Introductory notes from wcutler: Margot wrote: I propose starting a new virtual garden tour for 2022 if other contributors like @pmurphy are in agreement. Perhaps the few posts that she has made so far this year could be moved over. The reason I think this is a good idea is that the original thread is getting to be a bit unwieldy. The earlier postings come first, so I have copied Margot's introduction into @pmurphy's posting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Winter Wonderland? After watching the snows almost disappear a couple of days ago when the temperatures reached a high of 4C we woke up to this.... This yucca rostrata had been potted for several years while it grew roots but last Fall I figured it was robust enough to finally be planted....hope I wasn't wrong This fatsia japonica recently flowered... Under this mound of snow is a yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' And the first casualty of 2022 - the weight of the snow and ice snapped off several large limbs of my arbutus unedo
With the snow gone and after a few days of sun I've had the urge to get outside and start working. I've already seen people working in their gardens but I also know it is much too early, even though plants are starting to appear. But to put things into perspective and prove to myself that it is still winter I decided to also post some photos sent to me today by my mother, who lives northwest of 100 Mile House. First two photos are from my gardens: witch hazel and hellebores. Last three photos are from my mother who says it has snowed for the last two days, and these photos were taken BEFORE it started snowing two days ago. For reference the garden windmill is 1.5 meters tall and the gate/fence are tall enough to keep horses contained.
Totally agree P. It's very easy to get too keen too early. But so exciting to see our gardens nearly there. Love your photos BTW. Never seen snow like that where we live. D D
Well the last few days have certainly felt like spring is coming, and I'm not the only one who feels this way.... A quick check of the gardens revealed many plants starting to appear and some were quite unexpected. Among the hellebores are snowdrops, crocuses and primroses (all normal for this time of year). There are also numerous trees such as the cornus mas that are getting ready to blossom.... The Dutch irises, tulips and daffodils are also appearing amongst the Italian arum in large numbers but this year I noticed the mouse plants - Arisarum proboscideum - appearing rather early as well as new growth on the rice paper tree - Tetrapanax papyrifer. But as I stated I'm not the only one who thinks spring is also here; this last photo is of a nesting hummingbird that I discovered yesterday...I wonder if its the same female that raised her brood in our gazebo last year?
I propose starting a new virtual garden tour for 2022 if other contributors like @pmurphy are in agreement. Perhaps the few posts that she has made so far this year could be moved over. The reason I think this is a good idea is that the original thread is getting to be a bit unwieldy. Hellebores have been real troupers so far in 2022, bringing life and colour to an otherwise quite drab scene. Now, however, all kinds of other flowers are joining in the display and leaves are starting to show on bare branches. I always think that when I see the first slug that spring has truly arrived. Here's what I discovered this lovely day . . . 1. Helleborus 'Tiffany' 2. Helleborus 'Sandra' 3. Hellebore already starting to change to mature colouration. 4. Self-seeded hellebore - maybe 5 or 6 years old now. The rest have started to bloom in just the past few days - 5. Daphne odora 6. R. 'Cilpinense' 7. Doronicum orientale 8. Daffodils all set to open 8. Cardamine hirsuta (most annoying weed ever) 9. Slug :-)
Sunday, 6 March 2022 Sunny, and a forecast high of 12 degrees Celcius. Today was the first time this year that I have seen Bumblebees and honeybees foraging. Here is a photo of a honeybee on the Heather (?) bush in the back yard. This bush seems popular with bees this time of year (it is the only flower available at the moment). Last year I noted the first time bees were noted was March 25. Looks like Spring is a couple weeks early this year.
Yesterday, I would have said the predominant colour in my garden was yellow . . . today, it is white; everything covered in 6 inches of snow. 1. Corylopsis pauciflora and Daffodils - dozens of daffs of all sorts, planted by previous owner and multiplying like crazy 2. Jasminum nudiflorum - Winter-flowering Jasmine 3. Helleborus x hybridus 4. Erythronium 'Pagoda' 5. Rhododendron 'Shamrock' 6. Ranunculus ficaria 'Brazen Hussy' 7. Euphorbia wulfenii - escaped into the wild 8. Narcissus bulbocodium 9. Doronicum species - Leopards Bane 10. Mahonia aquifolium 11. Rhododendron 'Patty Bee' 12. Euphorbia - self seeded 13. Primula 14. Viola sempervirens - Evergreen Violet 15. Uninvited guest
What?! We saw hail in Burnaby tonight, and I know there has been a snowstorm on the Coquihalla Hwy to the interior, but I had no idea that areas on the coast had six inches of snow. I hope that snow protects the plants from the cold temps tonight, and that the sun tomorrow warms them back up.
The good news is that the 3 large Japanese maples are just fine, partly because they haven't started leafing out yet. Many other shrubs have broken branches but snow still covers everything so it's hard to tell if they'll bounce back up again or not. I can't imagine many flowers can handle being frozen for too long. Besides that more snow is in the forecast! After the heat dome last June/July, the atmospheric river in November (and subsequent deer damage from a washed-out fence), I can almost hear the plants in my garden muttering, "What's going on around here?!?" We're all trying to be good sports but it's a challenge.
Greetings — yes it feels nice and warm in sheltered sunshine spots out of the breeze tho the SNOW was very low on the Britannia Range yesterday. — I imagine that a longer snow season is good for the natural forests and the flora fauna in those forests I think there’s a thread about plants we lost over that endless chill 2021 / 22 i know both my Arp rosemary herb plants are done and gone some bulbs displayed a stunted leaf and flower bud with yellow tinge — I imagine frost damage we share an evergreen clematis w neighbor and it got frosted but of course is tough and will likely grow new shoots some rhodos (species) suffered how the annual all-year Annas hummingbirds survived I don’t know and other plants seemed to come thru “swimmingly” — and on schedule Also Rufous hummers on schedule in mid March geese or maybe swans way high up heading north west ————— so here are some spring photos incl some crocus from a few wks ago rhodo Christmas Cheer (pink) came out in March rhodo PJM (purple and slightly scented leaves) next to pink rhodo — (I know the name and can’t think of it — is it too early for Mission Bells?) rhodo “wine and roses” with special leaves that have velvet underside, burgundy color. I think this Rhodo is from a breeder in Scotland rhodo Seaview Sunset is out now and is the pink orange color — it is a child of Canadian Sunset Misc perennials incl sword ferns, wood ferns and bleeding heart the little muscari (grape hyacinth) has a white top tip and is called Mt Hood (as in the view east from Portland OR) It is blooming today the white “daffodil” is Trulia and is also blooming now
Spring is definatly here in Southern England when our Hostas are up. Even though very dry up until this morning, the slugs are having a go at some. Using so much garlic spray atm, our garden smells like French restaurant. Halcyon....................................................Mouse ears Fireworks................................................Dragon tails Curly fries................................................Sunset grooves Lakeside little tuft........................................Revolution More to follow tomorrow.....
Some more Hostas this morning from my garden. A little rain overnight has made them happy. Midas touch......................The British are coming...............Guacamole Stained glass........................Great expectations................Fire and ice Orange marmalade................Flavocirinalis............White feather Still suffering some slug damage, but not too bad.
The last few of Hostas in my garden today. June......................................................Devon Green.....................................Lemon lime Hands Up............................................Wiggles and squiggles.....................Praying hands First frost............................................Patriot.................................................Snow flake
Well I know this past winter has been devastating for many gardeners - myself included - and the spring weather is not cooperating but I think I finally see light at the end of the tunnel. My plants are finally doing something and I've discovered some plants (today) I thought I'd lost that are slowly coming back. Some plants are struggling while others have returned healthier and lusher than I've seen them before. Other are finally starting to flower - only about 4 weeks late. So today I thought I would actually take some photos and post: Feather hyacinth (finishing up for the season now) 'White Feather' hosta (hard to find a place in total shade) Dutch iris 'Blue Pearl' Giant butterbur (the dragon is 1m tall) - tripled in size from last year Deadman's finger tree - first year flowering Mock strawberry 'Harlequin' - seed grown last year and spreading nicely Clematis 'Lemon Bells' Variegated kiwi - very full this year Ornamental onion 'Ambassador' Cross vine 'Dragon Lady' - actually flowered early Gold kiwi - 3 weeks late in flowering so I'm not sure if we will get fruit this year as its normally ready at the end of October And here are 2 of my success stories, despite the bad winter... Bitter orange seedlings - I placed some of the seeds I harvested in a large outdoor planter last Fall and they germinated about a month ago. So far they are doing great and growing quickly. Raisin tree - seed germinated in 2020 but I decided to plant it outside last Fall - I had no idea what sort of winter we would have but the sapling came through with flying colors and has added about 30cm of growth so far.
Pmurphy, I see that your male gold kiwi is in full blossom; how are the female blossoms doing? Thanks.
The gold kiwis are all in full bloom right now but the plants are so lush its hard to see the flowers - about a week ago I went outside in the morning and there was a very beautiful, tropical scent in the air but I couldn't see where it was coming from....it took me a couple of days to realize it was the kiwis (I've never notice this scent before, or perhaps just not this intense).
Here's a new one...bought the bulb last year but it didn't grow - it actually started late but the heat dome put an end to it so I couldn't confirm the identity until now. The plant was supposed to be Arisaema triphyllum (jack-in-the-pulpit) but someone messed up somewhere (just goes to show you can't always trust even well-known suppliers). The plant appears to be Arisaema dracontium - green dragon.
I've never noticed any real scent to any of the "grape" kiwi varieties - Actinidia arguta (which are all flowering heavily now) so it must be associated only with the golds.
I've definitely given a wide berth to the Actinidia arguta at UBCBG, but I see the golds are A. chinensis. You have that on the file name of the photo you posted above, but photo names don't show up in the text for text searches, so that's why I wanted to add it here.
I finally got outside to take a good look at the gardens and get some photos...things are really growing. Ferns - autumn, Japanese painted 'red beauty' and northern maidenhair. Nicandra physalodes - shoo-fly (aka apple of Peru) Fragaria vesca - strawberry 'yellow wonder' already giving fruit (tastes like pineapple) Kalmia latifolia 'olympic fire' - mountain laurel Athyrium niponicum pictum - autumn fern 'pewter lace' Jasminum x stephanense - Stephan jasmine Delosperma floribundum 'starburst' - ice plant Cornus florida 'ruba' - pink dogwood Fern garden (or one of them) with one of my water feature "projects"
Here's one people think I'm crazy for growing but I'm rather proud of them - seed grown this spring and not supposed to flower until the second year so the color is a little washed out.... Pink dandelion - Taraxacum pseudoroseum Of the dozen plants I have this is the only one blooming.
I remember a saying from an old TV gardener here in the UK. 'A weed is any plant growing in the wrong place'. So your not at all crazy P.
