This has been a beautiful week of weather. It has been warm with several mostly sunny days. There is a cold front coming. It will bring some frosty nights for 2 days so winter still has some punch left in it. It is so wonderful to have the increasing amount of daylight. The plants have all benefited.
I have spent my week pruning shrubs. The beauty berry, hollies and viburnum all now have their spring trim. I have also cleaned up containers that are holding pansies and sedum. There are a few trays of perennials that are ready to be planted but that will wait a little longer.
The most impressive bloomers in the garden right now are the daffodils. I am also enjoying crocus and the winter lettuces and the onion sets that are making substantial progress.
These red Camellia japonicas are glorious at the moment. The earlier blooms were damaged by a significant frost but thank goodness for sequential blooming. The mild weather has brought out an abundance of beautiful blooms. I do not know the names of these cultivars but they are magnificent.
I have shown the Edgeworthia ‘Paperbush’ a week or two ago but indulge me since these opening blooms have a beautiful, bright golden color. In addition, the fragrance is intoxicating.
The Star Magnolia is also blooming and fragrant. The white strap flowers make this a very showy shrub. It is about 12 feet high but it is having a struggle with crown rot. 2 of the 3 trunks have been lost and the third trunk is beyond remedy I fear. I identified the problem too late to do much about it. There are some azaleas underneath it that will benefit from the additional light. C’est la vie.
The daffodil is ‘Ice Follies’. It is tall at 12 inches. The yellow cup stands out against the white. I have a very nice crop of them this year. Many other varieties of daffodil are now blooming and I intend to show you more next week.
The nest box is for bluebirds. The male was courting the female today. The flew around it several times. They did not settle in because of the activity around them but it was exciting to see their interest. I didn’t capture a photo but here is one from another time.
I will be sharing this post with the Six on Saturday group tomorrow. If you want to see photos from gardeners from around the world, here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/
In the meantime, happy gardening!
