It was amazing this last week. We had some of the coldest weather of the year. For a few days the highs were in the single digits. The lows were about minus ten. Yet in the ten day forecast there were/are 40’s and even a 50. The warmer weather is coming. The picture contest is in the last two weeks of new pictures. In two weeks there will be the elimination rounds, as you determine which picture will be the picture of the year.
Update- We spent the weekend in Chicago with Julia’s family. When we crossed the river back into Iowa this afternoon it was 50 degrees. The big melt has begun.
This last week saw a spirited race, that evolved into a contest between the orchid and the bloodroot. The orchid got close. But close is not good enough in the picture contest.
The winner was the bloodroot, by a nose. Where you ask is the nose on a flower? Whatever.
The full votes were:
Bloodroot 29 for 39.2%
Orchid 20 for 27.0%
White crocus 14 for 18.9%
Fritillaria 11 for 13.5%
Total voting 74
In this week’s contest we have group pictures, sometimes called that poetic name- clumps. What an underappreciated word.
First up this week is a clump of caladium. I love caladium. They are bulbs from the south. I get them from Florida each year. They do not like the cold. The recommended time to plant them in the ground is when the soil temperature gets to 70 degrees. In Iowa that is something like mid June. I start them inside in early April and put them out in late May. They grow in the shade, even in the deep shade. They are a wonderful companion for hosta. There are reds and whites and greens and pinks. The hybridizers are working overtime to make special ones, which already show up in some catalogues. I like the big ones.
Next we have the spring anemone clump. You saw the individual flower in week. These anemones over time really do….clump up.
This next picture is a primrose. If I think about what I want different in the garden in 5 years- more primroses is on the list. If you notice it appears that every single one of these flowers is the same. There are six yellow segments in each flower. Each yellow segment has its own petal.
Finally there is the absolute blast of crocuses. I did not plant them so close to each other. That is time that has done that. Imagine if you had a clump of crocuses that was even bigger. What if they were planted that close to each other but they were different colors and they all bloomed at the same time. There will be a test next week as to how many crocuses were in this picture.
Vote away.
For your bonus pictures I just looked for clumps. I do enjoy this part of the weekly posting. When the contest starts I mostly have the contestants picked out. What I do each week is go back and find these extra pictures. So here are your extra clumps.
Have a good week.
Philip
No comments:
Post a Comment