Sunday, April 11, 2010

What's New In The Garden

Twenty one of the twenty three people who came to the garden tour today had never been here before. I think a couple of them were smitten and could tell that this was only the beginning of a blooming extravaganza that lasts throughout the growing season.



The first rhododendron, a PJM, one of the earliest bloomers made an appearance for the tour.



The Trout Lilies, Erythronium, were open.



The Grape Hyacinth, Muscari are showing up as the Puschkinia, Scilla and Chionodoxa fade. I actually found a fat clump of the Muscari down by the cabin today that I know I did not plant. It is in a spot of major earth moving and trenching activity that would be the very last place I plant after construction is done. I have no idea how it got there. Sometimes I think real gardeners may shed plants as the wander about.



Maybe the star of the tour, the Fritillaria meleagris received the most comments and what is it questions.



Of course there were daffodils.



There is always a new variety of daffodil that catches your eye from repeat wanderings around the ridge top garden.



This lemon chiffon colored trumpet daffodil is one of my favorites. This is the smaller version of the full sized one.



We are scheduled for sunny skies and spring like warm, not heat wave warm for the coming week. I think the daffodils will be saying goodbye very soon.



The next wave of garden magic waits in the wings.

11 comments:

Siria said...

Hi Christopher! WOW ~ 23 people?! Were you part of a "mountain garden tour"? I can't imagine who wouldn't be smitten by the beauty at your place. And to think it is just getting started! :)

Christopher C. NC said...

Siria I did a private invitation garden tour between 10 and 6. The folks were very well spread out and many had the garden to themselves while they were here.

Randy Emmitt said...

Christopher,
That is some crowd! I think one of those daffs is Pipit. Once I had the Duke Natural History group visit my woods, I could not get them out of the woods looking at plants. My plum was full of butterflies and they were charmed with the bontany in the forest.

Lola said...

Success. That many admirers are fantastic. I just knew it. I don't see how anyone could not love to be in the mtns admiring all that beauty. And to have it cleaned & paths raked for comfort. Some of them must have thought they were in heaven.
I am so happy for you.

Anonymous said...

Hi Christopher! Sorry we couldn't make it up today- hope the tour went great!! I can imagine how beautiful it is up there right now. Take care and hopefully we'll see you soon! -Ashley & Greg

Christopher C. NC said...

Randy if all 23 had come at once it would have been a crowd. It was interesting to see who dawdled and really looked and the ones who powered through a bit quicker. The slow ones were the real plant geeks.

Lola it was a success. Even the more non-gardener types could enjoy the ambiance, view and feel of the place.

Ashley you and Greg can come visit anytime. It was enjoyable opening up the garden for people to visit. Hint. Hint.

thistleandthorn said...

Dude! I didn't know you were having a garden tour today! I need to get back online full time and keep up with what is going on... I am pretty sure I can see your mountain from my mountain. Way, way off in the distance...

Dee @ Red Dirt Ramblings said...

I love that fritillaria, something I've never planted Chris. My daffs are also sadly waving good-bye, but that's okay. It's almost peony season now. Yummy.~~Dee

Anonymous said...

I am sure the visitor's were blown away by the beauty of your mountainside, Christopher. The bulbs are a bonus, but just the trees, the rocks, the sky, the earth, everything is much more than most can even imagine. I love the thought of plants dropping from gardeners as they wander. So poetic. :-)
Frances

Christopher C. NC said...

TandT if you ever wander over the mountains this far let me know and another private invitation tour can be arranged.

Dee last year the peonies were devastated by caterpillars before we noticed. This year I started watching from the moment they poked out of the ground and have been squishing the caterpillars I am finding on them. I am wondering if the resident gardeners complaints about the peonies poor performance may be because they never noticed the caterpillars eating them.

Frances one visitor was saying what a peaceful quiet pla... then a motorcycle group drove by on the scenic byway. Other than that they loved it. I'm thinking those grape hyacinth had to have come from seed somehow from my first year here.

Damaris said...

Christopher, the tour was fantastic, thanks so much for opening your little paradise! What a pleasure to meander through endless loops of natural paths, daffodils EVERYwhere! I've never seen so many varieties in one place! And the cabin you're building is fabulous, a perfect space... your rockwork got the thumbs up from The Rock Pirate! :-))