There’s a very dark, very large cloud heading our way at the moment (7:02 a.m. on Saturday) and it’s supposed to provide another round of heavy rain all day. So much for best laid spring garden work plans eh? I’m very happy I took some photos Thursday evening as the sun was going down and very happy to again join Jim at Garden Ruminations as he hosts gardeners around the world showcasing six things in their gardens.
First up, once again, since it’s April, are daffodils. Here are three varieties that started to open this week. I love the ruffled orange trumpet of the one on the left (N. Delibes), and the huge long bright yellow trumpet of the one on the right (N. Bravoure), and the daintiness of the one in the centre (N. Cassata). There should be daffodils of one variety or another blooming here until mid May.
Also enjoying their moment in the spotlight are colourful and beautifully fragrant Hyacinths. Although the deep purple ‘Woodstock’ may be my favourite, this patch of blue, white and purple also makes my heart (and nose) sing. They come back year after year, albeit with smaller individual flower stalks (and fewer flowers on each stalk) but more stalks in general, indicating the bulb is splitting. I don’t add fertilizer or manure or even compost to these beds but instead let fallen tree leaves rest in place, decompose, and replenish the soil.
Here’s a patch of blue Hyacinths in the kitchen garden; it’s in a small micro-garden chock full of spring bulbs, a dwarf Fothergilla, a few small perennials and this large cedar – Thuja occidentalis of one variety or another – that until this past winter had beautiful full branches right to the ground. A few rabbits; however, thought it would make a goof spot to hunker down for the winter and, while they were at it, nibble away at those beautiful full branches. I’ve never had rabbits eating evergreens like they did this past winter… anyway, the result was a mangy, half dead mass of branches that I trimmed off to give that corner an entirely new look. I think I like it.
Sticking with the blue theme, Muscari armeniacum have started to bloom:
Also blue (mainly) was the sky on Thursday, providing a great backdrop for buds starting to burst on my chestnut tree and also on my little Magnolia × loebneri ‘Merrill.’ Flowers next week I think!
Finally, I spent some time in what I call the ‘back forty’ – an acre or so at the back of the property that has become somewhat neglected since I started gardening closer to the house 10 or 12 years ago. The ground here is very rocky and poorly drained, leading to squishy soil and standing water in the spring. I took advantage of the recent dry-ish days to rejuvenate via pruning a number of small trees and shrubs, including those surrounding The Artifact – an antique manure spreader that was a birthday gift 25 years ago. I planted the two burning bushes – Euonymus alatus, whose lower limbs are very attractive to winter hungry rabbits – and a ninebark, Physocarpus – self-seeded itself in the middle of the artifact a few years ago. I trimmed all three shrubs down to three main branches each. I like this look, and I can see more of the antique now.
That’s it for me – have a great weekend everyone!