What's in Bloom Now

Every so often I like to take a walk around my garden to see what is in bloom. I am generally amazed at how many flowers are out there on any given day. And this being so early in the garden season in Michigan I am especially amazed about the color I am seeing.

I was worried that I wouldn't have any daffodils in bloom by now, but these Altruist daffodils I planted in the front garden last fall are now in their prime. My front garden faces the east, so these daffodils were a little slower coming along than the ones in the back which are placed in a full sun area. So, depending upon where you place a plant, you can extend the season of bloom.



I don't usually get trilliums until May so it is a treat to enjoy them this early in the season. Of course that means that I won't get to enjoy them later. Soon they will make way for the columbines, one of my favorite flowers.

This hellebore has been in bloom now for quite some time. Adds a nice touch to the Muscari next to it.

What else is in bloom? Tulips, Lamium, one of my apple trees (which means that I will get apples this year), grape hyacinths, a variety of Muscari call Valerie Finnis, Geranium Tuberosum, Bleeding Heart, species tulips and Korean Spice Viburnum. Not bad for a cool late April day!

A Good Rain is a Gardener's Friend

This spring has probably been the strangest spring I have ever experienced. Starting in late winter we experienced a rather long period of summer like temperatures. My daffodils were blooming and it was still winter! What worried me most was the lack of rain. Yes, the ground was dry enough that I could get out into the garden and get a bit of work done early. But the price I paid for the extra garden time was plants that were looking fairly stressed out due to the lack of moisture in the soil. I guess I don't really care when they bloom, just that they get the good rains that they need.

And today thankfully it rained after numerous days with nothing at all. Everything is starting to look lush and even the butterfly bushes look like they have come back to life. This Korean Spice viburnum is looking beautiful as well and the scent is heavenly. Since I just planted it last year I am not sure when it is supposed to bloom. So I just enjoy it in mid April this year and wait to see what happens next year. 

The Virtues of Compost

Of all the things I have done in my garden, the most important was adding compost to my soil. There is a reason why gardeners call compost black gold. It is amazing stuff and it gives back to your garden tenfold.

Compost is the final product of what nature does naturally. If you save your grass clippings, leaves (I actually chop up my leaves with my lawn mower), pine needles, vegetable and banana peels, apple cores, egg shells, and make a pile of all this good stuff, eventually it turns into something that your plants will just love. And all for free! If you turn your compost heap, the materials break down faster and you will have usable compost even quicker. But whether you turn it or not, eventually compost happens.

Here in Saginaw we have a compost center where city residents can go and load their car or their pickup for free. Non residents can get some for fee. The city will deliver 3 yards for a charge.

What has compost done for my garden? It has made a hard and rocky clay soil workable. It acts as a mulch around my plants smothering the weeds. It provides my plants with nutrients they need. It helps retain moisture in the soil which is especially important during times of drought. All of this for free!

So, whether you make your own or your get it from a compost center, make it a part of your garden routine. You will not regret it.

Tulipomania

In 1637 in the Netherlands the price of a single tulip bulb reached a price that would have bankrupted me had I been foolish enough to buy it. Soon after the peak in the price tulips hit rock bottom, sending the economy of the Netherlands into a tailspin. Imagine that! All for a flower!

No, I confine my mania for tulips to a non speculative sort of activity. Namely, I plant them and see if they grow, when they bloom and for how long. This year the tulips, like the rest of my early bulbs decided that late March and early April was a good enough time to give their display. Despite ice pellets last Friday, here they are in all their glory. Probably about a month earlier than last year, but I will take them anyways.

These hardy red and yellow tulips have been multiplying for me for years. Some tulips only give one year of color and should be treated as annuals. But these old fashioned ones just keep coming back to give more.

So lessons learned here, don't sell your house to buy a tulip bulb. And if you plant the old fashioned varieties, they will give you many years of joy.