While Capistrano has its swallows, the return of the Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets to Squirrelhaven signals the true beginning of spring. By yesterday afternoon, all the ice had melted from the pond and only a small mound of snow remains by the front curb. The balmy weather last week (50s and 60s (13-17C), with lows above freezing) has woken the flowers from their long sleep, although the weather will turn nasty again as the rollercoaster of spring continues its run. Despite the extended period of snowcover, the garden is right on track.
Galanthus elwesii (giant snowdrops) are at their peak of bloom.
These early bloomers have been joined by the blooms of Hamamelis x hybrida 'Sunburst' (witch hazel).
They've finally opened fully.
The little crocuses
here C. chrysanthus in the shade garden, and Crocus tommansinianus out front, have just started blooming, as have the little winter aconites.
but Helleborus x hybridus 'Pink Lady Strain' rebloomer is still acting very strangely.
When the snow finally melted from on it a few days ago, there were a couple of tattered blooms on the plant and this fresh bud. This plant is in the last group to emerge from the snow because it grows in the shade of the south fence. The other 'Pink Lady Strain' hellebores are just sprouting new growth.
These early bloomers have been joined by the blooms of Hamamelis x hybrida 'Sunburst' (witch hazel).
They've finally opened fully.
The little crocuses
here C. chrysanthus in the shade garden, and Crocus tommansinianus out front, have just started blooming, as have the little winter aconites.
I'm confused about the identity of this plant, whether it is Eranthis hyemalis or Eranthis cicilica. The latter plant has more finely divided leaves, which leads me to believe that mine are E. cicilica.
The hellebores are about to open. Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose, is usually the first to open.
Helleborus 'Walhelivor' (Ivory Prince™) isn't far behind,but Helleborus x hybridus 'Pink Lady Strain' rebloomer is still acting very strangely.
When the snow finally melted from on it a few days ago, there were a couple of tattered blooms on the plant and this fresh bud. This plant is in the last group to emerge from the snow because it grows in the shade of the south fence. The other 'Pink Lady Strain' hellebores are just sprouting new growth.
Finally, another surprise:
This pansy emerged from the snow with a bud. I've never had a pansy make it through the winter before, much less do so ready to burst into bloom.
Has spring come to your garden?
Visit Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, the hostess of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day to see what's blooming all over the world on the 15th of the month. Happy Bloom Day!
* * *
Don't forget to enter to win a Seed Keepers Kit.
42 comments:
Look at all of those blooms. Spring has certainly sprung up your way. That Great Blue Heron certainly has a mouth full too. I think it is amazing how large of a fish they can swallow down that skinny neck. Happy GBBD.
Envious am I of your happy snowdrops and aconites! I've had pansies pop up at the end of winter and wondered if they weren't babies that germinated the previous fall and somehow made it through.
I was just at Midway Village photographing the old mill and the pond there is still frozen solid.
I do have a some daffodil foliage showing so I'm glad to see that.
Marnie
The color of those sweet little crocus just makes me smile. It does look as though Spring is beginning to show through the thaw up there. My mother lives in the Quad Cities, and has reported they still have snow where it has been piled up all winter long, but her Hyacinths are in bloom.
MMD, I have one hellebore acting like that too. The others are open, but I don't know what its problem is. I'll get my bloom day post up soon.~~Dee
Beautiful snowdrops and what a great capture of the heron!
What a great showing today...here's hoping this is really Spring!
Me too on the hellebore! But mine seems to have rebounded a little bit after some cleanup. Do you think that the snow was just a little too heavy for it there? (Mine was in an area where it got dumped on pretty good...)
(And ah... I'm so jealous of your snowdrops. They look so beautiful en masse!)
yes it has and any day now, if the sun returns (!) I hope to have more sweet dafs open. it took my hellebores a few weeks of looking odd before they opened. The snowdrops are lovely and so is the winter aconite. gail
Lisa - I was surprised there was such a large fish living in the pond.
Cyndy - these Pansies are definitely the same one from last year. A few of them are kind of scraggly and need cutting back.
Marnie - not all of my daffodils have sprouted yet. I'm just happy for the little early blooming bulbs.
MGRR - it was a very snowy winter, especially February, but soon it will all be gone. And then we'll probably get some more.
Dee - this Hellebore is weird because it's so far ahead of the others, especially the other Pink Ladies.
Robin - usually the herons take flight the instant I step out the door, but I managed to sneak up on this one.
Darla - "spring" in the Midwest means something very different from "spring" in warmer parts of the country. It's definitely spring, regardless of the weather.
Blackswamp Girl - the Hellebore is fine, I guess I should make it clear that it was blooming under the snow, which is very weird.
I love your pictures! New blooms in the spring are so heartening after a nasty winter. We're still waiting for relief from the greyness here in the frozen tundra. But the grass is greening up just in time for St. Pat's Day!
I think I'd choose those herons and egrets over swallows any day! How lucky for you to have them! And I've NEVER seen snowdrops as gorgeous as yours...beautiful photo!
I still only have one hellebore bud, but my stick of a witch hazel has bloomed for the first time this year. I love great blue herons. I saw a grey heron in my backyard in January and was very confused.
The crocus and hellebores and witch hazel speak spring for GBBD but to see a heron from your garden is amazing! You're right, the size of the fish is surprising, MMD.
So many beautiful snowdrops in that photo - maybe you can catch the fragrance when there are so many?
Happy Blooming Day!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Your photos are so lovely! Thanks for sharing - I haven't seen witch hazel in ages!
Love the herons. We have two types here in the countryside around Milan and they're always a delight.
You have so many spring blooms already, MMD! I did plant some Galanthus, but I've seen no sign of them yet...I'm just hoping Sophie didn't dig them up:)
Sorry we didn't hook up at the Flower Show as well; seems as if everyone I talked to was going a different day than us. It was a great show!
Looks like your hellebore trimming turned out well! Your place is definitely showing signs of spring. Glad I stopped by for a visit. It's keeping me from pulling henbit. Visiting other garden bloggers. . . pulling henbit. . . visiting. . .weeding
Think I'll visit some more. Hope you have time to stop by.
Lovely flowers, and those plump hellebore buds are just ready to burst. Thanks for sharing.
How wonderful to see the big birds return and know it is spring, MMD. The flowers look fab and your Ivory Prince is ahead of mine. I think your witch hazel needs a few more years under its belt to be covered in blooms. They are soooo slow to get going but will always be a welcome winter respite with those bright flowers. :-)
Frances
I love snowdrops and crocuses. I wish they could last longer. I think they're some of the prettiest flowers. Plant and Garden Blog
I just love that heron photo! And what a brave little pansy.
Oh, I am in love with witch hazel this year! Do you use the branches around the garden?
Robin Ripley
I love the snowdrops. We can't grow them down South so my admiration is tinged with a bit of envy. For the witch hazel, too. I'd love some.
Spring just arrived in Austin, too, but I'm sure you feel it more intensely having survived a cold and snowy winter.
Love that first photo as it is difficult to capture a capture. Your spring has started.
Beautiful! I'm very envious of the snowdrops!
ooo! word verification was:
bugglogg!
MMD, great capture of the heron. Aren't they wonderful to see? I LOVE those snow drops-smiles to see them so glittering. Your hellebores are gorgeous. That one crocus is huge, but all say spring. Great Bloom Day showing.
What a beautiful bloom day post. I love the heron picture and am admiring all your hellebores. I have just two!
I like how things come out of the ground and flower right away where you are. No messing around!
Where I am, it's a month of slowly emerging leaves followed by a month of flower bud gradually getting bigger, and then finally a flower. I want to tell them to get busy!
(Also, I sometimes imagine a big heron or crane appearing in my garden one day, randomly. Wouldn't that be cool? In my imagination it's cool. Not sad, which would be the alternative since there is no water to attract such a bird, so why would they ever come.)
Looking great! It's wonderful that the egrets and herons are back. Nothing here is blooming yet, unfortunately, but things seem to be sprouting at least! Happy Bloom Day!
You might have a whole new cold hardy pansy. I would like to have some of those. Wonderful photos.
Love the snowdrops. Somehow, I've never been able to grow them - they just don't come up the next spring. And those cheery yellow winter aconites - yellow always makes me smile. Your garden looks like it's about 2 -3 weeks ahead of mine - lucky you!
So your garden is right on track this spring? Mine's about 3 weeks behind schedule. I guess you had more normal (to you) temps than we did. I love all your photos but most especially the heron with the fish - how cool to capture that!
Definitely spring has arrived in your garden. The Hellebore buds are just pushing up in my garden so it's fun to see them so advanced.
Great blooms and photos! I must admit that I love the addition of a Great Blue Heron to your bloom photos! Fascinating birds.
Thanks, Gail, I definitely need more of the aconites though.
Marianne - unfortunately, the greenest thing around here on St. Patrick's Day is the Chicago River.
Rebecca - thanks! The snowdrops do like it here.
Monica - I bet the heron was confused too.
Annie - when it's sunny and windless, I can catch the honey scent walking by the snowdrops. It's wonderful.
Liza - I don't know why people don't plant witch hazels instead of Forsythia.
Sue - they are very cool birds & I'm lucky there's a nesting colony near here.
Rose - it does take a couple of years for snowdrops to settle in, so maybe Sophie is innocent.
HMH - I like pulling weeds in spring. It's an excuse to be outside.
HM - the H. niger waited until today to open, but I'm so glad to see them.
Frances - I always forget that this witch hazel is a replacement for the one that died in the drought of '05. I must be patient, it's getting better every year.
Ann - the little bulbs last long enough for the garden to really get going.
Leslie - a brave & lonely little pansy.
Robin - I don't have enough branches on my witch hazel to use. It needs to mature a bit.
MSS - If witch hazels bloomed the purple of Mountain Laurels, then we'd be even.
Layanee - someday I hope to have a super-mega zoom lens, which would make it a lot easier.
Beckie - I'm spoiled by the heron & egret visits.
Carol - You need more Hellebores. For me, Hellebores are like potato chips.
Chuck - The Eranthis always amuse me by emerging nearly in bloom.
ROR - the sprouts are so encouraging.
Patsy - that little pansy was buried the whole winter by snow. It's more a testament to the insulating powers of snow than anything else.
Garden Junkie - I wonder if your soil isn't well-drained enough for snowdrops.
Ms. Wis. - I'm so ready for Hellebore season. Bring it on!
Cameron - the Great Blue Heron is the emblem of my village, and it just might be my favorite bird too.
Thank you for stopping by my blog on Bloom Day. I had heard about The Year Without a Summer before, but had forgotten about until your prompt. Maybe I pushed that thought out of my mind.
What a treat, MMD~ I've only just found things growing during this past week or so! But they're really sprouting! :-) (Even daylilies, etc. are growing)
If i am not wrong than spring is the season of beautiful flowers.
bpo projects
I'm very late for Bloom Day, but so happy to see all your cheery early blooms. I have one little Eranthis hyemalis which I'm thrilled about. Wish the rest had grown, but one is better than none.
Snowdrops and crocuses are blooming here in upstate NY but no Hellebores yet.
Lucky you to have so many beauties, and the Herons and Egrets to boot!
Happy Spring, MMD1
Post a Comment