Tangled Branches: Cultivated

happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A Good Day in the Garden

Yesterday was one of those days I wish I could save up for later. I had the whole day to myself in the country.

It was mostly sunny with just a few clouds. It was just warm enough to be pleasant, but not too warm for working in the garden. I basked in the sun. Really I was weeding, but it felt like basking.

The frogs were singing. So were the birds, but the frogs were louder and more insistent.

I saw two butterflies - first of the season. They were busy and so was I, so I didn't go chasing them to see who they were. One was orange on top like a Painted Lady and the other was white like a Cabbage White. Probably was a Cabbage White.

The garlic is up and growing despite being trodden upon by the deer. The shallots, which I had almost given up on, are sprouting. Spinach, and a few lettuce plants, survived the entire winter under a floating row cover.

I chopped fresh herbs - parsley, garlic leaves, lemon thyme, and radish sprouts - and sprinkled them with abandon on my lunchtime soup.

While digging up a bed to plant radishes and salad greens, I found two potatoes from last year. In perfect condition. Except for the one I cut in half with the spade.

The newly planted (last December) crocuses are blooming. The tulips made it through the winter without being eaten. I wonder if they'll make it through the spring.

I took a lot of pictures in the morning, but haven't uploaded yet. Maybe later today. If you're looking for me, I'll be in the garden.

Labels: bulbs, butterflies, herbs, potager, potatoes, seasons

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Favorite Perennials

Jodi has posted some of her favorite perennials, and asked others to do likewise. Easy, I thought, whichever one is blooming at the moment.

Well, there aren't too many things blooming on this gray, drizzly morning, and I haven't been out to check on the Cyclamen hederifolium lately, but they were still blooming a week or so ago.
Cyclamen hederifolium

Thinking a little harder, I came up with a few plants that I'd really miss if they were gone. A lot, maybe most, of these are filler-type plants. And you know, in music, I always like harmony more than the melody, so it must just be something strange about me.

I already talked up Calamintha nepetoides (aka C. nepeta), so I won't go on and on about it here, but that's close to the top of the list. Another frothy filler is Galium 'Victor Jones'. I wish I knew which species of Galium this is, but the name I give here is how it was sold to me. It sprawls quite a lot and weaves in and out among its sturdier neighbors. It sometimes blooms again, and I suspect that if it was cut back after blooming, the second bloom would be more reliable.
Galium 'Victor Jones' behind some Echinacea

I'm totally addicted to Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Bath's Pink'. I love the thick semi-evergreen foliage and the flower fragrance is sweet and spicy at the same time.
Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Bath's Pink'

Here's a favorite that isn't a filler - Peony 'Karen Gray'. She's neighbors with Bath's Pink and usually they bloom about the same time.
Peony 'Karen Gray' and Dianthus 'Bath's Pink'

Look at how much pink there is in these photos. I never thought of myself as a pink person, but the garden apparently knows more about me than I do. Let's get away from pink. Another characteristic of my favorite perennials is that many of them are bulbs. I like the Orienpet lilies a lot. 'Orania' in particular - very elegant.
Orienpet Lily 'Orania'

I like daffodils in general because they're early and reliable, but the ones I like best have elegant shapes, and ummm, pink cups.
Narcissus, not sure of the variety

And then there's a whole class of plants that might be my very favorites of all - the little blue spring flowers. Most are bulbs, but not all. I'm just going to link to an earlier post here, because I really can't choose between these. (That post is from the blog I used while Tangled Branches was homeless between web hosting companies, BTW.) OK, just one picture here - couldn't resist.
Chionodoxa sardensis

Labels: bulbs, cyclamen, dianthus, galium, lilies, narcissus, peonies

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Bookends

September arrived on a cool breeze. Another sign of approaching autumn. While weeding last week, I saw the tiny white flowers of some type of cress - one of my earliest spring weeds - and thought how spring and fall are sometimes mirror images.

The aphids are thick in the spring, and now they're back.

One day in early spring, the crocus flowers bloom amidst a few thin leaves. One day in early autumn, the rain lilies bloom amidst a few thin leaves.

The birds move north in the spring, and now they're beginning to move south again.

In the spring, I search the leaf litter for the first snowdrop. In the autumn, the leaf litter surprises me with the first cyclamen flower.

Labels: bulbs, seasons

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Last Snow

These are positively the last pictures of snow I'm going to post until next winter. Even if it snows another two feet, which it won't, I will not take a picture.

While I was out photographing the narcissus in the snow, a red-bellied woodpecker started drumming on the neighbors' chimney cap. The robins were back today, and so was the pine warbler. The goldfinches are starting to wear their summer feathers. And it's finally going to warm up outside!

Labels: birds, bulbs, snow

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Snowdrop Watch

Starting the new year off right, I'm late to my own Snowdrop Watch. They were showing color on December 29, and by January 2 they were blooming. This is the same clump that bloomed last year around January 22, and in 2005, around January 13.

Labels: bulbs, snowdrops

Friday, December 29, 2006

Whoosh!

What was that?!?!?
That thing that just went by?
That was December.

Join me in Janaury for Snowdrop Watch. The warm winter (so far) has them fooled. I have a very silly Scilla in bloom already.

Happy New Year to All!
(first thing I've been early for this year)

Labels: bulbs, weather

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