Spring Pilgrimage to Calmes Neck

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

 

This year's VNPS annual pilgrimage to Calmes Neck took place under a light drizzle--a very welcome bit of rain, since our area is still under severe to extreme drought, but it was chilly. Our walk started as usual, at the top of a hill where the Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) was about finished blooming, and the dwarf Delphiniums (Delphinium tricorne) were in bud, but not yet open. The Toadshade (Trillium sessile) was also blooming--their curious flowers never fully open.

 

One lone bud of Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla)

Toadshade (Trillium sessile)

 

One unusual sighting we came across was this brightly-colored jelly fungus called Witches' Butter growing on a fallen trunk.

 

Witches' Butter fungus (Tremella mesenterica)

Dropping down the hillside into a little valley, the Virginia Bluebells were out in force. I'd noticed on previous years that here and there one finds some pink as well as a few all-white flowers among the masses of bluebells, and it was explained that Bluebells are sensitive to soil PH, much like Hydrangeas, and the blue color indicates normally acidic soil, while pink indicates a more alkaline spot. The white bluebells are not albinos, but a genetic variation of the species that crops up once in a while.

 

Hillside of Virginia Bluebells.

 

 

Pink Virginia bluebells.

White Virginia Bluebells.

Bluebells along the river.

 

It was quite muddy at the bottom of the trail, and we stepped carefully, trying to avoid stomping down the Bluebells, but it was unavoidable.---they were so lush! The Harbinger-of-spring, one of the earliest of spring ephemerals, was setting seed, but the Spring Beauties, though wide-spread, were not open in the rain. The Cut-leaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) was also in bloom.

 

Harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa) setting seed.

 

Cut-leaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)

 As we were reaching the trail parallel to the Shenandoah River, Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) and Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) began to make their appearance. It's impossible for me to distinguish the leaves of one from the other, but the flowers are certainly different. The bulblet at the roots are different colors too--as I recall, reddish or pinkish for the Squirrel Corn, cream color for the Dutchman's Breeches.

 

Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis)

A particularly lush specimen of Dutchman's Breeches

 

Getting up towards the rock ledges overlooking the river was a bit tricky, the rain made for slippery footing. I didn't dare peek at the walking ferns on a large rock, there's a precipitous drop below. The wind off the river was particularly sharp on the exposed ledges.

There were large expanses of Rue Anemones in bloom--I don't think I'd ever seen them this profuse before. These were my last photos before the charge on my phone gave out completely. 

 

Rue Anemones (Thalictrum thalictroides)

 

Expanse of Rue Anemones above the Shenandoah River.

Early saxifrage ( Micranthes virginensis) and Rattlesnakeweed (Hieracium venosum)

 I wasn't able to get any shots of the ferns that were emerging on the ledges, since I didn't have a spare camera on me. Oh well, better luck next time.

April Bloom Day

The front yard.

 

It's April 15th, Bloom Day for garden bloggers, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Gardens blog. Today's crazy weather has brought a brief shower and lots of wind--my photos were taken yesterday evening before a thunderstorm, when the weather was milder. My USDA zone 6B Virginia garden has been very dry, and any little bit of rain is a help, but we've not been getting nearly enough for the season. Still, between now and the end of May is when my garden is at its best, come and make the rounds with me. 

The 'Kwanzan' cherry tree in front of the house is in full bloom, though the daffodils and narcissus are mostly past theirs--only the Poet's Narcissus remain, while the creeping phlox is just starting to bloom.

Aside from the cherry tree in full bloom, the most delightful surprise awaiting me yesterday was this one tiny bell of the White-haired Leatherleaf Flower (Clematis albicoma) that I've been growing in a pot, heeled into the front bed. This clematis species is a native of only this area and parts of West Virginia, and rather rare--it grows in shale barrens that can reach 180 degrees in temperature at the height of summer. I bought it two years ago and have been nursing it in hopes of seeing its lovely tiny bells--I'm hoping it will put our a few more before its season is over. The seedheads are very attractive too.

Clematis albicoma

Closer up.

My other native Clematis (Clematis viorna) in the long island bed in the back keeps getting eaten down to the ground by deer--I'm going to have to relocate it to a less-accessible spot to see if it will eventually grow. It's that or fencing off the entire yard, far too expensive a proposition.

On the west side of the house, a small clump of blue Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) somehow escaped the depredations of the deer, and the Grecian windflowers (Anemone blanda) nearby which deer don't seem to care for, have begun to spread.

 

Blue Grape Hyacinths and Grecian Windflowers.

 

The general view into the back yard shows numerous clumps of white 'Mount Hood' daffodils and Thalia narcissus in several beds. The trees were just budding out when a sudden frost last week burned all the new growth back, but they'll recover eventually.

Overlooking the west side of the house.

Moving down into the back yard, the back bed full of a mix of daffodils makes a wonderful seasonal display. The deer never bother these (they're poisonous), and these back beds are where over the years I've put in the extra bulbs that get thinned out from other beds.

 

The back yard.

The back bed.

 

The Redbud tree (Cercis canadense) is just about finished blooming, and so are the 'Pink Charm' daffodils. My double-flowering quince usually blooms earlier but this year it seems to be at its peak right now. The blossoms will continue, more sparsely, until late spring.

 

Double-flowering quince.

 

More Grecian windflowers in the back yard.

 

My dwarf iris 'Bluebeard' got blasted by the frost, they're not worth showing, but the little Anemones nearby are so cute. 

Moving on towards the east side of the house, my serviceberry tree still has a bit of bloom. As you can see, its hasn't grown out of the deer's reach yet, so the barrier stays up.

The Carolina Silverbell tree--my pride and joy--behind the serviceberry, also got its tiny bells blasted by the frost, so sad!

Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier laevis)

The Hellebores are still hanging on to their flowers--'True Love' has formed a respectable clump. I'm looking for a 'Niger' Hellebore to plant in this bed--I'd love to have something in bloom during the winter.

The Jacob's ladder I planted last fall is lovely, protected by a wire cloche when not being photographed, and the sprout of wild Mayapple next to it was a take-home goodie from a botanical art class I took last spring.

 

Hellebore 'True Love'

Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans)

Along the front walk my 'Mara de Bois' strawberries are blooming--accidental edible landscaping from a strawberry pot that got loose--here's hoping for a good crop! The potted plant is a Lewisia that is getting ready to bloom.

 

Strawberries blooming along the front walk.

 

This spring has been busier than ever for me, with a one-woman show at a historic mansion and farm in nearby Millwood. My show opened on April first, and will be there until the end of May. Below is the invitation to my show.

 

In addition, I have four paintings on display at another art show in Millwood, Art at the Mill, but I'll get into that in another post.

Thank you for visiting and Happy Bloom Day! Despite its ups and downs, and the crazy weather, I just love this time of the year!

The Annual Miracle is Here

Magnolia 'Butterflies'

 

It's been one of the driest winters in this corner of Virginia, and March was little better until the very last day, when a series of thunderstorms hit our area, dropping nearly an inch of rain overnight. What a delightful surprise just before April Fool's! 

With the stealth rain, my garden has come alive with the annual miracle of spring! My yellow-flowered Magnolia 'Butterflies' didn't get badly frosted this year--ironic, considering there were fewer buds than any year before, due to last summer's drought. But still, it's the first spring since it was planted eight years ago that I've had the opportunity to enjoy its beautiful blossoms.

 

The front yard with Thalia narcissus and Magnolia 'Butterflies'

 

As the early 'February Gold' daffodils fade, the front yard comes alive with the blooms of Thalias, Tazettas, and Poet's Narcissus, forming thickets of white with touches of yellow. The creeping Phlox under the cherry tree is starting to revive too.

 

My front yard on April Fool's Day.

Tazetta, Thalia, and Poet's Narcissus.

The Yoshino cheries in our neighborhood are gorgeous at the moment, though with the wind today the blossoms are bound to be short-lived. It will take a couple more weeks for the Kwanzan cherry in my yard to open, although the buds are swelling and starting to show some color.

On the east side of the house several patches of blue Siberian Squill are all in bloom, and my Hellebores finally open. The Pieris beyond is also sporting its delicate blossoms.

 

Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica)

Hellebore 'True Love'

Hellebore 'Flower Girl'

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pieris japonica

 

Last fall I planted a native Jacob's Ladder plant in the woodland garden on the east of the house, and it's loaded with flower buds, the first of which are starting to open. I'd had a couple of beautiful hybrids with variegated foliage of this plant a few years ago, but those were eaten by something (deer? voles?) and died out. I think the species may prove a bit more resistant to the onslaught of the critters, but I'm keeping it under a cloche in hopes it will spread.

 

Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans)

 

My Allegheny Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier laevis) is also blooming, though my little tree hasn't made a whole lot of progress in the past years. I hope this year it will finally grow tall enough to be out of the deers' reach.

 

Allegheny Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier laevis)

The back bed  has exploded into bloom with assorted daffodils: 'Pink Charm' at one end, with 'Mount Hood' and a mixture of other varieties. The redbud tree is just starting to show some color, while the Seven Son Flower Tree leafs out. The Forsythia beyond is holding its blossoms well despite the wind.

 

The back bed with Forsythia beyond.

The back bed.

'Pink Charm' daffodils

'Pink Charm'

Yellow 'Prince Alfred' substitutes are blooming in another bed, and the Mount Hood daffodils I divided a couple of years ago are everywhere too. 

 

'Mount Hood' daffodils

'Prince Alfred' look-alike daffodils.

 

There's a nice patch of blue Muscari blooming in the front bed next to the driveway, along with charming little Anemones in a blue-and white combination, but today it's too chilly and windy for the Anemones to open (these photos are from a few days ago).

 

Blue Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) and Anemones (Anemone blanda).

Grecian windflowers (Anemone blanda)

As Mother Nature revives, the annual miracle of Spring is on full display...I can't wait to see what will come into bloom in time for April's Bloom Day!