An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

February 27, 2013

A Little Bit of Sunshine

The week got off to a rough start, and not helping matters has been the dreary wet weather, but today there was a change. The sun came out, the sky was a crisp blue, the temperatures warmed and the red maples (Acer rubrum) were flowering. At work the turtles are surfacing, and the narcissus are reaching peak. This turn will not likely last, but I will enjoy it while it is here.

Narcissus Wednesday (3)

Narcissus Wednesday (4)

Narcissus Wednesday (5)

Narcissus Wednesday (6)

Narcissus Wednesday (7)

Narcissus Wednesday (8)

Narcissus Wednesday (9)

Narcissus Wednesday (10)

Narcissus Wednesday (11)

Narcissus and Illicum 'Florida Sunshine'

Narcissus Wednesday (12)

Is there a more cheerful color than yellow?

(Just a reminder, there is still plenty of time for any other blogger to enter Winter Walk-Off 2013.)

36 comments:

  1. Do you have a spare room I can move into ? Our maples won't be flowering for two months at least !

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    1. Funny! If you do ever find yourself down this way, I can't promise you a spare room, but I can give you a tour of the garden.

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  2. Your narcussus are several weeks ahead of ours. Thanks for these gorgeous pictures Yellow is indeed a cheerful color; it seems to catch and hold the late winter sun! I feel warmer just looking at your post.

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    1. When I think of March, the colors green and yellow come to my mind.

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  3. I might have to plant some daffs under my Edgeworthias....nice combination. What is the yellow foliage in the second to last photo? Again, nice color echo.

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    1. That is Illicium parviflorum 'Florida Sunshine', a plant I immediately dismissed thinking the yellow was too close to "I need to be fed". However, when I saw it mixed with other things, including the narcissus, I changed my opinion of it.

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  4. That did my eyes--and spirits--good. I especially like the second to last photo. We aren't even up to snowdrops yet. And yes, yellow is the most cheerful color. I for one am a fan of forsythia.

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    1. I am a Forsythia fan as well. If I had a big old place in the country I would have a hedge of them.

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  5. Yes, yellow is a cheerful color and a harbinger of spring. My Hamamelis 'Arnold Promise' started blooming this week but with much of the ground still covered with snow it may be a few weeks before I see much else. Not a problem-I'll take it!

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    1. Maybe you can have a yellow-white combo with the Hamamelis and the snow.

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  6. Les, Beautiful daffs, ours are not any where as impressive this year. Is that Florida Sunshine behind one of those daffs?

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    1. That is indeed Florida Sunshine. You should read my response to Janet about it.

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  7. I love spring yellows especially with a marvelous blue sky. it must be a pleasure to go to work every day!

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    1. It is a pleasure to go to work each day, even if the skies aren't blue.

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  8. Your daffs are wonderful. Can't wait for ours to start blooming!

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    1. We are supposed to have an entire week of temps below 50, so the daffs should hold on to their blooms a little longer.

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  9. your work is always absolutely breathtaking...I wish I had permission to paint the last one....

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    1. Permission granted. If you would like the original resolution, send me your email address and I will send you a copy of the pic. The gardens where I work are surrounded by water and there is a canal running through the middle, and that bridge is one of several that cross the canal.

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  10. I was thinking the same thing you said in the last sentence of the post, there is nothing more cheerful than a drift of daffodils. You said "yellow" but I agree on that too.

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  11. We are weeks from color such as this here in New England so a big 'thank you'. Somehow, the last days of winter retreat very slowly.

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    1. We are getting part II of winter this week, possibly even some snow.

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  12. No there is not. Absolutely beautiful. Especially the last photo showing the long shot. I love a nice landscape full of daffodils.

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    1. Then I see why you are digging so many up to take to your new home. Good thing deer do not like them.

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  13. Les, Enjoyed all those daffs, ours are not thriving here. Glad you got a yellow hellebore, until last year we did not have any yellow blooming. Our 'Gold Finch' was in the garden for 2 years before it bloomed, now has babies under it! Picked up a double yellow and 2 single yellows so yellow is making a presence in our hellebore garden!

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    1. Mine was blooming when I bought it. I am not sure if I want to deadhead to send energy to the roots, or let it seed and see if anything comes up.

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  14. Wow, wow...and wow:) I don't have even ONE daffodil blooming yet! You are so far ahead of us!!

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    1. It has been a good year for them here so far. The cooler weather has kept them blooming longer, although some took a beating in yesterday's 50 m.p.h. winds.

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  15. Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your daffs on this snowy day in Maine. We might see ours next month.

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    1. I have decided that this fall I am going to seek out some early blooming varieties and some late ones as well. They all seem to bloom at the same time in my garden.

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  16. The edgeworthia flowers and daffs look spectacular together. What is the other yellow-leaved plant?

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    1. That plant is Illicium 'Florida Sunshine'. It needs company to look good.

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