In the Garden: First Growth
March: the earth comes alive, and so do I
Every spring, my favorite season is spring. Every fall, my favorite season is fall. I think the reality is that I crave that middle space; whether temperament, politics, or weather, I don’t enjoy extremes. But I’m also perpetually captivated by the rhythms of nature, and the closer I look, the more I see. I’m trying to imprint things onto my brain - what week does our wisteria begin to bloom? When will the ginkgo tree finally shudder and drop its golden leaves? When will the hummingbirds reappear?
One small gift of working from home has been the attention I’m able to pay to our little quarter acre of land. I now know that in March and September, right around the equinox, the sunlight will cast water-reflections from the pond onto our bedroom ceiling. I know that the birds wait until mid-winter to eat the berries off of the trees. I know that right around Joey’s birthday, our Carolina jasmine will flower.
But after Joey’s summer-long battle last year against the overgrowth in our yard (more on that here), there were surprises this year. We apparently had lots of flower bulbs that just couldn’t bloom under there, and it’s been delightful to see them bloom. I haven’t gotten to plant much of our choosing yet, so our inherited spring flowers have been a gift.
But I know there’s only so much describing I can do, so here’s a video I made:
A few details about the video (in order):
First, the leucojum (snowflakes - they’re related to snowdrops, but different). A surprise, and they’re all over the place! I think they’re so charming, and they make a surprisingly good cut flower.
Next, a cute weed. We don’t have a lawn; we have a pile of clover and wildflowers and weeds. For now we just dig up anything that’s obviously bad or ugly and let the rest hang out.
Now a hellebore. We planted these, and I’ve developed a bit of an obsession. Hellebores bloom early (January!) and long, and they thrive in shade. Nothing will eat them, because they’re poisonous, and they readily self-seed. They come in the loveliest muted colors.
Next, our Carolina jasmine. The previous owner wanted these climbing over the roof of the guest house. After we discovered that the more mature plant on the other side of this one had roots ripping the fascia off the roofline, we had to cut it back. We’ll keep it controlled, but I do love it. It’s evergreen, which is nice.
Another hellebore. The color on this one is so amazing; as the blooms age, they deepen to a really lovely mauve.
Then the first leaves appearing on our gingko tree. I can’t wait for it to provide some shade for me to hammock under as it warms up in the coming weeks.
This next shot is mostly cosmos and specialty basil, basking in the sun as I started to harden off my seedlings.
Finally, the wisteria, the queen of spring in our yard. It’s actually our neighbor’s plant, but it’s determined to get over to our side as well. We’re going to start training it down the length of the fence so it won’t be quite as wild but will provide even more coverage. I’m deeply obsessed with it!
A small success
The first of my anemones arrived in March. These are one of my favorite flowers (they were in my wedding bouquet), and they’re the first cut flowers from my micro flower farm! I’ve been making simple arrangements with them for a few weeks now, pairing them with whatever else I can find in the yard. Here’s another reason those surprise leucojum were so exciting: they look lovely with anemones.
In the next few weeks, my seedlings will start to be planted out. Our zone’s average last frost date is April 3, and we’re right on target for that this year.
In March, we finished preparing for spring. Our seedlings were growing indoors, our beds received their spring compost, and our yard is finally relatively tidy. We’ve been spending as much time outside as we can before the heat sets in. We take our weekend meals on the deck when it’s warm enough, and I sometimes save up my emails so I can spend an hour outside, wiping pollen off my screen and enjoying the sunshine and birdsongs.
What’s Coming Next?
I’m not sure there will be much to look at in April. Many of the things I hope to see bloom in April in the future haven’t been planted yet (roses in particular), and the early spring flowers will have faded. It may well be a month of quiet growth and work, which reflects where my head is right now on a lot of things, as often happens with gardening. After a rather deep depression this winter, I feel myself coming out of it. Sun on my skin, a vaccine in my arm, and the prospect of a flower-filled 2021 have me feeling quietly optimistic.
I’ve got a few big weekends of planting so the seedlings can get growing. I don’t expect many flowers until May, but I think the next flowers to appear will be these:
From top left: Ranunculus Champagne, Anemone Black and White, Stock Apricot, Bells of Ireland, Snapdragon Chantilly Light Salmon, Iceland Poppy Sherbet Mix, Peony Duchesse De Nemours, Peony Coral Charm
The anemone are blooming now, and the ranunculus shouldn’t be far behind. I’ll be surprised if I have much success with poppies in our zone, but I’m hopeful. The peonies were just planted in the fall; so I don’t expect blooms this year, but I’ll be thrilled if I get some! I’m hoping the snapdragons will be a slam dunk for me - they’re a beginners flower. The stock and bells of Ireland should do fine here, but I’m trying not to get ahead of myself here. Untold failures lie ahead. The trick is just to learn from them.
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