Everyone has been talking about what a “mild winter” we have had, but nobody seems to have informed the plants. They are all dragging their heels, compared to years past. Oh, well…here are a few shots I was able to squeeze in between rain/snow storms over the last couple of days.
Last month I showed you blue primroses, the earliest, but now the white ones are joining in. They are the biggest and longest-lasting. They also show up to greatest advantage, sprinkled around the forest floor.
One of the many pieces of information picked up from blogging is that when I bought this Stachrus praecox, what I was really after was Stachyrus salicifolia ‘Sparkler’ for its long, dangling beads. The photograph that I carried around with me for ever so long misidentified it. These little blooms on bare branches are sweet, though, and more than welcome here.
Moss is king, covering the knarled roots of the ancient cherry trees. Many clumps of Narcissus ‘Tete-a-tete’ brighten the scene.
Common violets would normally be forming a fragrant carpet by now, but they are just beginning to show up by ones and twos…here again, popping up through carpets of moss.
The nodding heads of Euphorbia wulfenii show signs of being ready to raise their faces to the sun, if we ever get any of that rare commodity.
The wild elderberries at the woodlands edge are the first shrubs to leaf out and blossom almost simultaneously.
The other day the sky cleared (as my grandmother used to say, there was enough blue to make a pair of Dutchman’s pants) and the sunshine set everything to sparkling. I thought to myself “Aha! I can get in a walk today!” By the time I had been out for a mere half hour, I had been snowed, sleeted, hailed and rained upon and nearly blown off the road by high-powered winds. It’s good to have a windowsill filled with the sherbet-toned, nodding blossoms of Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi until friendlier weather patterns prevail. Garden bloggers in other parts of the world may have more to offer. You can find them by visiting May Dreams Gardens.
The euphorbias are nice, hopeful signs of a season about to begin. It’s interesting to compare your late-blooming garden with the northern and eastern ones where spring is eerily early. Hey, I’ll take spring whenever it comes! I hope the sacred yellow orb in the sky makes it up your way to let the season find you. Happy Bloomday!
I am so relieved to hear that my yard isn’t the only one taking its sweet time blooming. Do you think they know something we don’t?
I’m finding my primroses slack this year and nibbled as well. Not a impressive display. I haved planted my Stachyrus salicifolia yet. It seems to be dropping lots of leaves ,leaving the dangly beads, is that normal?
I’m thinking venturing outdoors these days should come with a warning: May experience being pummeled and blown.
James~You have just pointed out why “climate change” is more apt than “global warming”.
Heather~I think while we were noticing the many clear days through the winter, the plants were noticing how often the temperatures dipped below freezing.
Linda~S salicifolia hasn’t made it into my possession as yet, so I’m afraid I’m of no help there…maybe Loree knows.
Grace~It’s an adventure, for sure.
I like your grandmother’s saying. 🙂
Wendy~You know, when she used to say that, I thought she meant that Dutchmen were fat. Now I realize that they just wore voluminous, bloomer-like trousers. She had LOTS of sayings.
Catching up on your Bloom Day, and enjoying the green in your misty, moisty photos. My mum would say “enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of pants.” Lovely to see your Kalanchoe blossoms – they’re a species I know little about but have always enjoyed: The blooms are extra good!
Jane~There seem to be as many variations of handed-down sayings as there are common names for plants.
Kalanchoe covers a lot of territory, and I seem to be attracted to all of it.