Well it may be my pathetic attempt at seeing spring in my area, but last week I dug out one of my flower beds and today, these toimmies are trying to bloom. Meanwhile, still 3-4 feet of snow elsewhere insthe garden. This time last year I had several species of crocus, scillas, eranthis and galanthus open.....they will be 3-4 weeks late this year.
We overwintered some potted Caltha palustris var. himalayensis in our coldhouse at work. With sunny days, the temperature in there is 15-20 C despite only 0 C outside. One of them is now starting to flower.
Nice one, Todd--the standard yellow C palustris is super common here, but I'd like to get some white form.. not to mention the amazing purple Caltha shown at SRGC covering a mountain slope!...
Beautiful blue Cliff! Just came from a rock garden meeting where one of our members showed slides from her trip to Yunnan. She showed four meconopsis species...a yellow, purple, white and blue, but none were baileyi.
Trond, if you remind me mid-summer, I would be happy to send you seed of the white Caltha. I just ordered Caltha scaposa...a mini yellow marsh marigold. At tonights meeting we saw a field full of this small caltha...they look like Trollius acaulis!
Spring is officially in Newfoundland! Despite a 3 foot drift in the back of my garden (unfortunately where the snowdrops are growing), the front of my rockery is melted out and Aethiomena oppositifolia is in bloom! Cold wind today and an inch of snow forecast tomorrow but yesterday hit 13 C.
Despite that you must still have deep snowdrifts in places, your yard is officially way ahead of mine, Todd! Other than the sad little snowdrops that started blooming before last week's snowstorms, there is nothing in bloom yet. Bulbocodium vernale have finally started to emerge, and 2 tiny bunches so far have what look like white flowers, among the usual lavender:
So, there are signs of life again, but here's something a little more inspiring for "Image of the Day" - Egypt Lake in the distance, and one heck of an avalanche track on the left!
Wish I could grow Bulbocidium...perhaps I need to try again.
Had snow again last night...just an inch. Going to drop to -8 C tonight.....so much for spring! On the plus side, next week is suppose to be mild so perhaps this will be the last cold snap.
Spring has also officially arrived in my neck of Vermont! I've got one snowdrop & a few early yellow crocus in bloom! YAY! On my trek back north from Georgia last month I stopped into Longwood Gardens to wander through the maze of conservatories and the Meconopsis 'Lingholm' were just starting to go by, but still a glorious sight to behold! I also toured Wintertour, the Dupont Estate where the 'March Bank' was at its peak.
WimB wrote:
Here for the first time in flower, one year after sowing.
Primula maximowiczii
Wim....do you have any tips for keeping P. max. alive in the garden? I planted one 2 years ago into a mostly shaded woodland garden with good moisture, but it only lasted about a month before it rotted away. I'm also trying them from seed that I got from American Primrose society seedex. so any tips on seed germination would be appreciated too!! And thanks.
Spring has also officially arrived in my neck of Vermont! I've got one snowdrop & a few early yellow crocus in bloom! YAY! On my trek back north from Georgia last month I stopped into Longwood Gardens to wander through the maze of conservatories and the Meconopsis 'Lingholm' were just starting to go by, but still a glorious sight to behold! I also toured Wintertour, the Dupont Estate where the 'March Bank' was at its peak.
WimB wrote:
Here for the first time in flower, one year after sowing.
Primula maximowiczii
Wim....do you have any tips for keeping P. max. alive in the garden? I planted one 2 years ago into a mostly shaded woodland garden with good moisture, but it only lasted about a month before it rotted away. I'm also trying them from seed that I got from American Primrose society seedex. so any tips on seed germination would be appreciated too!! And thanks.
Amy,
I sowed them in pure leafmould last year in May. I just made sure the seedpots never went dry. They germinated very fast...I think it only took a week before I had the first plants. I planted them out in August in a trough filled with pure leafmould (there are two holes in the trough, to avoid standing water) whch was placed in the shade and out of the wind. I just make sure the soil never dries out and that's it. Now I've heard that it's possible that they die after flowering so I'll try to get the seeds of of them!
Wow, congratulations on your precocious flowering, Wim! It looks so healthy.
Lori, not knowing diddly about mountains, that avalanche track is quite interesting. And Egypt Lake's ice is out in the photo, before the snow is gone?
Amy, that's a great place to snuggle in hellebores. The flowers sure are large! Wish I could grow Corylopsis. I have some seed of C. veitchii (I think that's the species) to play around with, but my hopes are not high. Similar to the Staphylea colchica crop I have from seed going now:
Gee Amy, I would have thought spring hit Vermont ages ago. Maybe I'm not so far behind after all! There are lots of snowdrops flowering throughout my city, along with Eranthis and Crocus but with my large drifts, mine are lagging behind. I'm sure their will be instant flowers as soon as my snow melts.
And Egypt Lake's ice is out in the photo, before the snow is gone?
That photo was from early July - the trails only become snow-free up to alpine elevations around the beginning of July here (+/- a few days), but yes, it's quite normal to see snow hanging on all through the summer at high elevation in some areas - there are some examples in the my threads in the Plant Travel and Excursions folders.
Gee Amy, I would have thought spring hit Vermont ages ago. Maybe I'm not so far behind after all! There are lots of snowdrops flowering throughout my city, along with Eranthis and Crocus but with my large drifts, mine are lagging behind. I'm sure their will be instant flowers as soon as my snow melts.
Todd we still have giant piles where the plows have pushed them up. The east side is now snow free but the west side of the house is still pretty much buried, althougha little patch of garden there is open and an Eranthus is just peeking through as well as a Frittilaria meleagris has sprung up through a thin layer of snow. Wim thanks for the Primula tips...I'm going to try sowing more in leaf mold now!
Similar to the Staphylea colchica crop I have from seed going now:
I had to look it up, Rick - interesting shrub. It's odd that the first 2 sites that come up in a Google search (one is Wikipedia) claim it has orange flowers, but most say it has white flowers, as seems to be shown in all the photos... ?!?
Rick, once I tried to get hold of Staphylea but then I never thought of sowing it and I never managed to find some plants for sale. You have rewaked that wish and I'll put Staphylea seed of my list for next seedex ;D
Lori, I like the white Bulbocodium sitting pretty in a "leaf vase", definitely a small bulb to try.
Wim, Amy's photos of beautiful visited gardens remind me of your question about trees/shrubs suitable to provide a canopy to allow underplanting; Cornus mas is another good candidate, and just look at that splendid Corylopsis! Primula maximowiczii is a stunner; flowers are reminiscent of an Ourisia.
Rick, I'm not familiar with Staphylea colchica, although I do have S. trifolia (American bladdernut); I bought a small cutting-grown start one year from Garden Vision Epimediums... still in it's tiny pot sitting on the ground, the trunk nearly the same diameter as the pot :rolleyes:, I should have planted it out a few years ago; it is about 8' tall and does flower.
White or lavender - they are nice flowers! I think I have to try to reestablish that bulb!
An early morning 07.00AM, and very pleasant. Not warm but peaceful. No wind, no neighbors using chainsaws, no barking dogs, no fog, no clouds, no boats disturbing the perfectly calm sea, no cars or motorbikes but birds singing and the sun climbing in the eastern sky.
A short walk in the woodland where the Corydalis solida flowers underneath the rhododendrons.
One of the first rhodos to flower is this sutchuenense, grown from seed. Two days ago we had a gale from north and several flowers broke off.
So tranquil Trond....rhodies in bloom already! It will be at least late May before my first open. And this year our snow was like concrete...I have a 4 foot Pieris with only 2 feet of snow around it...yet no sign of the Pieris...NOT a good sign! Our temps are great for rhodies but unless they are instantly above the snow line, it is difficult to get any size from them.
Had snow again last night...just an inch. Going to drop to -8 C tonight.....so much for spring! On the plus side, next week is suppose to be mild so perhaps this will be the last cold snap.
-8 is spring here ;D
Lori, is that a recent avalanche? edit: nevermind-finished reading...lol
Trond--nice views!--what is all the purple/lavender on the slope? crocus? The corys look great--my tiny planting of C solida is still under deep snow, along with a pot of C nobilis which was decimated by hail last year... hope to see them come back.. I do have one nice little seedling of C aurea showing in a sunken pot--they are always nice to see in spring, since they have overwintering rosettes..
Had snow again last night...just an inch. Going to drop to -8 C tonight.....so much for spring! On the plus side, next week is suppose to be mild so perhaps this will be the last cold snap.
-8 is spring here ;D
Lori, is that a recent avalanche? edit: nevermind-finished reading...lol
Trond--nice views!--what is all the purple/lavender on the slope? crocus? The corys look great--my tiny planting of C solida is still under deep snow, along with a pot of C nobilis which was decimated by hail last year... hope to see them come back.. I do have one nice little seedling of C aurea showing in a sunken pot--they are always nice to see in spring, since they have overwintering rosettes..
Rick, once I tried to get hold of Staphylea but then I never thought of sowing it and I never managed to find some plants for sale. You have rewaked that wish and I'll put Staphylea seed of my list for next seedex ;D
I may be able to help you with that - I think I have an extra plant of Staphylea pinnata (remind me when you're next up here)! It grows well and sets seed here.
Very nice showing! I've been thinking about where I should plant some things for the best/earliest spring display here--my earliest bare places are several around the south or west edges of stands of spruce--the snow is never as deep, and I guess they get some extra reflected sun... however, these areas probably tend to be quite dry, and don't necessarily get full day sun..but I may just have to try some things and see how they do! Idon't want to really try to make these spots into real garden beds--too much digging!-- I'd like to try just digging in some bulbs...
Cohan Crocus tomasinianus at least seems to tolerate shade. It selfsow into dense shrubs and woodland and flower almost as good as in the open. The hybrids with C vernus is almost as shade tolerant as well.
I almost never make beds to my plants. Sometimes I add homemade compost or mix in sand or pebbles but most plants do I plant in the ground as it is. I do not feed much either.
Rick, once I tried to get hold of Staphylea but then I never thought of sowing it and I never managed to find some plants for sale. You have rewaked that wish and I'll put Staphylea seed of my list for next seedex ;D
I may be able to help you with that - I think I have an extra plant of Staphylea pinnata (remind me when you're next up here)! It grows well and sets seed here.
Many thanks, Stephen! We are to visit my wife's sister and her family at the farm May 6-8 ;D
Cohan, areas under deciduous trees where the undergrowth is low would be suitable... crocuses emerge and start blooming before the trees fully leaf out.
Cohan, areas under deciduous trees where the undergrowth is low would be suitable... crocuses emerge and start blooming before the trees fully leaf out.
Lori, the spots I am thinking of are not so much underneath deciduous trees (where the snow tends to be as deep as anywhere) as in front of spruce, where snow is generally more shallow and melts first--here's a photo of one--this particular spot has afternoon sun, mostly, with a western exposure, some others are more south facing, though none have all day sun (almost nowhere on my property does)..
Cohan, areas under deciduous trees where the undergrowth is low would be suitable... crocuses emerge and start blooming before the trees fully leaf out.
Lori, the spots I am thinking of are not so much underneath deciduous trees (where the snow tends to be as deep as anywhere) as in front of spruce, where snow is generally more shallow and melts first--here's a photo of one--this particular spot has afternoon sun, mostly, with a western exposure, some others are more south facing, though none have all day sun (almost nowhere on my property does)..
Cohan, I think you should try there. Probably some spring flowering bulbs (corms) could do in such a place. But maybe you have to feed a little extra as the roots of the spruces are very shallow and greedy.
Lori, the spots I am thinking of are not so much underneath deciduous trees (where the snow tends to be as deep as anywhere) as in front of spruce, where snow is generally more shallow and melts first-
Yup, great plan, go for it! :) Where I was going with the comment about deciduous treed areas was that it's nice to extend the spring bulb season by planting up not just the earliest areas but the later ones too, eventually, for a succession of bloom. Crocuses (I only have common types) usually start blooming here in late March-early April and go through (in different areas of the yard) well into May. And thinking about that, it looks like our crocus season will be over 3 weeks late this year! When I was out cutting off perennials on Sunday, I saw that a few clumps had finally emerged.
No problem with the extended blooming, Lori--that's easy for most of my property, where snow is slow to melt due to lots of trees--even some areas that are fairly sunny in mid-summer have lingering shadows till the sun gets higher.. the only spring bulb bed I planted so far, I realised last year, is in a late melting/warming spot--still a foot to a couple of snow on that now, and it will get icy melt water from farther into the shadows even after it is bare!
Here are a few pics from last year, the first year of blooms for that bed, with some cheap bulbs planted in fall 09: Iris retic hybrid flowered by May 10
Scilla getting in the swing by mid-May, as was Pulsatilla vulgaris (18th, these shots)
btw, that was a 'hot' dry spell (the only one of the year ;D ) that opened the Pulsatilla so wide, a few days later, it was cooler and it was open in a more civilised campanulate style ;D
Cohan, I think you should try there. Probably some spring flowering bulbs (corms) could do in such a place. But maybe you have to feed a little extra as the roots of the spruces are very shallow and greedy.
I would probably use a fair amount of leaf mulch depending on the type of bulbs--to keep grass and weeds slightly controlled...lol.. could use compost if needed, but I wouldn't likely use fertiliser outdoors.. getting me to water (apart from pots) is hard enough...lol..anyway, the soil is deep, if they think the spruce take the nutrients out of the surface, they can go deeper ;D
Comments
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 2:23pmI have several Pieris and they are early bloomers: ((as usually the nemo type!)
This is the first iris here every spring, 'Katharine Hodgkin'
My lawn, - difficult to walk here.
Richard T. Rodich
Re: Image of the day
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 2:59pmWonderful, Trond.
Those must be either huge snowdrops or tiny crocus...
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 4:03pmI'm so depressed seeing spring way up north in Norway just south in newfoundland it is only a distant dream.
My spring is in the greenhouse at work...Daphne 'Carol Mackie', rooted last fall, are blooming now.
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 03/30/2011 - 10:16amTodd, be patient! The spring hasn't arrived in all Norway yet.
From this site:
http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nordland/1.7571983
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 03/30/2011 - 10:18amTodd, isn't Daphne difficult to root?
Richard T. Rodich
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 03/30/2011 - 12:22pmTrond, the only way I'd go swimming like that is after a sauna!
Your seed went out in the mail today.
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 03/30/2011 - 1:47pmRick, I am not sure even a sauna had made me swim like that at all! Maybe - if I had been at that age.....
And thanks!
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 03/30/2011 - 5:28pmYEOW! That looks cold! We have a polar bear club here that does foolish things like that!
Some daphne are difficult to root, like D. mezereum, but D. X burkwoodii and D. retusa seem easy enough.
Finally, the 6" of snow forecast for this weekend is now changed to rain...albeit just 3 C but rain is rain...I don't have to shovel!
Cyclamen repandum...obviously from the greenhouse!
Anne Spiegel
Re: Image of the day
Thu, 03/31/2011 - 9:07amI'm chilled just looking at the picture, never mind actually swimming there!!
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 10:31amWell it may be my pathetic attempt at seeing spring in my area, but last week I dug out one of my flower beds and today, these toimmies are trying to bloom. Meanwhile, still 3-4 feet of snow elsewhere insthe garden. This time last year I had several species of crocus, scillas, eranthis and galanthus open.....they will be 3-4 weeks late this year.
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 10:47amWow! Beautiful, Todd!
If it's any comfort at all, we're in the midst of a snowstorm with about 6" of fresh snow on the ground.
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 04/02/2011 - 12:12pmNot bad, Todd!
Even without snow things develop slowly here. Today rainy and strong wind.
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 2:05pmBlooming in the greenhouse at work...Leucocoryne ixioides...grown from seed sent to me from a lady in Santiago, Chile.
cohan (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 04/03/2011 - 3:37pmExquisite flowers, Todd! I don't know much about these, apart from vaguely recognising the genus name...lol
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Tue, 04/05/2011 - 3:41pmWe overwintered some potted Caltha palustris var. himalayensis in our coldhouse at work. With sunny days, the temperature in there is 15-20 C despite only 0 C outside. One of them is now starting to flower.
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 04/06/2011 - 11:20amNice flowers, Todd! I haven't tried that white Kingkup but assume it is hardy outside here! Could do fine with the yellow ones ;D
If you have sun you have something that I haven't. The weather here is more like fall - rain - rain - sun - rain - rain . . . .
cohan (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 04/06/2011 - 12:48pmNice one, Todd--the standard yellow C palustris is super common here, but I'd like to get some white form.. not to mention the amazing purple Caltha shown at SRGC covering a mountain slope!...
Cliff Booker
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 04/06/2011 - 2:14pmThree meconopsis images from last summer ...
MECONOPSIS ONE, TWO & THREE
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 04/06/2011 - 5:20pmBeautiful blue Cliff! Just came from a rock garden meeting where one of our members showed slides from her trip to Yunnan. She showed four meconopsis species...a yellow, purple, white and blue, but none were baileyi.
Trond, if you remind me mid-summer, I would be happy to send you seed of the white Caltha. I just ordered Caltha scaposa...a mini yellow marsh marigold. At tonights meeting we saw a field full of this small caltha...they look like Trollius acaulis!
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Wed, 04/06/2011 - 10:37pmUnfortunately, this is not a current photo...
An andrenid bee (Andrena milwaukeensis?) in Schivereckia podolica:
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Thu, 04/07/2011 - 1:13amI agree with unfortunately not current - it was very summerlike and reminded me of summer holidays! Have still to wait some months........
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Thu, 04/07/2011 - 8:41amSpring is officially in Newfoundland! Despite a 3 foot drift in the back of my garden (unfortunately where the snowdrops are growing), the front of my rockery is melted out and Aethiomena oppositifolia is in bloom! Cold wind today and an inch of snow forecast tomorrow but yesterday hit 13 C.
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Thu, 04/07/2011 - 12:53pmThat is a little cutie, Todd :D
With 13C you'll soon catch up, here we haven't had higher than 8-9C this spring :(
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Thu, 04/07/2011 - 9:11pmDespite that you must still have deep snowdrifts in places, your yard is officially way ahead of mine, Todd!
Other than the sad little snowdrops that started blooming before last week's snowstorms, there is nothing in bloom yet. Bulbocodium vernale have finally started to emerge, and 2 tiny bunches so far have what look like white flowers, among the usual lavender:
So, there are signs of life again, but here's something a little more inspiring for "Image of the Day" - Egypt Lake in the distance, and one heck of an avalanche track on the left!
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 3:06amWish I could grow Bulbocidium...perhaps I need to try again.
Had snow again last night...just an inch. Going to drop to -8 C tonight.....so much for spring! On the plus side, next week is suppose to be mild so perhaps this will be the last cold snap.
WimB (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 5:08amHere for the first time in flower, one year after sowing.
Primula maximowiczii
Amy Olmsted
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 7:15amSpring has also officially arrived in my neck of Vermont! I've got one snowdrop & a few early yellow crocus in bloom! YAY!
On my trek back north from Georgia last month I stopped into Longwood Gardens to wander through the maze of conservatories and the Meconopsis 'Lingholm' were just starting to go by, but still a glorious sight to behold! I also toured Wintertour, the Dupont Estate where the 'March Bank' was at its peak.
Wim....do you have any tips for keeping P. max. alive in the garden? I planted one 2 years ago into a mostly shaded woodland garden with good moisture, but it only lasted about a month before it rotted away. I'm also trying them from seed that I got from American Primrose society seedex. so any tips on seed germination would be appreciated too!! And thanks.
WimB (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 8:51amAmy,
I sowed them in pure leafmould last year in May. I just made sure the seedpots never went dry. They germinated very fast...I think it only took a week before I had the first plants. I planted them out in August in a trough filled with pure leafmould (there are two holes in the trough, to avoid standing water) whch was placed in the shade and out of the wind. I just make sure the soil never dries out and that's it. Now I've heard that it's possible that they die after flowering so I'll try to get the seeds of of them!
Richard T. Rodich
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 9:32amWow, congratulations on your precocious flowering, Wim! It looks so healthy.
Lori, not knowing diddly about mountains, that avalanche track is quite interesting. And Egypt Lake's ice is out in the photo, before the snow is gone?
Amy, that's a great place to snuggle in hellebores. The flowers sure are large! Wish I could grow Corylopsis. I have some seed of C. veitchii (I think that's the species) to play around with, but my hopes are not high. Similar to the Staphylea colchica crop I have from seed going now:
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 10:00amGee Amy, I would have thought spring hit Vermont ages ago. Maybe I'm not so far behind after all! There are lots of snowdrops flowering throughout my city, along with Eranthis and Crocus but with my large drifts, mine are lagging behind. I'm sure their will be instant flowers as soon as my snow melts.
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 12:07pmWim, that would almost make me feel better (then I could say I didn't kill mine - it was monocarpic :D). Efloras of China (see link) claims it's a perennial but I wonder?
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200017319
That photo was from early July - the trails only become snow-free up to alpine elevations around the beginning of July here (+/- a few days), but yes, it's quite normal to see snow hanging on all through the summer at high elevation in some areas - there are some examples in the my threads in the Plant Travel and Excursions folders.
Amy Olmsted
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 5:16pmTodd we still have giant piles where the plows have pushed them up. The east side is now snow free but the west side of the house is still pretty much buried, althougha little patch of garden there is open and an Eranthus is just peeking through as well as a Frittilaria meleagris has sprung up through a thin layer of snow.
Wim thanks for the Primula tips...I'm going to try sowing more in leaf mold now!
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 10:14pmI had to look it up, Rick - interesting shrub. It's odd that the first 2 sites that come up in a Google search (one is Wikipedia) claim it has orange flowers, but most say it has white flowers, as seems to be shown in all the photos... ?!?
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Fri, 04/08/2011 - 11:19pmRick, once I tried to get hold of Staphylea but then I never thought of sowing it and I never managed to find some plants for sale. You have rewaked that wish and I'll put Staphylea seed of my list for next seedex ;D
Mark McDonough
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 04/09/2011 - 4:55pmLots to catch up on.
Lori, I like the white Bulbocodium sitting pretty in a "leaf vase", definitely a small bulb to try.
Wim, Amy's photos of beautiful visited gardens remind me of your question about trees/shrubs suitable to provide a canopy to allow underplanting; Cornus mas is another good candidate, and just look at that splendid Corylopsis! Primula maximowiczii is a stunner; flowers are reminiscent of an Ourisia.
Rick, I'm not familiar with Staphylea colchica, although I do have S. trifolia (American bladdernut); I bought a small cutting-grown start one year from Garden Vision Epimediums... still in it's tiny pot sitting on the ground, the trunk nearly the same diameter as the pot :rolleyes:, I should have planted it out a few years ago; it is about 8' tall and does flower.
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sat, 04/09/2011 - 6:01pmNope, looks like they will all be lavender, as usual.
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 04/10/2011 - 1:34amWhite or lavender - they are nice flowers! I think I have to try to reestablish that bulb!
An early morning 07.00AM, and very pleasant. Not warm but peaceful. No wind, no neighbors using chainsaws, no barking dogs, no fog, no clouds, no boats disturbing the perfectly calm sea, no cars or motorbikes but birds singing and the sun climbing in the eastern sky.
A short walk in the woodland where the Corydalis solida flowers underneath the rhododendrons.
One of the first rhodos to flower is this sutchuenense, grown from seed. Two days ago we had a gale from north and several flowers broke off.
Todd Boland
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 04/10/2011 - 5:09amSo tranquil Trond....rhodies in bloom already! It will be at least late May before my first open. And this year our snow was like concrete...I have a 4 foot Pieris with only 2 feet of snow around it...yet no sign of the Pieris...NOT a good sign! Our temps are great for rhodies but unless they are instantly above the snow line, it is difficult to get any size from them.
cohan (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 04/10/2011 - 3:59pm-8 is spring here ;D
Lori, is that a recent avalanche?
edit: nevermind-finished reading...lol
Trond--nice views!--what is all the purple/lavender on the slope? crocus?
The corys look great--my tiny planting of C solida is still under deep snow, along with a pot of C nobilis which was decimated by hail last year... hope to see them come back.. I do have one nice little seedling of C aurea showing in a sunken pot--they are always nice to see in spring, since they have overwintering rosettes..
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Sun, 04/10/2011 - 10:45pmYes, crocus as you can see here:
Stephen Barstow
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 12:29amI may be able to help you with that - I think I have an extra plant of Staphylea pinnata (remind me when you're next up here)! It grows well and sets seed here.
cohan (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 1:22amVery nice showing!
I've been thinking about where I should plant some things for the best/earliest spring display here--my earliest bare places are several around the south or west edges of stands of spruce--the snow is never as deep, and I guess they get some extra reflected sun... however, these areas probably tend to be quite dry, and don't necessarily get full day sun..but I may just have to try some things and see how they do! Idon't want to really try to make these spots into real garden beds--too much digging!-- I'd like to try just digging in some bulbs...
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 8:18amCohan
Crocus tomasinianus at least seems to tolerate shade. It selfsow into dense shrubs and woodland and flower almost as good as in the open. The hybrids with C vernus is almost as shade tolerant as well.
I almost never make beds to my plants. Sometimes I add homemade compost or mix in sand or pebbles but most plants do I plant in the ground as it is. I do not feed much either.
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 8:25amMany thanks, Stephen! We are to visit my wife's sister and her family at the farm May 6-8 ;D
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 8:44amCohan, areas under deciduous trees where the undergrowth is low would be suitable... crocuses emerge and start blooming before the trees fully leaf out.
cohan (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 11:24amLori, the spots I am thinking of are not so much underneath deciduous trees (where the snow tends to be as deep as anywhere) as in front of spruce, where snow is generally more shallow and melts first--here's a photo of one--this particular spot has afternoon sun, mostly, with a western exposure, some others are more south facing, though none have all day sun (almost nowhere on my property does)..
Trond Hoy
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 1:50pmCohan, I think you should try there. Probably some spring flowering bulbs (corms) could do in such a place. But maybe you have to feed a little extra as the roots of the spruces are very shallow and greedy.
Lori S. (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 6:10pmYup, great plan, go for it! :) Where I was going with the comment about deciduous treed areas was that it's nice to extend the spring bulb season by planting up not just the earliest areas but the later ones too, eventually, for a succession of bloom. Crocuses (I only have common types) usually start blooming here in late March-early April and go through (in different areas of the yard) well into May. And thinking about that, it looks like our crocus season will be over 3 weeks late this year! When I was out cutting off perennials on Sunday, I saw that a few clumps had finally emerged.
cohan (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 10:33pmNo problem with the extended blooming, Lori--that's easy for most of my property, where snow is slow to melt due to lots of trees--even some areas that are fairly sunny in mid-summer have lingering shadows till the sun gets higher.. the only spring bulb bed I planted so far, I realised last year, is in a late melting/warming spot--still a foot to a couple of snow on that now, and it will get icy melt water from farther into the shadows even after it is bare!
Here are a few pics from last year, the first year of blooms for that bed, with some cheap bulbs planted in fall 09:
Iris retic hybrid flowered by May 10
Scilla getting in the swing by mid-May, as was Pulsatilla vulgaris (18th, these shots)
btw, that was a 'hot' dry spell (the only one of the year ;D ) that opened the Pulsatilla so wide, a few days later, it was cooler and it was open in a more civilised campanulate style ;D
Muscari in the same bed was much later...
cohan (not verified)
Re: Image of the day
Mon, 04/11/2011 - 10:39pmI would probably use a fair amount of leaf mulch depending on the type of bulbs--to keep grass and weeds slightly controlled...lol.. could use compost if needed, but I wouldn't likely use fertiliser outdoors.. getting me to water (apart from pots) is hard enough...lol..anyway, the soil is deep, if they think the spruce take the nutrients out of the surface, they can go deeper ;D
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