What do you see on your garden walks? 2012

[cohan]

Really nice, Trond! I like the image of the Galanthus, especially.. great to see those swathes of flowers.. as Lori  mentioned, all white here, about 15cm of new snow at leastin the last day and a half (and a few recent snowfalls before that), and I'm not sure its done yet, though sun is out a bit.. high of -12 for today, -27C tonight, -20's next couple of nights, though temps will go up (and down, and up) after today.. spring is still a distant idea...

Are these Crocus patches in your woodland? How much sun do they get and what grows there later?

[RickR]

(Rick, still winter at your place?)

The snow that fell to make my last pretty photos is half gone.  A week ago they were predicting a 6 inch snowfall for today, then the "storm" was downgraded, and downgraded, and downgraded.  Today we receive a trace of precipitation.     More snow is in line for Tuesday-Wednesday, 6-10 inches, but I am not holding my breath.  We have been in a drought since the first of September. 

Trond, you do have nice crocus lawns!  I remember admiring them last season, too.

[Hoy]

Thanks, Rick!

Really nice, Trond! I like the image of the Galanthus, especially.. great to see those swathes of flowers.. as Lori  mentioned, all white here, about 15cm of new snow at leastin the last day and a half (and a few recent snowfalls before that), and I'm not sure its done yet, though sun is out a bit.. high of -12 for today, -27C tonight, -20's next couple of nights, though temps will go up (and down, and up) after today.. spring is still a distant idea...

Are these Crocus patches in your woodland? How much sun do they get and what grows there later?

Cohan, you can call it patches in the woodland! Actually it is my one and only lawn situated between the "woods" and shrubbery at the forest edges. It is a very steep bank and difficult to mow anyway. From late February the spot gets some sunshine in the afternoon just before the sun sets. Later it has more direct sun from about 2PM till sunset. Crocus tomasinianus seems very shade tolerant and I find flowering specimens all over the place, even in dense shade beneath shrubs and on the north side of the house. I believe the seeds are transported by ants as the seedlings pop up in crevices a long way from the source.

Later it is some grass growing there in between the weeds I don't mow till all the bulb leaves are wilted.

[cohan]

Tks, Trond, I'll have to try to keep that species in mind if it's shade tolerant.. my full sun spots are limited and have a lot of things to compete for them... I have lots of part day sun areas...

[Hoy]

Here are some of the colour forms of Crocus tommasinianus (and some others hiding between them - all are selfseeded here). Nice sun here today, had coffee in the garden after dinner

           

           

[McDonough]

Great looking crocus explosion there Trond!  Nice to have so many lovely clumps of Crocus seeding around and naturalizing in the garden. 

After January-February being virtually snowless here, and unusually mild too, several crocus species started to flower mid February, including chrysanthus cultivars, the earliest bloom ever in my garden after 25 years.  But with the arrival of March, snow also arrived, nearly a foot of snow yesterday, couple more inches heavy wet snow and ice last night.

[cohan]

 Nice range of colours in those Crocuses, Trond.

Mark, the snow may not be so good for the Crocuses, but I bet its good for moisture levels...

[cohan]

No crocus here, unless you buy a pot at the florist!

Philadelphus- almost as much white as when its in full bloom... one plus: twigs don't seem to be juicey enough to tempt moose...



unlike the apples and crabs- pruned by me a couple years back, then the new growth has been eaten by moose ever since-- guess next year will need some wire or net...



Garden would be a strong word here- looking from the edge of the woods, toward the 'yard' open areas in view are mowed in summer, some planted shrubs etc, other shrubs and  trees wild natives...

[RickR]

Philadelphus- ... one plus: twigs don't seem to be juicey enough to tempt moose...

Never thought about that before, but now that you say it, Cohan, those twigs are one of the driest and seemingly least nutritious.  They certainly would have me gagging (!)

[cohan]

Philadelphus- ... one plus: twigs don't seem to be juicey enough to tempt moose...

Never thought about that before, but now that you say it, Cohan, those twigs are one of the driest and seemingly least nutritious.  They certainly would have me gagging (!)

I hadn't thought about it either till I saw them completely untouched right next to the apples stripped right back to woody branches! Also noticed one of our wild saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolius) another moose/deer fave- there is one that's really a kind of bonsai- about 6-7 feet tall, with no branches more than a foot away from the stem.... they have to be able to get some height when they can, and then tall stems can grow freely, but lower stuff all gets heavily pruned...

[RickR]

I am sure any fruit wood will have an irresistible fragrance.  Anything belonging to Hamamelidaceae is a perennial favorite, too.  The American witchhazel is very rare in Minnesota and I have been to one of the colonies.  They are all "ancient" plants there, at least 30-40 years old with aged multiple trunks 2-4 inches in diameter.  Every plant desperately resprouts from the base each year, only to be feasted upon by deer.  And no wonder that there is no regeneration.

[cohan]

No witchazels here ( I may have seeds in somewhere, no seedlings though, I don't think...) any Rosaceae without thorns is fair game (our discussion of Sorbus somewhere on the forum...) but willows and poplars are also very popular, probably the small birches  and alders as well-- the moose spend more time in those wet shrublands  than anything, around here... the open woods are also full of tall poplar saplings which are broken at 7-9feet (maybe less?I'd have to pay attention) where the moose have purposely broken them so they can reach the tender branch tips which are only near the top..
Generally its not a problem, especially for the native shrubs and trees-- there are abundant semi/natural areas, so numbers of native shrubs are high enough they are not that adversely affected (i.e. they can flower and fruit, though not get as tall as they might! browsing is mostly in winter), though exotics may not be as well adapted (apples!)..

I visited a natural area to the west of here, and noticed all the Amelanchier and some other things were browsed to just a couple of feet above the ground...

[Fermi]

Rain during the last week has brought about another explosion of Habranthus and Zephyranthes and spurred on more Lycoris!
Zephyranthes "Grandjax"


Zephyranthes "Ajax"


Zephyranthes candida


Lycoris elsae


Rhodophiala bifida


cheers
fermi

[Tim Ingram]

We have just put a fence around the garden to keep the dog in and the rabbits out, but oh I would have real problems if we had moose around (!), the garden is full of fruit trees, let alone all the other woody plants it sounds they love. I know a few people who have trouble with deer, and such wildlife must have a big impact on how the garden can develop. (When we were infested with rabbits I did a detailed survey day by day of their activities, which curiously enabled me to tolerate them somewhat better!).

To provide a little spring cheer, the bright Eranthis 'Guinea Gold'. This sterile so one doesn't get the widespread drifts of the species which can seed very well in favoured gardens.

[Tim Ingram]

Like the Zephyranthes Fermi - only candida is really hardy here - and the Rhodophiala is very nice and free flowering; I hope my plant will do this in the summer.