Still no sign of the coveted winter aconites... but my 'Flore Pleno' snowdrops finally decided to make an appearance this week! Here's the first one, a bit shorter than I had expected but still a welcome sight amid beech leaves and browned ajuga foliage:
The snowdrops are just outside my big picture window, and when I looked up from the camera I noticed a bright coral color near the crown of thorns plant next to the window. When I went inside to investigate, I found a flower! This is not part of the bud cluster I showed last time... but based on the way those buds have changed I think this is only the first of many flowers I'll be enjoying on my euphorbia milii:
Walking into the front yard, I noticed a bunch of tulip foliage sprouting... even in areas where I don't remember planting any tulips. After going back through my bulb planting photographs--er, records--I have discovered that I don't have a clue what I planted here.
So much for my record keeping skills, eh? Even the photographic kind is apparently beyond my capabilities.
I know that I have professed my love of foliage before, and my admiration for plants that do double-duty, so to speak, but either being edible and ornamental or by having great flowers and foliage. My feelings here extend to tulips as well... check out the interesting spots on this t. greigii. It reminds me of lizards, or maybe crocodiles, which is very fitting for the tough reputation these species tulips have:
Also with a tough reputation, but looking pretty frazzled, is euphorbia 'Efanthia,' a relatively new cultivar. Her branch tips look pretty vibrant, but the rest of her looks a little winter-weary and dry. She's listed as hardy to zone 7 in some places, and colder in others, so I knew I was taking a chance with her... we'll see whether she snaps out of it with the coming warm spell.
Similarly ratty, and in need of some cleanup, are my bergenias. (I just found out I've been pronouncing these wrong, via a nice post on emerging spring reds. You should say ber-jean-ia, but I was using a hard "g" in my head. Thanks for straightening me out, Layanee!)
This little clump above glows with reds, greens and golds during the morning, and then the clump next to the doublefile viburnum picks up the show in the evening. If you look closer, though, you can see a few spots on the leaf in the lower right, and some crispy edges at the top. All of those will be taken off in a few weeks when the plant greens up... I just can't bring myself to do it now, because I don't want to forego their show!
Heading back to the steps, I checked out a few plants that were basking in the morning shade. More tulips that I don't remember planting, of course... and then the fat pink flower buds on my 'Ivory Prince' hellebores.
Also with a tough reputation, but looking pretty frazzled, is euphorbia 'Efanthia,' a relatively new cultivar. Her branch tips look pretty vibrant, but the rest of her looks a little winter-weary and dry. She's listed as hardy to zone 7 in some places, and colder in others, so I knew I was taking a chance with her... we'll see whether she snaps out of it with the coming warm spell.
Similarly ratty, and in need of some cleanup, are my bergenias. (I just found out I've been pronouncing these wrong, via a nice post on emerging spring reds. You should say ber-jean-ia, but I was using a hard "g" in my head. Thanks for straightening me out, Layanee!)
This little clump above glows with reds, greens and golds during the morning, and then the clump next to the doublefile viburnum picks up the show in the evening. If you look closer, though, you can see a few spots on the leaf in the lower right, and some crispy edges at the top. All of those will be taken off in a few weeks when the plant greens up... I just can't bring myself to do it now, because I don't want to forego their show!
Heading back to the steps, I checked out a few plants that were basking in the morning shade. More tulips that I don't remember planting, of course... and then the fat pink flower buds on my 'Ivory Prince' hellebores.
Good thing it's spring, when all colors are welcome, or some stylish gardener might order me an intervention for planting these pastel-flowering hellebores alongside red species tulips--and other taller, showy tulips, too. The almost black 'Queen of Night' and the Orange-with-streaks 'Princes Irene' (which might be my alltime favorite showy tulip) reside nearby with the acid-yellow leaves of golden oregano at their feet. It will be an... interesting... sight if all of these decide to bloom together!
Last year, I fell hard for the new orangey cultivars of coral bells? Which ones, you ask? Well... YES. lol. I'm pretty sure that the one above is 'Amber Waves,' which definitely held up the best of the three. 'Peach Flambe' isn't looking too bad, either, but is definitely on the small side. 'Marmalade,' which you see below, is borderline scrawny but then it gets the most sun of them all and is in relatively unimproved soil.
Last year, I fell hard for the new orangey cultivars of coral bells? Which ones, you ask? Well... YES. lol. I'm pretty sure that the one above is 'Amber Waves,' which definitely held up the best of the three. 'Peach Flambe' isn't looking too bad, either, but is definitely on the small side. 'Marmalade,' which you see below, is borderline scrawny but then it gets the most sun of them all and is in relatively unimproved soil.
The little green sprouts above the heuchera are the emerging foliage of allium schubertii. I have planned to allow the golden oregano to creep across the bed toward 'Marmalade,' and thought that the funky purple alliums would be an interesting addition peaking through the oregano foliage.
Which leads to my allium question: Has anyone grown these before, and if so... is it really possible that the flowerheads might end up being up to 12 inches wide?! I am suspicious of any and all claims for "huge blooms," especially on bulb packages, so I planted them about 6-8 inches apart to make sure that I can get a good show from them. However, if the stats on Davesgarden are true, these flowerheads can easily be 10-12 inches across... and I might have to move a few of them to new homes, if that's the case! Any advice would be appreciated...
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