Saturday, April 30, 2011

The Yellow Blooms of Forsythia Tell You Spring is Here



Last year I planted a Forsythia "Meadow Lark" and was glad to see it blooming the past two weeks. The blooms only grow on old wood so it is important to do any pruning of the bush right after it blooms. If you wait to till fall, you risk cutting off all of the new growth which would bloom the next spring.

I researched the various types of Forsythia and decided on this bush because it grows rather quickly, has a height of 8-10 feet, and has a spreading/arching form. I wanted a specimen plant on the back corner of my house, but didn't want to go with a tree (like a Crab Apple) so close to the foundation. It doesn't look like much now, but in a couple of years, it will be stunning!

Below is a photo I took last spring of a Forsythia bush in Wisconsin:

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Spring Flowers at Bachman's


With Spring taking its sweet time this year, I just had to stop by Bachman's to see the lovely flowers, these being trays of Pansies. It took a lot of self control to not walk out with a bunch of them. My husband would not have been happy.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Guide to Identifying Spring Bulbs

It's a long time between Fall and Spring, so it is quite common to forget where you might have planted all those flower bulbs once the snow melts. Of course some of the emerging flowers below aren't bulbs, but they still come up earlier than most other perennial plants. Below are some photos I took this month of early spring plants in case you wonder what is happening in your garden.


Daffodils


Tulips


When I first started gardening, I could never remember the difference between daffodils and tulips. From the above two photos, you can easily see the difference. Tulips have pointed leaves, daffodils have rounded leaves. My tulips also have a red shade to the leaves.


Hyacinth
Above is an emerging Hyacinth. The leaves stay tight and wrapped like this until they get pretty high out of the ground. Once out, the fragrance is amazing!


Iris
The best way to identify an emerging Iris is to look at the fan shape of the leaves.


Alliums
Probably one of my favorite bulbs that I wish would last longer. The larger alliums, like the one above, look like a pointed triangle when they first emerge. I have daffodils planted next to them, so the points of the allium make it easy to differentiate the two.


Peonies
Yes, peonies are not bulbs, but they do start to come up early (and I love them). The are quite noticeable in the garden with their red arms sticking out of the ground. They are classified as either early, mid, or late varieties.