A Spell Of Ugly Leaves

I have been pleasantly relieved to see in my travels that there is close to zero freezer burn in the gardens I tend. It takes two weeks to make the full circuit and there are higher places yet to go.

I stopped to admire some roadside weed flowers, Salvia lyrata.

The generous leaf and tip burn in my own garden has been crisping up to reveal the full extent of damage. There will be a spell of ugly leaves. I hope there will be a second attempt at spring growth from many who got nipped in the bud.

The wild cultivated gardens grow on. Trilliums by the thousands turn pink and fade into memory.

The Yellow Lady may have three Slippers this year.

The carpet of Spanish Bluebells is winding down. Flower petals are among the first thing to freeze.

Phacelia purshii is waiting in the wings. Another wave of blue will cover the ground as the groves of rhododendron come into bloom. Hopefully I will be able to ignore this spell of ugly leaves.

Fresh Lush Greenery

It had been a very fine spring … until. It was so fine I went out and took more pictures before it happened. The Iris cristata was beginning to bloom.

Everything was so fresh, so perfect, so green. The gardens were looking good.

Even the iris in the dung pile was in full bloom. It just fell in there. You know how it goes.

All was well in The Land of the Crooked Shed.

Joe Pye on the basement patio was awake and growing fast.

Then round one of Blackberry Winter arrived. It went much better than expected. There was a random, not too harsh tip burn about. This was not a killing cold for most. There will be a time of ugly leaves before things grow back out.

The hardest hit were most interesting. It was many of the natives. Poisoned Ivy, Joe Pye, White Snake Root and the Aralias were the most frozen, while daylilies, iris and peonies looked fine. The hosta got a little cooked. The Japanese Maples look fine .. so far. Even the tulip poplars and magnolias of the deep forest got a good leaf burning.

Round two will happen tonight. Followed by a few more nights of deep chill. The harsh tip burn could go lower. There will be a time of ugly leaves.

And I will have to hear about that no doubt from so many people still safely confined at home who had already been finding ugly things for me to make pretty.

There will be a short spell of ugly leaves. It will grow back out. Breathe.

I have a picture from yesterday, when it was all so fresh, so perfect, so lush and so green.

The Japanese Maples Before The Storm

A Blackberry Winter is incoming.

The roadside flower bed is ready for spring.

It has been a very fine spring .... so far.

Tender growth on the Rough Bark JM is about to get cold tested. All I can do is hope.

All five of the Japanese maples are tender right now.

On the shores of Turd Blossom Lake, Nishiki will get covered.

All I can do is hope that the wind don't blow too hard and the below freezing cold don't last too long.

Let the heat rise from the warm spring 'aina.

A huge flock of gold finches came to dine in the meadows of a very fine spring in the first rains of a Blackberry Winter. It was a sight to behold.

The Sunny Utility Meadow

This is the land between two driveways.

Over the river and through the woods.

Can your lawn do this?

This is a spring meadow filled with Bulbarella's plantings.

She followed right behind me as I tidied things up.

But she could plant faster than I could tidy.

Planting and expansion, save the Turnip Fields, has pretty much come to a halt.

Tidy is beginning to catch up with all the plants.

There might have been electricity in this house in the sunny utility meadow before it was all over.

Bluebells and Ajuga were sprinkled generously through out.

All kind lily, peony, iris and flower bushes followed.

And the big foliage plant Astilboides tabularis returned to tell me my father was here.

Look now cause a Blackberry Winter is coming this weekend. A perfect spring could be over. We shall see.

The sunny utility meadow between driveways.

Spring Meadow

This is Christopher's garden May 4th 2020. Shall we? Can your lawn do this?

A Slow Walk With Bluebells

Make yourself comfortable and click on a picture for the slide show when ready.
This is Bulbarella's ridge top garden on May the 3rd 2020.

Monet lives on in strong vibrations. I vibrate with what is called essential tremor. The wind lives up here. Still air is most helpful for landscape pictures. The slightest breeze can set the bluebells in motion. The Rattler has been rocking this weekend like it is the 4th of July. Perfect weather for a ride.

Enjoy. Note the change in the quality of light during our walk. The garden Bulbarella has always dreamed of having is happening now. All it needed was the yard maid.

A mazus lawn.

Back home along The Rattler

The maintenance gardener needed a quick fix this morning.