daffodils – Fine for Friday

Late Winter 20 Feb 2026

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!

Late Winter 13 Feb 2026

There has been such a dramatic change in the weather this week. It is spring-like with a gentle breeze and warm sunny days. There is no frost in the forecast for at least the next 10 days.

The spring bloom display has begun. The daffodils, the crocuses and the snowdrops are full. There are some red buds appearing on the roses.

The late winter tasks are well underway. Most significant has been the pruning of beauty berry, Rose of Sharon, anise and vitex. Since they bloom on this years growth, this should bring out more blooms later in the year.

The hellebores have been hesitant to bloom for the last few weeks, but they have come out with many blooms in the last few days. The reliable more common one on the left is more abundant but the subtle shading of ‘Pink Frost’ on the right makes it my favorite.

The Crocus ‘Snow White’ was planted last year. One bloom appeared a week ago but another two blooms appeared yesterday. This is a small bloom but it is bright white and shows up well.

The Edgeworthia chrysantha (Paperbush) on the right is also a small group of blooms but really stands out with its egg yolk yellow color. This is one of my favorite shrubs because of its striking stem architectural shape.

The daffodil on the left is unnamed. It was done a good job of becoming established and has many clumps.

The daffodil on the right is ‘Lovelady’. I think. Whatever the name, it is a beauty.

No. This dahlia is not blooming now. I am posting it because of something I learned yesterday. A local nursery sells dahlia blooms (Stone Hollow Farmstead). They sell dahlia blooms and the my informant states it is not necessary to dig them up in the fall in our area. They will do well left in the ground and survive our winter very well.

I hope the weather is pleasant wherever you are and that you will be able to get out to enjoy your garden.

I will be posting tomorrow with the Six on Saturday group. Come check it out. Here is the website https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

Happy gardening.

April Is No Fool

The progress in the garden has been very encouraging. We will have some rain on Sunday which will be followed by some cooler weather. No frost. It is time to bring some of the tender plants out.

The hardwood leaves have emerged with their brilliant green. The irises are beginning to show blooms. The grass is beginning to green and needs a cutting.

I took a field trip yesterday to see a grand collection of native azaleas. I have 2 photos from the Donald Davis Arboretum that housed the collection.

I hope to join the Six on Saturday group in the morning before I leave for a road trip to Nashville to visit family. Join that wonderful group at this link https://gardenruminations.co.uk

Here are the two azaleas. They are native to Alabama. In this collection, there are several outstanding specimens. They are Florida flame, Piedmont and Canescens varieties.

The silver bell ‘Halesia sp’ on the left is a beautiful medium sized tree which will be a good replacement for out native dogwood Cornus florida which has been ravaged by an apple wood borer.

This late appearing daffodil is really a winner.

The delicate foamflower on the left is an Alabama native. It is accompanied by the beautiful ground orchid. The Paw Paw on the right is blooming now and is also an Alabama native. The fruit will have a dumbbell shape if it appears.

I hope you are enjoying your garden in this fine weather.

Happy Gardening!

Still Waiting for Spring 7 March 2025

It’s been dry and then we had a heavy rain. It’s been calm and then we had 3 blustery days. It’s been pleasantly warm and then near freezing temperatures returned. I keep waiting for the sunny days of spring. Not yet.

The daffodils are up but they have not all opened. The bluebells are up but no blooms to show for it yet. The “Tommies” are up and blooming but the blooms don’t open until mid-morning. I am hopeful for the sunny days of spring. Not yet.

There are buds on the trees but only a few have leaves. The redbuds are blooming and so are the red maples. The blueberries are nicely budded but the blooms are not open.

Oh well!

I will be joining the #SixonSaturday group. Click the link and see what we are up to. Gardener’s eager to show 6 new things in their gardens for this week. We are ably hosted by Jim Stephens. https://gardenruminations.co.uk

Here are two of my overwintered dragon wing begonias. I am able to have them out in the sun at times. Mostly, they are still in my protected shelter. I will take cuttings next week and prepare 25 or 30 for window boxes and containers.

These white and purple “Majestic” pansies have fared well over the winter. The are hardy enough to have survived some freezing nights. I am proud of them.

The Heuchera also survived the winter cold. It is beginning show signs of new growth. I think this one is “Caramel”.

These are Narcissus “Orange Sunset”. I have shown them recently but these seem to be standing on guard in front of the pedestal fountain behind them.

The Asparagus fern has started to green up this week. It is Asparagus plumosus and is not really a fern but a member of the Asparagus family. It is a hardy perennial.

Happy Gardening! Hope the spring weather comes soon.

Daffodils, Daffodils 1 Mar 2025

March has arrived as a lamb. It is beautiful weather. Sunshine, calm and warmth prevail. The garden is showing signs of advancing. The best show is being displayed by the daffodils.

Garden tasks this week have included trimming some hollies to shorten the skirt but not before they were stripped of berries by migrating robins. Tending my new seedlings which need some gentle watering every day. I attended a workshop on grafting Japanese maples and now have one Sekimori Japanese maple to cultivate.

I am joining the Six on Saturday group this morning. Check us out. Here is the website. https://gardenruminations.co.uk. We are hosted by Jim Stephens. It is easy to post photos of your own. The rules are on the website.

I may have posted one or more of these last week. They were putting on such a display that I hope you forgive me for having overlooked that fact. These are all well established and I have sizable groupings of each. May be time to consider dividing.

This hellebore is in very good form. It is standing erect and putting on a wonderful display in the morning light.

“Jetfire” is putting on a good show. The bright cups stand out in this grouping. I had these in containers last year but they look much better in this bed underneath a row of crape myrtles.

This is a new addition for this spring. It is the eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis). It is a small native often called the Pussy Willow. Since it puts out these buds so early in the spring, it has often been associated with rebirth. It seems to be off to a good start where it will replace a star magnolia (Magnolia stellate) which will soon need to be removed.

Happy Gardening!

Setback 14 Feb 2025

It has been a stormy few days with heavy rains, wind and flooding in some locations. It’s a grim reminder that Mother Nature still packs a punch in the winter. The hardy plants will still keep growing and spring is still on the way but thoughts of the end of winter have been shattered.

I am pleased with the progress of the daffodils and the hyacinths. Budding continues on shrubs and trees. The green leafy rosettes on the perennials show signs that the plants are waiting to emerge. We have frost in the forecast for next week but none of the plants look like they are overly exposed.

I will be joining Six on Saturday again this week. If you are curious, come have a look. Gardeners from across the globe display the status of their gardens. Take some photos of your own, post them on your blog or from a file. The rules are posted on the website hosted here https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

Here are two perky yellow daffodils of the large cupped cultivars. They have withstood the rain and wind. I expect they will easily survive next weeks frosty conditions.

This Lenten rose and the Barrett Browning daffodil are particularly beautiful this year. This photo captures their bright white color.

Here are two indoor plants which occupy a well lit corner of the bathroom. The Euphorbia on the left will be moved to an outdoor location when frost threat is gone. The amaryllis on the right was purchased for Christmas/New year but that was not on its schedule. After blooming, it will be moved to an outdoor location and it will be planted. I have a little collection of them now.

I hope your garden is beginning to awaken or that you have been making plans for the arrival of gardening weather.

Happy Gardening!

Spring is so close

There has been a dramatic change in the landscape this week. The weather seems little changed but the daffodils have appeared. As a young man growing up in Canada, daffodils were not seen. We had tulips but they appeared in May and June. When I moved to the American South in the 1970’s, I witnessed the magic of daffodils. It reminded me of the Wordsworth poem that I learned in grade school and that I memorized.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

If you like to garden or if you love spring flowers or if your fancy moves you, come join our group on Saturday morning. Gardeners from around the world come together and share photos of what is happening in their garden. Follow this link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/page/2/. Our group is known as Six On Saturday.

There is more appearing in the garden. A little more appears each day. Isn’t it marvelous!

After the dreary after Christmas doldrum, here comes the spring. It is not yet relentless but it is persistent. My mood is so much better.

Happy Gardening friends!

Mid-Winter 9 Feb 2024

I am settling in after last weeks sunny break in Florida. The weather definitely is warming and I was able to play golf yesterday for the first time in a month. More color is appearing and there are new growth surprises nearly every day.

I have some plants started from seed and I am itching to plant them. Be patient! Planting weather is still at least 6 weeks away.

Every Saturday, a group of gardeners from around the world, get together online to post 6 recent pictures of what is happening in their gardens. Come join us to see the show or better yet join us and post 6 of your own. The weekly event is hosted by Jim Stephens at https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

Here are my 6 for the week.

The first is Leatherwood. It is a native shrub. It blooms early before the leaves come out and they are small but beautiful. The shrub may grow to be 6 or 7 feet tall. This plant is about 5 years old and seems quite healthy.

Next, is the first daffodil in my yard or in the Corner Garden. Looking at my notes, this is a week later than last year.

These hellebores are outstanding. They were a gift from a now deceased gardener but I do not know the name. I will enjoy them even though they will likely remain nameless.

My camellia japonicas are just beginning to bloom. This one is an old standby but the cultivar name is lost. These did not bloom last year after the December 2022 deepfreeze. This year there was another deepfreeze in January but fortunately, the blooming has begun.

This second hellebore has delightful color but is also nameless. It has such a beautiful shade of color.

My window box pansies have really broken out this week. This is the majestic series which has done so well for me.

Glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoyed the show. Happy Gardening!

Five for February 3 Feb 2023

Its a sunny day which is especially delightful since we have had a run of gloomy rainy days. We are storing up the rain now since we can expect dry hot weather in the summer.

The plant world is showing more evidence of emergence aided by the increased duration of sunlight. I am seeing more daffodils, some tulip magnolias and even a few early azalea blooms.

It is becoming easier to find 6 photos to feature on this blog.

First is a glorious cluster of Lenten roses which are a brilliant white.

Second is a smaller cup daffodil which is in a cluster as you can see. I am unsure of the name. The leaves on the ground are mostly water oak. This spot is mostly in morning sun.

Third is the early buds of blueberry. This is Vaccinium ashei which are rabbiteyes. I think is the cultivar ‘Tifton’. I had to put a glove behind them before the iphone camera would focus.

Fourth is an asparagus fern coming to life. This is Asparagus sp which is not a true fern. It is perennial in our Zone 8A.

Fifth is a heucherella which I have in a container in a mostly shade area. This is exciting since it looked to be wiped out by the Christmas flash freeze.

Sixth is Rudbeckia triloba or Brown eyed susan which is a native to our area. I plantd these last year in a container. They were severely affected by the flash freeze at Christmas but I am proud to say they are making a comeback.

I have one more photo to show today. We have a number of feral cats in our neighborhood. Two days ago we heard a lot of noise from under the hood of my wife’s car. These were the culprits.

They were right on top of the battery. By size and movement, we think they are three weeks old. The neighbor is keeping them as she has been feeding the mother. The kittens will go to a shelter as will the mother.

Join us for Six on Saturday tomorrow hosted by Jim Stephens here. Check out gardens from all the world.

Happy gardening!!

Five for Friday 27 January 2023

In Alabama, the days are lengthening and more signs of spring growth are appearing. There are still some frosty nights this week but just a few degrees. I have started some seeds but mostly these are some herbs and some perennials.

Today, my photos are from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens as well as my own yard and the Vestavia Hills Mens Garden

This first photo is of some winter interest. This is a bank of muhly grass with limelight hydrangeas in the background near the conservatory. This was very noticeable on a sunny day this week at the Botanical Gardens. Notice how the hydrangeas keep the petals over the winter.

The second photo is of a hardwood woodland at the Gardens filled with King Alfred daffodils. This faces east and warms early in the day as the sun rises.

The third photo from the Botanical Gardens is Spirea thunbergii which may be called Thunberg spirea. It is also on an east facing bank. These tiny blossoms are brilliant white. I did not notice a fragrance but there must be to attract early insect pollinators.

Next is a photo from my yard of a large cupped daffodil which I think is Orange Sunset. It was in some shade when I took this picture so its brilliant colors cannot be appreciated.

This next phots is also from my yard showing the first signs of recovery in my tea olives Osmanthus fragrans. I am very pleased to see this.

The next photo is from the Mens Garden. Here is a beautiful violet hellebore. This was a donation so I do not know the cultivar. It was shyly drooping a little so I raised it up to take the photo.

Another from the Mens Garden is an emerging fiddlehead of a Southern Shield fern Thelypteris kunthii. They are deciduous and a little agressive but they are a great groundcover in woodland areas and even in sunny locations.

Finally, here is also some sign of life in an oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia. These Alabama natives are very hardy and are a welcome sign of the coming spring season.

I hope your garden is also beginning to show increasing signs of life. If you are able, join us Saturday morning for the Six on Saturday group. See gardeners from around the world post photos of their gardens.

Jim Stephens is our host and you can find it here.

Until next time.