Monday, March 14, 2011

Spring Garden Progress - March 14, 2011

salix March 12, 2011 (1)
Salix 'Hakuro Nishiki'
Well, it's time for a little update to what popping up in the garden right now. Sadly, a few of the plants got hit by or sudden freeze a few weeks ago, but now seem to be recovering.

echinops bannaticus March 12, 2011
Echinops bannaticus
The small Echinops starts I bought from the "nearly dead" section of a nursery last fall are really starting to take off. I doubt they'll do much this year, but I look forward to a nice-sized patch in coming years.

geranium macrorrhizum March 12, 2011
Geranium macrorrhizum
These little evergreen perennials were planted last fall (just before a hard freeze) but have bravely come through their first winter unscathed.

acquilegia tequila sunrise March 12, 2011
Aquilegia 'Tequila Sunrise'
These looked pretty sad after our sudden freeze, but now seem to be back in business.

geranium ann folkard March 12, 2011
Geranium 'Ann Folkard'
These got burned to a crisp earlier, but now are re-surging!

nepeta walkers low March 12, 2011
Nepeta 'Walkers Low'
The ever-dependable Catmint is growing quickly, I love these plants with wild abandon, I just wish the neighborhood cats didn't feel the same :-(


Daffodil
Every summer I hate these daffodils and their horrible, spent foliage. Every spring I fall in love with them :-) I swear, this is the year that I move them after they are flowering, somewhere further back in the border where larger plants will hide that declining foliage.

agastache golden jubilee March 12, 2011
Agastache 'Golden Jubilee'
I was fretting a few weeks ago when I hadn't seen these emerging yet. I needn't have been worried, as they popped up soon thereafter and have been growing rapidly since then.

astrantia major March 12, 2011
Astrantia Major
The second Astrantia has emerged! I just planted these last fall, so haven't been sure if they would over-winter in my extremely wet, heavy soil. So far, these two white ones have come up, but there is still no sign of the 'Abbey Road' I had planted...I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

geranium katherine adele March 12, 2011
Geranium 'Katerine Adele'
Another victim of our freeze, this one is finally coming back with renewed vigor.

leucanthemum March 12, 2011
Leucanthemum (Shasta Daisy)
The patches of Shasta Daisy are staring to put on some growth again.

sedum angelina March 12, 2011
Sedum 'Angelina'
While evergree, 'Angelina' sort of struggles though winters in my garden...and is pretty scraggly, not at all like the lush, thick mats I see elsewhere. I'm guessing it's a combination of heavy soil, not enough sun, and competition from neighboring plants.

lupine hybrid March 12, 2011
Lupine hybrid
Last spring, I let Norm pick some plants for the garden, he chose a six-pack of tiny hybrid Lupine seedlings. I scattered them around the garden and they have proven to be extremely hardy! I barely paid them any attention last year, but they all grew strongly, and a few flowered. This spring, they seem to be back with a vengeance...I can't wait to see how they do this year. I'm reminded how I initially fell in love with them solely for their interesting foliage...those lovely flowers are an added bonus!

persicaria lance corporal March 12, 2011
Persicaria 'Lance Corporal'
All the Persicarias were reduced to brown, pulp during the aforementioned freeze, but all are now redoubling their efforts and growing by the day!

sanguisorbia March 12, 2011
Sanguisorbia 'Pink Elephant'
This dear little Burnet that is planted between the lilies is up and spreading it's odd little pink heads. I love the new foliage, it's so bizarre looking. Still no sign of the lilies, though :-(

geranium rozanne March 12, 2011
Geranium 'Rozanne'
While it's by far the most vigorous of my Geraniums, 'Rozanne' is a slow starter, it seems. Of course, it could be that it is in the north border, and won't even see direct sun for another month.

persicaria taurus March 12, 2011
Persicaria 'Taurus'
A bit slower to get going than my other Persicaria (probably due to it being in the same north bed as Geranium 'Rozanne'), 'Taurus' is finally showing some new growth. I can't wait to see how it does during its first full year in the garden.

Oxalis Dark Dancer March 6, 2011
Oxalis 'Dark Dancer
'Dark Dancer' is growing with wild abandon, I love how it will soon form a thick matt of wonderful dark foliage along the walkway.

Euphorbia faded jeans March 12, 2011
Euphorbia 'Faded Jeans'
Evergreen and ever-beautiful, this small, wonderfully-textured perennials has become one of my favorite foliage plants.

tulip March 12, 2011
Tulip hybrid
I planted a bunch of random tulips last fall...darned if I remember what they were!

oxalis March 12, 2011
Oxalis
The pink-flowered Oxalis is also ever-green. The neighboring Oxalis Oregana are starting to emerge as well...this year promises to deliver the lush, green foliar carpet I've been waiting for :-)

Miscanthus Malepartus March 6, 2011
Miscanthus 'Malepartus'
The first of the ornamental grasses to start growing, 'Malepartus' was recently sheared back to allow for it's new growth. It seems to grow slowly for the first month or so, then shoots up to 6', seemingly overnight!

Sedum Spectible March 6, 2011 2
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
The tight, little buds that rest at soil level all winter are finally expanding. I love their fat, fleshly leaves...they are a wonderful contrast to neighboring, more finely-textured plants.

Monarda Raspberry Wine March 6, 2011
Monarda 'Raspberry Wine'
'Raspberry Wine' has decided it doesn't want to be a single plant this year, and has expanded to form a smallish clump. This is one of the peripheral plants, coming up near Panicum 'Heavy Metal'(which I will be moving, if possible).

Helenium March 6, 2011 2
Helenium 'Mardi Gras'
Another perennial with basal foliage that remains all winter, it's slow to start growing, but once warmer weather arrives in the coming weeks, it'll also explode upward, at which point I'll have to either stake it or give it the "Chelsea Chop" as it becomes extremely top-heavy and is prone to flopping.

Clematis tangutica March 12, 2011
Clematis Tangutica
My most exciting moment this weekend came while I was rooting around in the back yard, looking for signs of growth at the base of this Clematis...and saw nothing. I glanced up, however, and there it was...new growth! I hadn't expected the spindly stems to remain alive through the winter...they were no thicker than a shaft of hay.

18 comments:

  1. Wow Scott your garden is really coming alive. Where I am seeing only the bulbs starting to grow you have growth in so many perennials. It is good to see the plants starting to grow again. Now you can see what may or may not be coming back this spring.

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  2. Holy $%^%$, you have a lot going on and it looks awesome! I am intrigued by the geraniums and need to take a closer look at those, love the foliage on them. Also love that euphorbia foliage but pretty sure they would rot in my wet soil. Great post!

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  3. I love seeing all the plants emerging after the winter. I also have a Monarda that has traveled very far from its original spot. I'm thinking I'll dig some of it up and offer it at a plant swap in a few months. My Persicaria is still looking dead, no signs of new growth at all. I have the same problem with neighborhood cats in my Walker's Low.

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  4. So many exciting signs of progress! I envy the variety of euphorbias you can grow there - polychroma is the only one reliable for me. You've probably heard about interplanting daffs with daylilies - pretty good for hiding that foliage...

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  5. New growth is always so exciting. I appreciate the pictures are new things planted last year are coming up and to know what the tiny little growth looks like is a good thing! Happy Spring.

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  6. I weeded in the garden all weekend and was amazed at everything that was coming out. Hooray to spring!

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  7. WOW! You've got a lot going on there Mr!

    I'm glad you've fallen for the Lupine...such an old fashioned plant but one I love for the foliage especially but also the flower. I do have to be careful though to make sure the slugs don't destroy it before it gets going. Yours looks truly unfazed by the little slime maggots.

    Oh and thank you for the shot of the Euphorbia 'Faded Jeans' - I passed this one up last year but I won't make that mistake again.

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  8. There's nothing quite like the signs of life emerging in the garden is there? There is hope. Love all your plants. Now no more frosts!

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  9. Great post, simple yet rewarding to you. I think I shall post a similar update. Thanks for the idea.

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  10. Let's see--I tried two 'Nishiki' willows and both died. Grasshoppers devour my echinops every year (they are the first to go when the annual infestation happens). Otherwise, you have some nice plant choices!

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  11. Wow! I am so jealous -- you have tons of emerging plants. How exciting March must be for you. It will be late April/early May before I get to experience the same thrill.

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  12. What a delightful wander around your garden, Scott. How do you fit so much into your self-described small garden? You've got me a bit worried about my agastasches, since I see no signs of any new growth yet. And that euphorbia 'Faded Jeans' looks like a great one to find. It's now on my list! Oh, and maybe you love the nepeta so much because you are part cat?

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  13. Ok...I really enjoyed your pictures...now I think I will do the same!!

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  14. This was nice to see as it is currently snowing here in upstate NY, could be more than 5 inches when it is done. I found your blog via the Geranium Rozanne Facebook page.

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  15. Look at all of those plants getting ready for a new growing season! Your globe thistle may just take off and produce flowers this year. I hope your lupines do well. That's one flower I keep trying to grow, but only had one do well, then die after a few seasons. The others have neglected to bloom, then died over the winter.

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