A friend who lives in a more southern clime messaged me yesterday asking if the tree leaves are fully out now…oak,maple, chestnut…ummmm nope! The hardwood forests and tree lines are still quite leafless, although buds are expanding and, in many cases, have broken. The cooler than normal temps mean spring bulbs last longer though, and grass and dandelions certainly don’t mind!. I’m joining Jim at Garden Ruminations for six nifty things in my garden this week.
The next three are all daffodils. Quail has tiny flowers on tall stems and has, in my garden, the strongest scent. Very nice in a bouquet. Thalia is my favourite, and only, white daffodil. I’m a bit amazed at how happy these bulbs are – they must be multiplying like crazy underground since I only planted two, about five or six years ago. I’m just guessing at the name Replete – they were in a bag of bulbs I purchased at a garden club sale last fall, labelled ‘White Daffodils.’ Not white at all, it turns out…I love the pinky bits inside.
Last up is a Magnolia. It seems that my prized Magnolia tripetals, Umbrella Magnolia, started from seed a good 25 years ago, may have succumbed to a double whammy of drought last summer and really really cold temperatures this past winter. It’s looking dead as a door nail (love that expression!) at the moment but I”m giving it another month before calling it. In the meantime I’ve been enjoying the flowers on my little Magnolia Ć loebneri ‘Merrill.’ It’s hybrid of M. kobus and M. stellata ‘Rosea.’ The flowers have, thankfully, escaped the early morning frosts we’ve experienced this past week. In time the tree will reach about 30 feet – 10 metres. Have a great weekend everyone!
The 5 Trilliums are special. So fun to discover all thatās growing all over your yarden.
Thanks Alice…love the trillium!
One bit of Texas wisdom I learned after moving here decades ago is “Don’t discount frost until the pecan trees have leafed out.” They’re always the last, and it takes a good long while for their leaves to decide it’s time to come out.
That blue and white Muscari is delightful, and the peachy narcissus is a favorite. “Replete” seems a perfect name for it, especially with those petals. Our Southern Magnolias are in full bloom now, with their luncheon plate-sized flowers. I just realized I’ve never photographed one, although I don’t know why. They measure up to their name: Magnolia grandiflora.
A friend in New Orleans just sent me a photo of a M. Grandiflora in bloom there…incredible!
Fabulous trilliums. But how strange to see leafless trees in May.
Some shrubs and some smaller trees have just leafed out…others are still tightly closed! We’re fast approaching our usual last frost date and it’s a titch warmer these days …I expect to wake up one morning and all of a sudden the trees are green again!
What a gorgeous Trillium. They certainly do not increase rapidly! I have a similar one with mottled leaves, but yellow flowers. I have it planted next to Lamiastrum, whose yellow flowers open at the same time. The two variegated leaves mesh well.
I bet they do, and the height difference would work well too.
Here in the PNW my neighbourās big maple isnāt leafed out yet. This surprises me every year.
That trillium is stunning!
It’s a great trillium! The leaves are so stunning!
Very interesting and strange trilium plants. And the light-colored muscaris are bright and lovely colored .
Thanks Fred…this Muscari is less ‘in your face’ than the typical Muscari, I find.
I hope your Magnolia makes it! I thought two out of three mango trees were dead from our freeze, but they all came back. It took three months! Trilliums are beautiful, I always wonder who Betsy was.
One trunk of the Magnolia is definitely dead… jury’s still out on the other….
Give it time!!
The Purple Toadshade are very striking. There’s something a bit alien about them.
Ha! Yes! But you could say that about So Many plants and flowers eh?
Notwithstanding that my Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’ are long gone, when they were out they were a uniform pale blue top to bottom, not nearly so attractive as yours. I wonder if that is climatic or whether there are different forms around, as you say, they seed freely. ‘Merrill’ is a lovely Magnolia; if only I had a bigger garden.
Jim, when I search for photos there is a bit of variability in both form and colour to Valerie Finnis. Which isn’t surprising, since it seems to be a sport anyway, discovered in Ms. Finnis’ garden. I’m looking forward to the Magnolia getting taller and providing a bit of shade…
Beautiful daffodils and trillium.
That magnolia is impressive. Neither of its parents perform well here. I do not know why. I suspect that a hybrid of the two may perform no better.
That’s surprising to me, for some reason…how about the larger flowered Magnolia, like soulangiana?
Surprisingly, Magnolia soulangiana cultivars perform reliably here. They are susceptible to scale, but otherwise, have no problem.
Oh, love the Trilliums! That’s a species I don’t have here in this garden. It’s very similar to T. recurvatum, which we do have. Your Magnolias and all your other plants are great for SOS, too. I know what you mean about the cooler weather holding the blooms a little longer–that’s one good thing about a slow spring, anyway.
Yes, despite the cool temperatures, it’s been quite a lovely spring, so far, with lots of sunshine and a few nicely times rainfalls. But I’m definitely looking forward to warmer temps!!
Such a shame about the Magnolia, but the little one is very pretty. I daredn’t plant one here as we always get frosts at just the wrong time. Love those yellow Narcissi. š
The Magnolia has two main trunks and one of them is definitely a goner…the other still has green under the thin outer layer so there’s some hope, even though the actual buds, at the tips of branches, are not getting plump or anything…