First Crocus and Other Things

First Crocus
March 15, 2008

It's as if they were waiting for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day to make their debut. Several days ago, I noticed the purple crocus (that I didn't plant) was showing color. This little clump (that I didn't plant) is the first to bloom every year. I don't know where they came from, because I didn't plant them. I simply enjoy them.

These are blooming earlier than in previous years. In 2007, the first blooms of the season were the double snowdrops and they burst forth on March 14th. The crocus were much later. Last year, they weren't even "showing any color in their buds yet" on Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for March.

They may bloom first because they are on the south side of our family room, which is my famous microclimate. I'm certain it's a solid zone 6 there, maybe even bordering on 7, and I'm hoping this means the Coreopsis 'Limerock Dream' that I planted last fall will prove it to be true.



Other outside blooms this Bloom Day are the double snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno'), which have been in bloom for a couple of weeks or so.



The witch hazel hasn't really dazzled me like I expected it would. The blooms are very small and have to be looked at up close and personal to be appreciated. Maybe it's because it's the first year for it since being planted last year. Maybe it's because it's a native and not a hybrid.

Both the pussy willow and the Japanese Fantail Willow are blooming with their soft pussy-toes. The Japanese Fantail toes are much smaller than the pussy willow's.

Japanese Fantail Willow
Salix sachalinensis 'Sekka'

American Pussy Willow
Salix discolor

I brought some of the pussy willow branches inside a few weeks ago and forced them. Now I'm letting them remain in water to hopefully root so I can have more plants. I did that with forsythia last year and now we have another shrub.

The warm temperatures coupled with the fall leaf cover have produced a few surprises. As I've been working in the gardens to clear out the leaves that blew in over the winter, I'd estimate that 90% of what's out there is showing signs of life, either with buds along the stems of branches or new green growth at the base of the plants. The remaining 10% will likely not be far behind if the warm weather persists.

Probably the biggest surprise was the 'Pink Panda' strawberry plant:


Kind of ragged, but a bloom nonetheless!

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Apologies to Carol at May Dreams Gardens, host of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, for the lateness of my post (again). Let's see...what can my excuse be this time?