Spring Enters With Excitement and Mysteries

  • Post published:04/30/2020
  • Post comments:7 Comments
Daffodils
Daffodils on the North Bed

This spring I am finding daffodils growing everywhere. My approach to ‘Garden Design’ is fairly catch as catch can. When autumn arrives I think I must add some spring bulbs! Last year I  bought several little bags at the Greenfield Farmers Coop of different varieties. I did not pay attention to bloom times, but this spring proves I got lucky. I went around the garden, which was still full of autumnal plants, if not blooms, and when I found an empty spot the considered it an ideal place for a few daffodils.  Lucky me – now I have daffodils blooming early and later in the seasons. Some are tiny, some are elegant, some have complicated pastel faces.

Grape hyacinths
Grape hyacinths

These grape hyacinths were planted two autumns ago. The first year after blooming I did not notice that the dormant plants sent up new shoots in the fall. They came up beautifully that first year. In the fall of 2019 I saw shoots coming up around the day lilies. At first I thought they were weeds, but then thought they must be a ‘real plant.’  They remained green all winter, and this second bloom years shows fabulous growth. And now I have just learned that this fabulous growth could be called invasiveness. I had no idea. I had already decided to dig up most  of them after bloom and plant them somewhere else. But with this new information, what shall I do? Thought needed.

Primroses

The primroses are in beautiful bloom
Waldsteinia
Barren strawberry, Walsteinia

This is a wonderful groundcover. Dense and very flat with strawberry-ish flowers.

Wood poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum
Wood poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum

Beware! The wood poppy is even more invasive that the grape hyacinths. It sends its seeds everywhere.

Landscape roses
Landscape roses

These landscape roses are leafing out beautifully as are the other larger roses  on  the newly named Rose Walk.

peonies
Transplanted peonies have settled in
Tree peony

We planted this tree peony in Heath. We left the other peonies for the new owners of our house, but this was such a sickly thing we took it to Greenfield. For the first time it looks like it is perking up. Even so, I am not expecting blooms this year.

‘Goldheart’, a bleeding heart with golden foliage and white flowers
Podophyllum
May apples, Podophyllum, surprised me last year when I looked under the foliage and first saw lovely flowers, and later the may apples. Not to be eaten!
Mystery No. 1 – Some kind of bulb plant? I should dig one up. Any ideas?
A very small mystery. I wish I knew its name.
Look very closely and you will see two different mystery plants growing together. Any ideas?
Worms
Worms from my compost bin

I decided it was time to actually use the compost in my black compost bin. I do have another bin now in service.  I pulled some of the dark, wet compost out of the bin, and as I went along I realized that the compost was full of worms. How do worms get into the bin? Could they possibly be just the plain worms in my soil, or are they different. I definitely have to read up on worms.

The tree bed

For a larger view of the arrival of spring, this is the Tree Bed which is named for the two river birches. Other plants in  this section are: daylilies, black eyed susans, grape hyacinths, and less visible is the pink Japanese anemone, garden phlox, filipendula, a patch of European ginger with its shiny green leaves, “Goldheart, and some mystery bulb plants.

That is a report of what is happening in the garden as we step into May.

PS FOR MAYDAY

We awoke this morning to find another flood after about 36 hours – 1-2/3 inches. More rain promised

This rain did a lot of good for the newly planted. I will be glad if there isn’t too much more rain todayl

 

This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. Jeane Nevarez

    Your first mystery plant looks like daylily. And your second the leaves look like wild geranium to me (cranesbill) but the flower like a mallow, so I have no idea. It’s pretty though. Would like to know its name, too!

  2. Loveliness all around! The first mystery looks like some type of Iris? The second one…Canada Anemone or a hybrid? I’m not sure about the third mystery.

  3. Eileen

    I think your first mystery plant might be iris cristata? and the second a type of anemone -woodland perhaps.
    I cant determine the combo mystery plants – but hopefully flowers will tell!

  4. Pat

    Jeanne and Eileen – I think the first mystery is iris cristata and if not cristata, some kind of iris. Mystery number 2 is some kind of troillus – I think. I just bought two new troillus globe flowers, but the family is large. Half of the mystery double has flowered, but it has not revealed its name. Keep watching.

  5. Pat

    Beth – I think you are right about iris cristata. Can’t wait till it blooms. I will do a follow up post on the mysteries when they further reveal themselves.

  6. jenny

    I love your grape hyacinths – they are so pretty! Last fall I planted Tahiti Daffodils instead of regular daffodils and OMG they are not only beautiful but also very long lasting. They stayed in bloom for a good 8 weeks with a vibrant yellow and orange color.

  7. Pat

    Jenny – I love the grape hyacinths and I’m going to find a better place for them. I just learned they are INVASIVE which means careful siting. I am definitely going to look for Tahiti daffodils! Thanks for the tip.

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