Daylight Savings Time Sunday

Deep purple 'Tommies"

 

The days are gradually getting longer and warmer despite the usual fluctuations, and more spring bulbs are sprouting every day in my garden. The dark purple 'Tommies" (Crocus thomasinnianus) are now blooming in the front yard. Last night we set our clocks forward an hour for the seasonal time change--the beginning of Daylight Savings Time is another welcome sign of the onset of spring. That extra hour of light in the evenings extends my studio time significantly.

 

Two colors of "Tommies", pale and dark

 

Looking over the bed by the driveway I was surprised to find a number of the pale mauve crocuses sprouting among my irises there--I know I didn't plant any there, so the squirrels must have planted them. Typical squirrel behavior--they dig up the bulbs from my flower beds and re-plant them where it pleases them!

 

Crocuses re-planted by squirrels in iris bed

 

I must say it does look rather interesting, though the crocuses there will likely not have much of a chance to grow well. But it's going to be hard to dig them out without damaging the iris. If I try that, it won't happen until after the iris have bloomed.

The early 'February Gold' daffodils in the front yard have budded and are starting to open, always a cheerful sight!

 

'February Gold' daffodils

 

Other crocus varieties are blooming in other parts of the garden, like these yellow ones with purple feathering. 

 

Yellow crocus

 

The Hellebore 'Flower Girl' is sporting more buds today. I haven't cut back the old foliage yet, as I love the contrast of the old dried leaves with the green of the new growth--such lovely colors would make a wonderful painting!

 

Hellebore 'Flower Girl'

 

The first of the Siberian squills popped up in the woodland bed on the east side of the house--a beautiful touch of color. My eyes are so starved for color at this time of the year!

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)

Out back in the Herb bed, another surprise--the dwarf iris planted last fall is sporting two blooms! I planted about a dozen of these in an assortment of blue shades last fall, can't wait to see what the other varieties look like.

 

Reticulated iris (Iris reticulata)

 

A couple of the Winter Aconites in the back bed have also popped up, but one flower was eaten by a critter--wonder who the culprit could be? Probably deer. 

 

My Winter Aconite (Eranthis cilicica)

 

I really love seeing the huge patches of Eranthis hyemalis under the large trees at Blandy, which are a different species from mine. I wonder how many years it's taken for them to form these enormous expanses? I bought a dozen or so bulbs of Eranthis cilicica because the other species was not available at the nursery where I usually buy my bulbs. The two species look very similar but the cilicica blooms later. I hope mine will eventually form large patches like those at Blandy, but we'll see.

 

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) at Blandy Experimental Farm.

Winter Aconite at Blandy

 

 Here are some recent additions to my botanical artworks done over the winter. This piece titled "Between the Cracks" depicts three rare ferns found at Calmes Neck, which I sketched from life last spring, along with  two associated plants that grow on the same ledges. The plants, from upper left to lower right are: Violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea), Purple Cliff-Brake (Pellea atropurpurea), Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), Wall-rue Fern (Asplenium ruta-muraria) and Yellow Corydalis (Pseudofumaria lutea). The latter is not a native of our area, and was somehow introduced, but has naturalized there. The others are all natives.

 

"Between the Cracks" watercolor, 17"h x 14'w.

 

I rushed to complete these two others, and I'm not sure they are as successful as the ferns, but I needed more work for my upcoming show at Long Branch Historic House and Farm in Millwood, which will be on display from April 1 through May 30, 2025, as well as Art at the Mill show, also in Millwood.

 

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid (Goodyera pubescens), watercolor, 17.5"h x 13.5"w.

Rose Bay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum), watercolor,

 

21"h x 13"w

.

 

 These last two were done from photos taken at Ice Mountain last spring, let's hope I can sell them. I have lots coming up art-wise, a very exciting start of the season for me!

Signs of Spring

"Tommies" (Crocus tomasinnianus) in the front yard.

Clumps of Tommies

The past few days have been unseasonably warm, and the crocuses in  my yard are popping up everywhere! The mauve "Tommies" (Crocus tomasinnianus) have formed lovely clumps in the front yard under the cherry tree--a sight to cheer any winter-weary heart! There's even one tiny bee in the first photo, gathering pollen from the open Tommies!

 

Tommies under the cherry tree.

 

The yellow crocuses down slope of the dogwood in front are coming up, next to some snowdrops. Those were planted last fall, and I hope they'll multiply quickly. I haven't spotted the 'Orange Emperor' crocuses I planted yet--I've forgotten just where I planted them and didn't mark the location. I expect to be pleasantly surprised any day.

 

White and purple feathered crocus

Yellow crocus

 

The hyacinth bulbs are starting to poke out of the ground too. It's been a dry winter, and we really need some rain to bring out more of the spring bulbs.

 

Hyacinth buds emerging.

 

The foliage of the early daffodils is also breaking ground. The 'February Gold' are u sually the first ones to bloom.

 

Daffodil foliage emerging.

 

On the east side of the house, in the "woodland garden" one Hellebore bud is showing; hopefully more will emerge soon.

 

Bud of Hellebore 'Flower Girl' emerging.

Hellebore 'Flower Girl'

A couple of  yellow crocuses have popped up in the back bed, but no signs yet of the Winter Aconite. And more snowdrops in one of the other beds in the back yard.

Yellow crocus in back bed.

Snowdrops, 'Elwesii' variety.

The witch-hazels are also in bloom, both the native southern variety and the hybrid 'Diane'.

 

Southern witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Witch-hazel 'Diane'

Here's hoping for some rain today, and more signs of an early spring!

February 2025 Bloom Day

Yellow species crocus

 

On the 15th of very month Carol Michels' May Dreams blog hosts "Bloom Day" where we gardeners share photos of what's blooming in our gardens. Today is cloudy and cold in my Zone 6B garden in Virginia. We were expecting a bit of ice and/or snow earlier this morning, but that didn't materialize, so now it's probably going to be rain this afternoon and tonight on through tomorrow. I took my outdoor photos yesterday when it was sunny and warmer.

The species crocus in my front yard began to emerge about the beginning of the month, with the flowers opening on the few warm sunny days we've had. There is a variety of them: white, yellow with feathering on the outer petals, and the pale violet "Tommies." 

I planted some 'Orange Emperor' crocus in the back bed, but those have yet to show.

 

White species crocus

Violet "Tommies "(Crocus thomasinnianus)

Assortment of crocus in the front yard.

The snowdrops I planted two falls ago have also popped up, but they have yet to start forming clumps. Oh well, next year there should be more. The foliage of the early daffodils is also emerging.

 

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis 'Elwesii')

Foliage of early daffodils emerging.

 

The buds of my two witchhazel trees have started to open--the native Southern Witchhazel blooms at this time of the year, and the hybrid 'Diane' also.

 

Hybrid Witchhazel 'Diane'

Southern Witchhazel

The Japanese Pieris has a number of flower buds, but these won't open until later in the spring. The buds of my hybrid Hellebores nearby are still buried beneath a blanket of leaves.

 

Japanese Pieris (Pieris japonica)

 

Indoors, I have a few surprises for you: a lovely yellow Hibiscus flower opened this morning--the first since the beginning of the year.

 

Hybrid yellow Hibiscus

 

The Miltassia orchid in the master bath has a couple of flowering spikes and a few other Phalaenopsis have developed spikes too. The large-flowered white one below will probably open in a few more days.

 

Miltassia orchid.

White Phalaenopsis about to bloom.

 

 

I've cared for this particular miniature Phal for seven years--that's how long it's taken to produce this one flowering spike. I'm curious to see what color the flowers will be.

 

 

This other miniature Phal faithfully blooms once and sometimes twice a year--this year it has two flowering spikes developing.

 

Miniature Phalaenopsis flower spikes.

 

Lastly, the African violets treated for mealybugs seem to be recovering nicely.

 

Optimara African violets

Bearss lime fruits.

 

The fruits of the Bearss lime are increasing in size, and my Gardenia tree still has a few blooms, but that's about it for today, I hope to have more to show next month. Happy February Bloom Day!

Beautiful Snow

Snow on Jan. 19.

 

It snowed again on January 19, an all-day snow that stuck to the branches, just as I'd hoped. The back yard still had quite a bit of snow left from the previous snowfall on the 6th. I wasn't motivated to go outdoors to photograph the falling snow, so contented myself with taking shots through my windows.

 

The back yard from my studio window.

The front yard from the porch.

The following day was extremely cold, but the snow looked so lovely that I suited up to go take some outdoor shots. The record cold in the past week has been incredible, with my thermometer hitting single digits every night and recording -8 degrees in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday. I'm hoping that my plants all survive, but with these temperatures, some may not.

Hah! Some maps still show this as USDA Zone 7, but this is clearly not the case--as I was told by long-time gardeners when I moved here, the west side of the Blue Ridge Mountains is definitely in Zone 6!

 

Back yard on Jan. 20 from my studio window.

Lilac bushes in back yard.

Redbud and Seven Son flower tree in back.

Back yard with snowy veggie pagoda.

I saw many animal tracks crossing and criss-crossing the back yard, all; the way up to the front yard, where I'd set up the bird feeders.

Nelly Stevens holly and hydrangeas.

East woodland garden.

East woodlamd garden with deer barriers.

 

All the trees and shrubs draped in snow looked so beautiful, it was hard to decide what to photograph. Here are some of the best shots, in no particular order. It looks as if the snow will continue to cover the ground until the end of the month.

Little Indians bed with Buddleia bent over.

The west yard looking towards the back.

Green Giant Arborvitae.

West yard garden.

Front of house from the street.

Front walk.

West front yard with Natchez crape myrtle.

 

 

 

Thus far this January has been one of the coldest in our area in quite a few years--let's hope we'll get a good thaw in February!