Boy has this blog of mine been starving lately, – no new posts for a whole year. But here is at long last my annual spring report to feed it a bit, at least so it will not be pronounced dead just yet.
I do these posts mainly for myself to see how early or late spring is on May 1st in the different years past. This year, for instance, it looks very much like it did last year.
It has been quite cold and snowing half way down the mountain sides even during the last week of April, so the lovely spring green colour in the woods had just arrived on May 1st. The daffodils are hardy, though, so the ones closest to the wall had been in flower for some days. But the ones lining the garden edge were still mostly in bud on this day.
Some of the bushes have been cut back this year, so the daffodils that were almost invisible under the branches can get some air and light. The earliest red rhododendron bushes were about to show their colours, and the tulips by the wall were mostly in early bloom. They seem to like it there, as the approximately 30 individuals present last year, had turned into more than 50 this year. Seems like yellow is the dominant colour, as it outgrows the red year by year.
Our huge New Dawn rose bush blew down in a storm this winter, and tore the espalier off the wall along with it. We had to get a new espalier, and then cut off most of the branches in order to get it tied up against the wall again. Quite a job, and we were afraid it might be too damaged, but this old rose lady is a tough one, and is now sprouting like mad in spite of all this. It was planted here about 35 years ago, and has thrived so far, and looks like it will survive this too.
The rose bush by the gate post is younger, “only” 20 years, or thereabouts. It has been a faithful blossomer so far, – lots of red roses all summer and into the autumn, even though it has been mauled quite often by passing deer. It fares a bit better these days, since we got our tall fence up.
Ths spirea bush in the photo to the right is one of our oldest plants, maybe 46 or 47 years. It is quite bare in the photo, just a hint of green and a few white specks of tiny flowers. But May 1st was the start of a warm spell, – then “everything” sprung out at once, so a couple of days later it was white all over.
I love our daffodils, and I also love that our “lawn” has got lots of spots of white anemone. They are good for the bees.
This last group of photos were taken a couple of days later, after it had warmed up. Everything has sprung at the same time, and will not last for long, unless it cools down a bit.
We will just have to enjoy it while it lasts.
🙂
Eldrid
Filed under: nature, sun, colour, flowers, weather, garden | Tagged: bulbs, daffodils, flowers, gardening, rhododendron, rose bush, Secret Garden, spring, sun, tulips | Leave a comment »