Have I mentioned that spring has been absolutely wretched this year? I spent ten minutes in the garden this morning and had to turn back because of the cold. The daffodils were none too happy either.
Last year the daffodils were in full bloom weeks earlier. This year fewer than a handful have opened.
Despite the cold I've already made my first garden purchases of the year: a sharp-leaf hepatica and the double primrose "Miss Indigo."
I can't say that I have ever been a fan of primroses. My neighbour grows a number of them though and over the years I have come to appreciate their charms in early spring. So when I saw "Miss Indigo" I thought why not?
I try to add native plants to my garden whenever and wherever I can. The sharp-leaf hepatica (hepatica acutiloba) caught my eye with its unusual and somewhat hairy foliage. I'm not sure if that's a bloom-in-waiting or a seed head (I bought this at a local nursery where the plants are so far along there are even flower buds on the coneflowers). I would love to see it flower but if it doesn't I will gladly wait to see it next year. This is a great time to plant the spring ephemerals because it is easy to see where the bare spots in the garden are. Now if spring would hurry up and bestow some sunshine and warm temperatures on us I could start feeling good about adding even more new selections to the garden.
Have I mentioned that spring has been absolutely wretched this year? I spent ten minutes in the garden this morning and had to turn back because of the cold. The daffodils were none too happy either. Last year the daffodils were in full bloom weeks earlier. This year fewer than a handful have opened.
Despite the cold I've already made my first garden purchases of the year: a sharp-leaf hepatica and the double primrose "Miss Indigo."
I can't say that I have ever been a fan of primroses. My neighbour grows a number of them though and over the years I have come to appreciate their charms in early spring. So when I saw "Miss Indigo" I thought why not? 
I try to add native plants to my garden whenever and wherever I can. The sharp-leaf hepatica (hepatica acutiloba) caught my eye with its unusual and somewhat hairy foliage. I'm not sure if that's a bloom-in-waiting or a seed head (I bought this at a local nursery where the plants are so far along there are even flower buds on the coneflowers). I would love to see it flower but if it doesn't I will gladly wait to see it next year. This is a great time to plant the spring ephemerals because it is easy to see where the bare spots in the garden are. Now if spring would hurry up and bestow some sunshine and warm temperatures on us I could start feeling good about adding even more new selections to the garden.
3 comments:
I love Primroses. I just discovered them a couple of years ago when I was given some yellow ones. Last year I bought a purple and white striated one. I can't wait for them to bloom this year. Yours is a beauty!
Irena - Those are nice choices. We are also having a very cold and late Spring this year - about one month behind last year, according to the blossoms.
Sandy, I'm looking forward to seeing the primrose in full bloom.
Garden Lily, more rain in the forecast. I'm feeling like I'm in your neck of the woods.
irena
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