It is a new year. It has finally gotten really cold. We even have a little bit of snow. But it is January and the days are getting longer. My local weather site told me that daytime on Saturday was 51 seconds longer than Friday. That is positive sign. Not.
I was asked the other day what I looked forward to. I thought about bluebells. All that blue. This past year a major step for the garden was taking out the last little bit of grass in the backyard. It was one of those “projects” which happened to no small degree because my daughter Katie was in town for a visit. Here is what that looked like when it was done, with all fresh wood chips.
As part of that project we dug up the bluebells in the grass. There were quite a few. We then sent 20 to Katie’s church in NYC, St. Mark’s in the Bowery. About that same number went to our church here in Iowa City. I really look forward to learning that all these bluebells have appeared out of nowhere, with the anticipation that they will spread. Neither church had any bluebells before.
Actually what also I really look forward to is seeing whether my white bluebell comes up. Yes, I really mean a white bluebell. There is a house in Iowa City that has had a clump of this mutation for years. I always wanted to stop and see if I could get a piece of the clump. I was always too shy. One year I made it to the front porch but no one was home. This past April I just stopped on the way home from work and met the gardener and got a piece. It is marked in the garden. It will be one of thousands of bluebells that come up. I think it will be different. I will tell when that happens.
But I will show you bluebells another week.
Let us move on to the picture show.
In last voting the bloodroot (improperly identified as a snowdrop in a senior moment)(and I cannot edit the poll once someone has voted) was the winner by a nose over the yellow dog tooth violet.
The full voting was
Bloodroot 25
Yellow dog tooth violet 23
casmassia 8
little iris reticulate 6
Note about voting: I have established that there is a time lag of at least a minute from when you vote to when the vote records on the blog. After comments last week from two early voters I contacted the blog experts who confirmed that this is the way it is. I also created a test blog and played around with voting for non existent entries. It also appears that the vote may need to have the cite refreshed or closed for the vote to record.
I can assure you that if you vote it will count at some point. I appreciate the concerns as voting integrity is always a concern.
On to week 3.
This week I am going to feature a single plant. That would be the white fall Japanese anemone. I believe its name is Honorine Jobert. As I hope you will see it is quite photogenic. All four contestants this week will be from that plant. All the pictures were taken from September 13 to September 17.
One thing to love about these fall anemones it that the bloom, last a long time, and come on at the end of the season when other plants are fading.
The first picture is a side view from closeup. What a marvelous green globe.
The second picture, I call the dancer, is a side view from further away. I think it looks like a dancer spinning around.
The third picture is a straight-on shot, showing that green globe with all those yellow things, with the white background.
Finally here is the full view. Actually the shade adds a nice touch.
I could not pick one out of this group to be a single entry. So I just give them all to you.
For your additional viewing pleasure this week here are lots of other fall anemones.
Stay warm. Winter is really here.
Philip
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