Old Friends

Pale Pink Magnolia stellata

I wandered around the garden Sunday afternoon just poking about to see what was blooming and what might not have survived the winter.  Much to my surprise, everything looks amazingly good.  Especially the weeds, so there is work to be done!

The Magnolia stellata is putting on an especially impressive show this year.  The buds are pink and then open into shaggy, pale pink blossoms that gradually turn white. 

Lonicera fragrantissima: Winter Blooming Bush Honeysuckle

The old-fashioned winter blooming honeysuckle looks a bit ragged, but it's so supremely, overpoweringly fragrant that I can forgive its unkempt appearance.  My neighbor says that she enjoys its delicate, but far-reaching fragrance in her backyard too. 

Daffodils and Buttercups

The daffodils are tucked into odd spots all over the garden.  They were planted by Miss Mattie Belle more than 50 years ago, and they're still going strong.  They're not fancy, new varities, but they're bright, perky, reliable, and very dependable.  In other words, perfect.

Old But Reliable Hyacinths

Miss Mattie Belle loved old houses, boxwoods, azaleas, camellias, and all kinds of bulbs.  She planted the hyacinths too.  They're tall, sturdy, and seriously fragrant.  A great counterpoint to the daffodils. 

And now for the newcomers...

Potentilla

Heartleaf

The potentilla was a gift from a friend nearly two years ago.  This is the first year, however, that it has put on a proper spring show.  The heartleaf was a recent gift to myself.  It's definitely not pretty in the classic sense, but it's quirky, unassuming, and lives happily underneath taller plants.  If I'm lucky, it will begin to put on its own show within several years.  I just have to be patient.

To Weed or Not to Weed?

Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

While some of my gardening buddies are stressing over the "weeds" that are sprouting in their lawns, I'm rejoicing over the early spring flower show these same plants are providing at my home. 

Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

There have been occasional Dandelions blooming since mid February.  They're bright, cheery and provide an essential early source of pollen for honey bees.  Dandelion leaves are interesting because they are specially designed to funnel the maximum amount of rain water directly to the plant's root.  And then there's the name --  who could not like a plant named "Lion's Tooth" in every European language? 

Persian Speedwell: Veronica persica

There's a huge patch of Persian Speedwell by the side entrance to the post office and another near my garden gate.  This time of the year, the lush, spreading, green mats are dotted with perky blue and white flowers that are decorated with darker blue stripes.  There're several kinds of Speedwells, including the very seriously hairy Ivy Leaf variety. 

Ivy Leaf Speedwell: Veronica hederifolia

In my front garden, I have a mixed bed of lettuce, with its lovely, tender, chartreuse leaves, and  tough little violas that survived the winter snow.  They're both being complemented by occasional Field Pansies.  Yes, they're "weed," but they look so sweet that I don't have the courage to remove them just yet.  I think I'll just save myself some work and enjoy my "weeds" while they last.

Field Pansies: Viola kitaibeliana

The Sound of Spring

Pseudocris crucifer: Spring Peeper

The peepers are back!  Yes, the little guys have been singing away every morning this week; the males are serenading the females hoping to find a mate.  They're providing the perfect background music for my weeding. 

They don't live in my garden, but in the one down the street where there is a small stream and marshy area.  They're a a thumb-sized type of chorus frog that emerges with the first warm weather to sing and mate. 

Here's a link to a video and recording of peepers: http://youtu.be/zBUXYrUA2pw

Hellebores:The Perfect Flower?

What's not to like about a plant that's deer proof, is evergreen, grows under oaks and pines, and blooms earlier than just about anything else?  Think hellebores! 

Mine have been blooming since early January, even through the snow and ice.  As you can see from the photos below, they can be completely buried and will emerge unscathed and standing tall. 

Hellebores are natives of open meadows in Bosnia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and China.  They were originally used as medicinal plants, especially for the treatment of gout.  They are poisonous in large doses, however, and some historians believe that Alexander the Great may have died from an overdose of hellebore extract.  Having been introduced by the Romans, hellebores are one of England's oldest cultivated plants.  Still need inspiration?  Check out the mixed plantings of hellebores and snowdrops on this YouTube video of flowers at Pembury House in England: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6A1Ue_32pg, or this clip of the different types and colors of hellebore flowers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iSKVyxNzoA.  Both are inspiring! 

Hellebores are tough and withstand considerable benign neglect.  When setting out new plants that have been grown in containers, it's important to remove the potting mix and loosen the roots. This will encourage better root development.  Hellebores are drought tolerant once they become well established.  They do, however, prefer well-drained soil.  A sprinkling of Osmacote is not amiss now and then either. 

 In early spring, grooming the plants by cutting off last year's tattered leaves will allow the blooms to take center stage, often for as long as several months.  As an extra bonus, the new double varieties make wonderful cut flowers.  So...what's not to like about hellebores?