front under the the cherry. Maybe even a patch or two out back.
I do dearly love them.
I've never smelled witch hazel, most of my experience with the plant being in the autumn. What do it's blooms smell like?
Yesturday we have a real spring day, warmth and sunny and the garden full with flowers.
Today when we wake up it was full af snow and -5.
I dont understand.
Ken
Nice pics, I planted some snow drops but I don't think mine made it. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Hello there. Just popping over to return the visit. Thanks for stopping by my GBBD post. Your snowdrops look like their bursting with anticipation! Ours are 2 weeks gone now. So what is it with unruly forsythia? Oh, out here we have rosemary bushes that could eat a house.
Hi there Mr McGregor's Daughter:-D
Oh.. love the snowdrops and the seat beside them! How great to see you share in the delights of spring in your garden too :-D
MMD,
I just created a post "in your honor." Actually, it's related to your garden fencing search for ideas. :-) Enjoy!
Ether, welcome & thanks for visiting! I wish I could tell you what hybrid Witchhazel's scent is like, but I've no idea. I've smelled the flowers of the native Fall-blooming Hammamelis virgiana, and its scent is light.
Piondrom - sounds like a Spring tease. After I pull of the Winter mulch, I always keep some of it handy for those sudden Spring freezes.
Muum - I blame the squirrels!
Weed Whackin' Wenches - thanks for the visit. I think we should just get rid of the old Forsythia & plant that 2-footer, Golden Peep. ;-)
Shirl - I have visions of my Snowdrops spreading large sheets of white, but they are nowhere near the sight of those Scottish Snowdrops.
Shady Gardener - gee, thanks! I'm speechless (for once).
Dear Speechless! (lol) I'm so glad you're excited about the idea! I hope you remember to contact me when you come up with something! ;-)
How lovely!
I'm glad the snow is slowly fading away and Spring is coming. Gardening wouldn't be nearly as challenging without the squirrels, now would it? And your forsythia from the previous post is amazing. I was supposed to have one last year but couldn't find one and settled for something else. I regret it... do the deer eat them?
Yes! I too am doing the happy dance today!
Carol
terranovadesign.blospot.com
Nice images of spring and what a funny blog name. I'm afraid mine is less original.
Shady Gardener - thanks, I'll let you know.
Lissa - thanks for visiting!
Diana - welcome! I don't know if deer eat Forsythia because mine are in my back yard, while the deer stay in front (so far).
Cabs - it feels great doesn't it? Even though there is 4" of snow forecast for us, it's still spring, it'll melt soon.
Sarah Laurence - thanks for visiting! And remember, what matters is what's in the blog, not its name.
Post a Comment