Bulbocodium vernum

[Lori S.]

It's always my first flower of the year, here in the far north!  The flowers emerged on Tuesday, and I'm told they opened today in the sun.  I missed it!  
(But, despite the first flowers, it will snow a few more times here before winter is over!)
  

[Hoy]

I have some of this but they are never the first to flower. Today I had time to take a stroll in the garden, all the snow has gone - from 50cm a week ago. Quite a few species is in flower or almost so. Different crocuses, spring snowflake, chrysospleniums, snowdrops, some shrubs and the earliest daffodils are 15cm (normally flowering at this time). The bald cypress, coast redwood and other trees and shrubs have taken the cold weather unharmed. Only two or three Rhodos look bad. A nice day!

[Lori S.]

Well, you are farther north yet!  In this inland continental climate, though, the crocuses (the next to bloom) won't start until around mid-April.  
We did have snow overnight, but with a cool but sunny day, the bulbocodiums are open!  

[Hoy]

They are more showy than I remember mine to be. Seems that I have to get hold of some more to try other places in the garden!

[Todd Boland]

I've tried them a couple of times but they don't survive in Newfoundland...I figured they just were not hardy enough but that does not seem to be the problem based on yours in Calgary!  I have a single crocus open and the snowdrops are half-open.  Still half the garden is covered in snow.  We are struggling to have day temps to 4-5 C but it drops below freezing every night.

[Lori S.]

Where were you able to get them from, Todd?  I've had people ask about where to get them, and the only (Canadian) source I know of is Fraser's Thimble Farm ($5 each).  Mine don't seem to form seed - saw one honeybee yesterday, but not too many bees around in the earliest spring days.

[Hoy]

I have a single crocus open and the snowdrops are half-open.  Still half the garden is covered in snow.  We are struggling to have day temps to 4-5 C but it drops below freezing every night.

Not much warmer here, today we have had 8C and a little sun. But the sun is never very hot even without clouds. Still a lot of plants have sprung to life! Last sunday I had between 40 and 80cm of snowcover, today nothing is left. The snowcover is replaced by bulbs. Not all in open flower yet but soon.... Have to watch my steps, my feet are too big.

My old autofocus camera doesn't do justice to the sight!

[Lori S.]

Wow, lookin' good, Trond!  Things are far advanced there compared to here.  Leucojum is something I've always meant to try but that has eluded me... wait, did I finally plant a package last year??  Hmm, must check my records and keep an eye out for them, if so.

Here's an earlier-than-normal crocus open today(!), and a honeybee visiting the bulbocodium (maybe I will get seeds?)  The bee has a reasonable collection of pollen on its legs so I gather it's been able to find something else in bloom... willow catkins, perhaps?  (Not many people grow spring bulbs around here... well, not in view, anyway.)  I believe the crocus is some cv. of C. chrysanthus... funny, we kept records of all the tulips we planted over the years, but no specific records (i.e. location, #'s, year) of the smaller bulbs, yet it is the small bulbs that have rewarded us by naturalizing and colouring the early days of spring.  

[Todd Boland]

Lori, my Bulbocodium did come from Fraser thimble.  I have not had luck with leucojums either...in my case they are eaten by the larvae of narcissus fly...they are devastating in St. John's.

Trond, amazing how fast your bulbs appear....I will have plenty myself but it will be late April before I see them as thick as yours....we are expecting 4-6" snow here on Wednesday so spring will have to wait a few weeks longer I'm afraid.

[Hoy]

Trond, amazing how fast your bulbs appear....I will have plenty myself but it will be late April before I see them as thick as yours....we are expecting 4-6" snow here on Wednesday so spring will have to wait a few weeks longer I'm afraid.

Well, we have had no frozen soil (do you have a special word for it? We call frozen soil "tele" in Norwegian) and the bulbs and other spring plants get an early start. But lack of (strong) sun often makes the plants long.
I hope we don't get snow here now, but we can have snowfall as late as middle of April.

[Todd Boland]

We often have snow in May....last year we had a significant snowfall on May 26.  Here is the perennial border at our Botanical garden and what is left of the last tulips of the season...didn't really do any serious damage but it looked depressing!

[McDonough]

We often have snow in May....last year we had a significant snowfall on May 26.  Here is the perennial border at our Botanical garden and what is left of the last tulips of the season...didn't really do any serious damage but it looked depressing!

Todd, I agree, it is depressing when that happens.  I think we're in for the same; after the earliest spring season in 10 years (by 2 weeks), snow is predicted for Friday... which will dampen the good looks on all my clumps of Crocus, which are hanging tight again for several days during our current cold cloudy and rainy weather.

Re: Bulbocodium vernum, I have never tried this one yet... it looks like one to try.  Lori, I like the photo where the flower emerge out of a sedum.

[Hoy]

Well, to be honest, we also can have snow in May, it is very uncommon here at the coast, more common inland (at higher elevation it always snow in May!).

I remember the year my mother was celebrating her 70th anniversary and we spent the weekend at the south coast at our cabin there. When we wake up in the morning, children first of course, one of them said, "Dad, it is snowing outside!" and I replied with my eyes shut "No, you are wrong, it is only the spent flowers of the cherries!" However, it was snowing and we had to spend the day inside in stead of in the garden.

[RickR]

I actually enjoy snow at this time of year.  It is rare for us not to have a big snow event in March, but it looks like we like we are going to get away with it.  It's been a godsend for flood prone areas.  At my lattitude (45˚N) the sun is intense and snow doesn't last so long, even though temperatures are still cold. My gardens are late compared to most in my parts, and it is gratifying when other gardeners are scrambling trying to prevent frost damage, and I just sit back, never having to worry.