Hi everybody-
It might be early to start this thread but how about we keep a journal of things that are blooming, as they bloom?
I think it would be fun to see the variability of when the same thing blooms in different places and what each of us has for outdoor winter color.
I am SOOOO tired of winter and would like to see pictures of something blooming (in this area, not FL or CA!)
[Just as an aside... I can't believe the post I read "Is it too hot to plant....Augh.....]
Definitely a Zone 7a or high wannabe right now!
ROX
P.S. I couldn't post the first image (pussy willow). My husband is in India with the digital camera.
Things that are blooming...
I sure wish I had something blooming. Nothing yet lots of things poking there heads up out of the ground that shouldn't be yet.
Pachysandra terminalis (OK not impressive but it does bloom), Black Pussy Willow and almost have a Hellebore fully opened.
Tomorrow I'll scout around and see if anything's blooming under the leaves.
I do have an Arum itailica leaf up too.
Never can seem to get more than one up and it's never flowered.
Is Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion) supposed to be evergreen/grey here?
It's my first year w/ it.
Ric
I have lenton roses. Last year they bloomed in Feb. I have plain ones and I also ordered the Royal Heritage. They are still small, I like the freckles in the pictures, so I ordered a few.
Every Spring I look forward to my little grape musccari and crocus. Hurry up springtime.
I have some arum italicum I can share if you want. Each leaf is one bulb, so I guess you just have 1 bulb. Did you plant it or was it a "squirrel special". They [I am pretty sure it is the squirrels] have taken several from my garden and planted them in random places in my neighbor's yards. It takes them a few years to mature. I have several that bloom (they are four years old) so I get babies now!
Lychnis coronaria is evergreen/grey. A lovely plant. I have the rose, white and pink varieties.
ROX
P.S. When the hellebore opens, definitely post an image!
I have a new computer so hopefully, I can post successfully. I brought it home on Wednesday and have been surfing daylily sites and the Lily Auction.
I just won a couple of new Spiders.
I planted the Arum years ago and forgot it.
I'm thinking it's 3 feet from where I remember it originally.
I can definitly use more.
Royal Heritage is my favorite.
ONCE it started blooming.
They took 4 years here for the first bloom.
I have 4 clumps 2 plum and two white.
My regular nursery Hellebores are in their third Winter so I should be seeing blooms pretty soon.
Here's a tease on the LR from last year.
Ric
What about woodies?
I have V. x bodnantense 'Dawn' with buds of color outside; branches brought indoors last week have wonderfully scented the room.
I need to stroll through the witchhazels; there should surely be some open flowers on some of them, though today is a bit nippier than Friday (60s here).
Woodies definitely count!
I don't have any witchhazels yet, so tempt me with some pictures!
ROX
Blooming???? Ha! Well, I have catkins budding up on my fantail willow and I think that is about as close as I am going to get. I do have bulbs popping up all over and perennials are leafing out due to this wacky weather. I am noticing lots of buds on the trees and shrubs.
Oooh, the first bloom of 2006.
Thanks Henry
Nope sorry sO that was a 2005 bloom.
We're very close to a plum one openinng though.
Ric
I know this doesn't count, but I do have a dandelion blooming in my back yard...LOL!
QV :-)
Actually, I love dandelions! They are a true sign of coming spring.
ROX
'Lions count!
They are in fact a flower AND a salad vegetable.
And make a refreshing beverage. lol
Ric
Glad to see fellow dandelion-lovers! :-) I like dandelions, too...they're so sweet and simple, particularly bunched in my toddler's fist as they're being given to me...but since everyone was talking about higher-end flowers, I thought I'd share my observation just for the humor factor. It's just one small, solitary and low-to-the-ground bloom, but it sure made me smile as I went past!
QV :-)
I have a single Creeping Phlox bloom........took this pic today. My Naked Ladies are up and so are most of the daylilies. Also just poking through are Lesser Celandine, Wood Hyacinths, a few Daffs, Wood Poppy and 3-4 of my fennel has new growth. The birds have been singing spring songs for quite a while now.
Took this pic today too........I have a pussy on my willow !
I have four children and I can remember times past when they would bring me FLOWERS. Very fond memories. I think I have instilled a love of plants to them, hopefully. Ages 21, 18 and twins 14.
DiOH -
Where are you? By the river?
You are definitely ahead of me. No naked ladies yet, but the pussy willow are popping.
ROX
I'm practically your neighbor ROX..........maybe 30 minutes north of you between Corning and Glouster, near Burr Oak Lake. I'm on a ridge but surrounded by woods.......lotsa protection. I've left gladiolus out in the ground for 8 years now and have other plants winter over that shouldn't have.
My roses are breaking dormancy, have lots of little leaves coming out. Which means they'll look like crap until June!
I haven't checked anything else.
I looked this evening while checking the phoneline repair from last nights storm.
Our climbing Hydrangea on the South wall of the house has broken dormancy also.
Nice fat leaves about thumbnail size. Errrrr........
I'll probably pay for that!
Ric
Yesterday, was sunny, so I cleaned off 2 perennial beds. Many of the dls and the sedums are coming up. They do look so badly when they are frozen back.
My roses, Winchester Cathedral especially, are starting to put out little leaves...also the sedums and clematis are showing growth and most of my columbines never died back this winter and all of my daylilies, even some of the dormants, are starting to grow again. The daffs are up a couple of inches but no signs of the crocus. Some new alliums that I planted in late October came up immediately, I didn't think they were supposed to do that, and now they look horrible, hope they're ok this spring.
I do not have a rose on the place! That will be changing, an elderly man is trading me a few climbers and a red Hybrid Tea for dls. I would like to plant the climbers with my white clematis. It looks nice in the catalogs.
What do you spray your roses with?
Nothing really. Once, I think I sprayed them with some kind of organic mixture that I found on here which was supposed to be for black spot, can't remember what it was, maybe baking soda and something. I made alfalfa tea and poured around them last year but only did it once so I'm not sure if it helped them or not although I know a lot of people swear by it. I don't spray anything for bugs, the main thing I have a problem with is Japanese Beetles, they LOVE roses. I usually walk around with a bucket of soapy water and knock them off in it and let them drown. I occasionally use a foliar spray of Montey's Joy Juice, made in Louisville, is supposed to be non-toxic, maybe organic, can't remember for sure, it's a fertilizer. They are all against the fence to the yard and I don't want any chemicals getting in with the dogs, that's why I don't really spray any of my plants unless it's and organic, non-toxic type of thing.
Here's a link to Montey's, you can buy it from their site, I pick mine up at a little hardware store here in town. I use the "orange" and the "yellow" label ones.
http://www.montysjoyjuice.com/
I do not like to use sprays either. I had one Peace rose several years ago and the kids broke it down to the ground.
Let me wheel you all back to the topic!
Walked out in the frigidity this morning (finally got to stick around till dawn instead of driving off to work in the dark), and lo and behold there's an awakened witchhazel!
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Moonlight' is showing some of its blonde tresses. If it's not raining AGAIN this weekend, I bet I can get a decent shot for posting.
The Dawn viburnum (Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn') is straining at the reins to burst. Cut branches inside are flooding the computer room with their rich spicy scent on lovely pinkish blossoms.
Laying in wait: 'Westerstede', 'Pallida', 'Primavera', and 'Arnold Promise' amongst the witchhazels, and then it'll be April before the rest of the viburnum clan starts prancing about and showing off.
I've got many tulips sticking their noses up, some 2 yrs old, some just planted in late fall. Most of my dormant daylilies have broken through the soil. Hydrangeas are poking out too.
As for roses...I had many that I shared with Japanese beetles. I tried systemic fertilizers that was supposed to go into roots and up to leaves and kill bugs when they took a bite. I used Sevin dust. It was a never-ending battle. We built new house on back side of farm, only have 4 roses here..fight less now.
It sounds like me and the deer, but on a smaller dimension (but perhaps larger damage) scale.
ROX
I have had great luck using the Beetle Lure Bags.
I was dumping it twice a day at one point.
Tip: Open and install the lure indoors.
Then take it out and place it.
I got covered by them.
I looked like one of those bee guys in the news files.
Ric
I have five crocus BLOOMING (but no dig. camera or scanner)... on a southern facing bed in Madisonville....lots of sun. The catnip is really thriving, too (but of course, only greenery).
Hey morathemerrier! It is nice to meet you! Welcome to DG. Crocus blooming eh? No fair! LOL I don't have anything blooming but the foliage is a welcome site anyway. I just moved FROM Mt. Washington which I believe is very close to you.
Welcome morathemerrier!
Unlike B'seed, I and tabasco are STILL in the area! lol
Man........Cincy people are popping up all over the place.
Ric
Ric,........and all
That's not all that is popping up all over the place. I thought I didn't have any blooms to share yet. Well, I was wrong. Walking through my yard I found a dandelion in bloom...ha.
A couple years ago I had an extra early crocus bloom on Feb. 11, but I doubt it makes that this year. My bloomers are inside...lots of amarllysis in bloom [one in photos] and a bit of bougainvillea plus an orchid opening up.
Welcome Morathemerrier from NW of Dayton!
Well just 24 hours or so before we get a snow I went out and checked the yard.
Here's Galanthus nivalis or Snowdrops starting their thing.
Course finding them blooming in Feb is not unusual here.
Finding them this early is.................
Ric
AND a bit more impressive (and at least a month earlier than we've ever seen them)......
Helleborus 'Royal Heritage' taken at about 5:30 this evening.
This rose colored one has 3 blooms and at least 6 opening buds.
The other plants in this series are just sending up new growth.
Ric
Ric,
So pretty! Yep...the snow is coming!!!! Geezzzzz!