Bulbs
SPRING!
Spring is announced in the ‘Wordsworth Meadow’
It does fill my heart with joy!
Every year the display increases. Presently scouting old abandoned homeplaces to rescue more Narcissus to add to the meadow.
If you have been reading this blog then you know these are ‘old timey’ bulbs that have survived for years unattended. The modern cultivars I originally planted disappeared after a season or two.
The sweep of Narcissus on the left in the above photo is a younger planting than the one on the right, equal number of bulbs. Time is a huge element in garden design.
MORE SCENES FROM AROUND THE GARDEN:
Prunus ‘Okame’ and Spiraea, wish you could hear the bees a -buzz at the ‘all you can eat buffet’
Helleborus orientalis & Narcissus and the ghost of last summer’s Hydrangeas.
Of all the garden areas, it is the ‘Wordsworth Meadow’ that holds my heart. It is still unfinished….
POLAR VORTEX UPDATE
The Polar Vortex that crippled the south last week wreaked some havoc in my garden.
I could tell from the window that the Michelia foliage was damaged and the Camellia blossoms were brown and mushy. Today I ventured out (74 degrees) to access the damage.
Although there is some browning of foliage, it is not nearly as bad as I had anticipated.
The Michelia (now reclassified as a Magnolia) looks awful, but the buds seem to be viable in their protected furry coats.
The camellias, on the other hand did not fare as well. The good news is the plants survived, however, many tight buds came off in my hand when I touched them.
The few that are okay are on the underside of the foliage so I guess that was their protection . ( Like all gardeners, I wish plants could talk!)
Now for the bad news… I doubt there will be Hydrangeas this year, most of the buds are frozen & dead. While the stems appear fine right now, only time will tell.
Above, my Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)… bit the proverbial dust.
Hellebores (Helleborus orientalis) (above) may be short in the stem but they are coming along.
Above, Winter Daphne ( Daphne odora aureomarginata) unscathed & looking cheerful. Waiting for another few sunny days to unfurl and envelope the garden in its wonderful perfume.
And, as always, there is something cheerful waiting to brighten my day…
Early species crocus.
What damage if any, did your garden experience?
SIGNS OF SPRING
Finally there are signs of spring. The weather has been chilly in Georgia for an unusually long spell and bloom times are off.

Looking out the window, the Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum) is in its beautiful lime green phase and I can see the Yoshino Cherry tree (Prunus subhirtella ‘Yoshino’) blooming in the background.
These tulips ,below, were planted in the cutting garden about 5 years ago and although I cut them with their foliage every year, they still reappear. I must look up my orders and identify them.
Next week promises to be warmer and I expect an explosion of blooms. Meanwhile spring pruning is underway (late of course).
FROM ONE GARDENER TO ANOTHER
“From one gardener to another,” read the note.
I have tried in vain to find the Saffron Crocus ( Crocus sativus). Today I arrived home to find a box full complete with instructions…
from a gracious & generous gardener.
I was told, when I first arrived in Georgia, that one never says ‘thank you’ for a plant; instead one says “I appreciate it.”
I truly appreciate it!!
These crocus bloom in the autumn and the stamens are the exquisite spice Saffron.
Status symbol
Last week Tara Dillard in her wonderful blog posted this photo and declared it a status symbol!!
All the time I wanted mine a bit more polished, more details more manicured, more expensive…
Sometime it is benificial to look through the eyes of someone you trust and admire to realize what you already have