As of this morning we have 5 days left until March 20! Check out my website – I have a countdown to spring clock!!!! Thanks Maureen P.!!!!! Fortunately for me though my back garden is not paying any attention to the celestial equinox. Plants have a mind of their own!
So I have lots of bits and pieces poking up through last winter’s fallen branches, lost dog toys, toppled pots and dog poop.
I have to yak about the three plants that I love this time of year (witch hazel, snowdrops and lenten rose):
First, and most inspiring in my desperate looking back garden right now are the witch hazels (Hamamelis). A few years ago, after I took out all the lawn, I planted lots of flowering shrubs. Two of those were the witch hazels ‘Arnold Palmer’ and ‘Diane’. They are deep in my back garden. I didn’t think much of them at the time. However, now is a different story!
Arnold Palmer is bright yellow and from the kitchen window it looks as if the forsythia are blooming already! It’s been showing now for about 10 days and will continue to do so through April when they finally let the forsythia, daffodils and tulips take ownership of spring.
Diane is a copper-red color. Up close she is gorgeous!!!! Unfortunately, she isn’t able to upstage the brown perennial stalks all around her near the back of my garden and alas, she is barely visible from the house. Live and learn! This spring I am going to move Diane to the front garden (away from the Arnold Palmers) where she will be constantly passed by and appreciated. I am not sure if there is a Tiger Woods witch hazel but if that comes to be then I am definitely keeping Diane away from him.
There are a number of varieties of witch hazel that bloom both in early spring and late autumn, so if you are interested, give me a call and let’s get those in!!!! In Michigan springs these are a must have!
Second are the snowdrops (Galanthus) Like the witch hazels they have been blooming now about 10 days. I love ‘em. The little white petals and verdant green strap-like leaves just brighten everything up. They are great for naturalizing, but beware, they do have a tendency to spread and once established they are like herpes, essentially impossible to get rid of. They end up in places that surprise you! What’s great about them though is WHO CARES . . . !!!!! They die back by June and you can forget about them until beginning of March. If they creep into the lawn, the first mowing will take care of them. These little bulbs are an early spring garden ‘must have’.
Third, and without question my favorite are the Hellebores. Also know as the Lenten Rose in the family of Ranunculaceae (which is just a fancy word that translates to buttercup – use it in a sentence and people will be impressed!).
For many of you they are not blooming yet. But I happen to have a nest of them close to the house, sitting within the seams of a slate pathway. Consequently, these little guys get lots of early spring sun and warmth and water from the melting snow. I actually have a little fellow called the Ivory Prince (Walhelivor).
He was the perennial of the month in April 2006 and was given to me by my mother-in-law last fall. I gave some to Janet just to be sure that if I killed mine she would at least have a bit left to share. Not sure how hers is doing yet?!? Anyway, the Ivory Prince gorgeous right now. If you have questions on Hellebores give me a call because there are over 2500 varieties, most of which fall within our zone! Hellebores come from dark purple to ivory. Again, an early spring and fall favorite. (P.S. Janet had some hellebores blooming in September/October last year so . . . I have not had that luck).
So, that’s about it. I need to chat about weeds next week. You HAVE to get these out NOW!!!!! Gonna do a little search for S.E. Michigan’s most common ( and figure out how to post pics to this blog) so that you know what to pull this spring.
Garden Well,
e
Posted by janet on March 16, 2010 at 12:11 am
Just for your information, Janet’s hellebores are doing very well, thank you. They are coming up and showing color already. The special one from my friend, Ed has made it through the winter and is going to bloom its first year……YEA SPRING.