Week 14, Spring week 2- so much work

Welcome to Week 14.
I said that spring was here last week. It is still here. It is officially here. Instead of worrying about snow I start to think about frost. Cold is now defined as above or below freezing.

There is something else that wasn't there in January. There is so much work to do outside. It seems like I have been raking leaves forever. It wasn't that I let them all stay where they fell in the fall.I have always believed that you should do yard cleanup whenever you have the time
At this point in the spring I feel obligated to get those leaves completely up so that there will not be all those bulbs coming up underneath the leaves that are all yellow and white when they are finally uncovered. Yuck. Spring is not about yuck.

But the joys of the garden have started. The winter aconite and snowdrops are putting on their show. They really have spread. This is not to say that I could not use another 500.
Each day I find some new plant that has emerged. One day I found a crown imperial fritillaria that was four inches out of the ground. Yesterday it was the little anemone blandas.
The crocuses have started. In fact a neighbor told me that the first one bloomed while we were in Missouri last weekend.
The hellebores are coming. I really did work on cutting the old folliage back some times ago. There are many more plants that needed that attention this weekend. But those big shoots containing the flower buds are so encouraging. The clear promise of things to come.
And there are so many hellebore seedlings. If you ever want hellebore seedlings let me know.

 This week in the picture contest

In the contest the final four is almost set. Here was your winner last week giving us 3 contestants for the final four in a week.

 The winner, appropriate for the season, was the crocus. This particular picture was taken on April 7. Right now I would think we are about a week ahead of last year. We have had Aconite in March. I think we will have Daffodils in April. It seems like that is about right.

The final voting was
Crocus   20
Orchid cactus   16
White waterlily  16
Seed pod  5


Here is this week's contest, as we pick the final contestant in the finals, set for next weekend.

Here is the double bloodroot. As a single gem in the garden I can't think of many flowers that are its match. Maybe the waterlily. This picture was taken on April 20.

This cactus is truly amazing. In the botanical gardens many cactus flowers are special. This is my cactus however. Its flower is made all the more wonderful by the fact you have followed the bud for weeks.

You have to catch it quickly when it blooms as it lasts barely a day. This actually bloomed on September 25.

This charming fall anemone captures a crisp fall and joyful day. It is the dancing anemone. The picture was taken on September 17.

I had a time in the garden when daylilies were king. That was 20 years ago. I kept adding plants each year, carefully keeping track of their growth from year to year. I even made my own hybrids.
I then ran out of sunny space and moved on to something else.
Most of the plants remain. I have moved some around as sun and shade have shifted over the years.
This is Breed Apart, which remains one of my favorites.


That is your contest for this week.
It has been an amazing garden week. Everything is emerging. It is the time to find something new every day.

 Bonus Pictures

For your bonus enjoyment here are pictures from the sunny weekend.



This is it for the week. Spring is officially and unofficially here. If you are in the neighborhood please stop by and see a fine early spring show.

Philip