The First Notes of Spring

Happy Spring everyone,
As we watch the migratory birds fly above, we can start to appreciate the emergence of spring. While it's hard to ignore the calls of Sandhill Cranes high above, I find even more pleasure looking down.

Iris reticulata
The subtle beauty of irises emerging from the ground takes me every year. This year it beat the Crocus and Galanthus to the punch, though all of the above are flowering now. Enjoy this look while it lasts. The flowers will soon transform into another form, seen below.

I think they are both beautiful if we take the time to stop and appreciate them.

Crocus
The quintessential mark of spring bulbs is the crocus. Even when not fully open, the flowers and foliage are interesting. Seen here emerging from a bed of Sedum 'Dragon's Blood'.






Galanthus nivalis
These early birds were blooming last week when temperatures were in the 60's. When the "snow" arrived the other day it was much more difficult to find them. This is a nice naturalizing bulb that is another sign of spring.



Hamamelis x vernalis
The sweet smell of witchhazel greets us every morning on the way into the office. These very early bloomers have also been in bloom for a while, but they are now giving off their unique fragrance. A lot of people confuse the Vernal Witchhazel with the Common Witchhazel. An easy way to remember how to tell them apart is their bloom time. H. vernalis blooms in spring and H. virginiana blooms in fall. The easiest way for me to remember which is which is to look at the alphabet. E comes before I. Therefore, vernalis blooms before virginiana.

Clematis 'Ville De Lyon'
A new cultivar for us this year is 'Ville De Lyon'. We have some of these in the warm houses for early garden center sales. These beauties are loaded with buds and could be the nicest Clematis stock we've ever had. I highly recommend them if you are a plant buyer. These should fly off shelves.



Thanks again for taking the time to read. I hope you all have a great beginning of spring and can enjoy the flowers. Until next time, have a great day!