There have been a lot of pollinators out and about this past week – small flying insect, mainly. Thank goodness I have a handful of crocus in bloom to satisfy their cravings. I’ve planted hundreds, if not thousands, of all sorts of crocuses (croci?) over the years, but, unlike daffodils and hyacinth, they don’t last long. Something with the soil, I imagine. Nonetheless, seeing how frantic they get over the few that are in bloom has lead me to add several hundred more to this fall’s bulb shopping list.
Here’s a couple crocuses, and a couple bees, for the first of this week’s Six:
Second up – dandelions! Hard to believe it but there you are. Bees love ’em too so I won’t complain. The three I spotted on Thursday are but the slim slice of a wide swath that will soon be carpeting the yard. Here’s the same flower, the first taken just after sunrise, the second at noon.
Number three – also taken just after 7 on Thursday morning, is a shot of Allium ‘Globemaster’ pushing through for its third year in the Island bed – plus a trio of Allium ‘Mount Everest’ – newly planted last October. Interesting how they emerge so differently isn’t it?
A selfie, kind of, is number four. It’s my hand holding a jar with a lettuce growing in it. The lettuce started life on some farm, then got shipped to a supermarket, roots and all, in a plastic thingy. I saw somewhere on social media how you could plant the thing after munching down the leaves so I thought I’d try. Much too cold to go outside just yet, but this may work. We’ll see.
We go back outside for number five. It’s French Tarragon, purchased last spring at a local garden centre, left in the herb garden all winter and look! It’s coming back! So pleased!!
Might as well stay outside for today’s final image – also emerging from winter dormancy is one of my favourite, and the earliest of all, native spring ephemerals. It’s a type of wood Trillium. Can you see its foliage, camouflaged nicely amongst fallen leaves? It has a deep red flower that will appear in a few weeks, but it never opens much; just enough to attract a pollinator or two. Image to come!
That’s it from my garden this week. It’s been relatively warm, well, not cold at least, although as you’ve seen we’re still getting frost, so many more spring bulbs will soon add colour and joy to my corner of the world. It will be welcome! Please, visit The Propagator’s page if you’d like to see colour and joy in gardens around the world. Until next week, stay safe, and remember that social distancing saves lives, no matter what some politicians and religious leaders say.
Great post – lovely to see signs of life in spring.
I spend the winter waiting for spring, and then, poof! It here!
About your jar salad, yes there are varieties here that are cut progressively and they grow back, very practical. You are lucky not to have lost your tarragon, mine freezes every year ( even protected) and I have to buy one plant again.
I am lucky with the Tarragon – and looking forward to the fresh anise flavour!
There is still frost on the dandelion. Oh my.
Did that lettuce regenerate from a stump in that jar? I have seen those weird hydroponically rooted lettuce ‘plants’ in stores, but disliked all the plastic involved.
Yes, it has come back from the root. I know what you mean by the plastic….
Lots of hopeful signs of new life there and it’s nice to know the bees and other insects have a supply of nectar waiting for them. I’m curious to see how the lettuce experiment goes.
Me too – I should likely start by changing the water….maybe add a bit of fertilizer….
Loving the bee photos and I can’t wait to see that trillium …..! Hope all is good with you and yours 🙂
So far so good!! 🙂
Love the lettuce-in-a-jar! You’re right about spring’s explosion of growth, too. I keep thinking of how much I’m missing in my favorite haunts that are too far away for a day trip, and my goodness — there’s going to be a lot to make up for.
It’s been great seeing so much returning the last week. The crocus are one of the best flower for the bees at this time of year. And they give me a reason to lay off mowing the lawn.
😄😄😄
Oh, tarragon! I love the flavour. Mine came back last year, but I haven’t seen any sign of it this – maybe the winter was just too wet. And now I will struggle to get any new plants. Nice to see spring has reached Canada 🙂
A always, it’s like a switch has been turned on! Bees everywhere today and loads of small bulbs blooming!!
I hope your lettuce experiment works – it will be interesting to know the result.
Nice to see your crocus, complete with visiting bees. I love when the Alliums start to push through the soil – beautiful plants! I’ve added a few more this year, though currently in pots & aiming (hopeful) to get them in next week.
Nice that your French Tarragon has survived the winter!
The bees were all over this afternoon…sunny and in the low teens!
Love the bees in the crocus…
Your garden is really coming to life there. That trillium has beautiful mottled foliage – make sure you post a picture of the flower!
Will do!
Your bee & crocus montage is great. They look so cute, peeking out over the edges. What’s the medium you’re using for the lettuce? Amazing, how quickly that dandelion opened. They seem to go to seed very quickly as well.
Love the bee pictures and the Croci. People down here grow celery like that – cut the stalks off and put the base in a jar. Happy Spring.
Thanks – you too!!
that reminds me, I have some tarragon seeds I could sow. I have a blind spot with herbs, i can’t excited about sowing them for some reason. interesting to see that alliums survive your relatively harsh winters. i guess the snow is a blanket for them. i find they are not reliably perennial. much less come up the following year than i planted. i add to them every year.
Yes, alliums and daffs both like our cold winters and dry summers.
There is nothing better for the soul than to seeing pollinators for first time every year. I have seen loads of Queen Bumble bees and solitary bees this year.
No bumblebees yet here, I think they prefer it a bit warmer maybe?
I enjoyed seeing the photos of the bees on the crocus. I’ve no idea what the secret is to growing them well. The one’s I’ve planted have done nothing, although there were a just a few randomly placed ones already in the garden which do come up every year.
I think I need to jusr keep planting tgem in different spots, andxtry to fibd one it works!
Ok….fingers too fast! ‘…just keep planting them in different spots, and try to find one that works’ Now, coffee!!!