After the big freeze

We're now into a string of rainy days, and the ground is too wet to plant.  But, I'm happy I didn't lose anything during last week's string of well-below freezing temperatures.  I managed to get most everything covered with either garden fleece sheeting or last fall's bald cypress needles (not much difference in performance).  I failed to get the Darwin hybrid tulips covered, and when I saw them drooping and water-soaked, I assumed they'd frozen.  When you see leaves that look water-soaked (or greasy) and dark, it generally means the cells have frozen and burst, and while the plant may survive, those leaves don't recover from that state.

So imagine my surprise and joy when I saw them today:

They look almost as good as they did before the freezing began.  Even the iris beside them showed some freeze damage, which is a good indication of just how cold it was.  The iris aren't usually affected by harsh winter weather.

The crocus that were in full flower had a bit of a rough time, but they survived, with new buds opening to somewhat hide the blooms that were freeze damaged.  I had a light covering of bald cypress needles over them to offer some protection.  They might have fared better with fleece covering, but I'd already enjoyed several days of their beauty before the freeze, and I didn't have enough fleece for everything.

'Ruby Giant'

The plants fully under fleece came out beautifully.  

Oriental poppy

Tucked in under an oriental poppy, toadflax looks so sweet.  The flower stalks will get tall enough to reach over the poppies if they get enough sun, and don't get shaded out by the faster growing poppies.  Their placement was not intentional.  When I planted the poppies, I thought the toadflax had died.  Surprise!

The rhubarb looked a bit pale because they'd been under fleece for several days even before the freeze.  The large leaves don't do well at all when the temperatures dip, so I'm always curious as to why they come up so early.  They'll look nice and lush as soon as they can get enough sunlight.

Scilla (Chionodoxa forbesii) - aka Glory of the Snow - are popping out and are a little ahead of the hyacinths for blooming.

Chionodoxa forbesii

And the pasque flowers (Pulsatilla vulgaris) are right there with them.

I had to bring in the seedlings from my cold frame for a couple of nights, but they're back out now, and today it's cloudy, so I've taken off the fleece cover that protects tender seedlings from too much sun.  

Over half are annual poppies.  Everything I read says not to start poppies indoors because they don't transplant well.  I've never had any trouble with that, and in fact, I've never had good results planting the seeds directly outdoors.  It's a chore transplanting so many, but it's so satisfying when there's lots of them.

The rose cutting from my 'South Africa' bush actually produced a bloom.  So cool.  (At least I have it labeled as 'South Africa', but it does look a lot like 'Razzle Dazzle'.  I'm going to assume I labeled it correctly - with no reason whatsoever to assume that and plenty of past experience to think otherwise - and assume it's as orange in color as it is because it hasn't been out in the sun.  The blossoms on the parent bush are a deep, dark gold.

I got some potatoes in the ground yesterday morning before the rain started.  This year I didn't purchase any red potatoes.  I got 'All Blue' - a purple variety - just to see what it was like, and 'Yukon Gold', which has become my favorite.  They produce well and cook up so creamy and delicious.

A little honey bee scout was out this morning.  I hope he decides this is a good place to support a hive.

Fingers crossed that spring has finally arrived.

Spring has been postponed

 It wasn't this cold all winter.  Jeez.

That's too many days (nights) in a row that will be well below freezing.  I'm assuming the ground will even freeze.

In years past, I've often had plants ready to go out into the garden well before the garden was ready to receive them.  The last couple of years, I've adjusted that, and this year was going to probably be my best effort to time it right.  With that in mind, I started loads and loads of poppies.  They were big enough to go outdoors into my "cold frame," leaving me needed room in my seedling chamber for newly germinated plants.  Now I've had to bring everything indoors under less than ideal conditions.  They won't get enough light, but at least they won't freeze.

I also had my rose cuttings outdoors, and they might have been okay in the cold frame, but after seven years trying and finally having some success last year, I'm loath to take the chance.  One of them even has a bud.  I had the pot marked "South Africa", and that could be correct, but it looks like it could be "Razzle Dazzle".  Perhaps it will be more evident when the bud opens.  

In the garden, crocus were already blooming.

'Ruby Giant'

'Jeanne D'Arc'

I don't know why 'Ruby Giant' is named giant.  It certainly doesn't look like a giant.  Especially next to 'Jeanne D'Arc'.

I've done what I can to protect the plants already up and thriving, which includes the oriental poppies, daffodils, alliums, and some tulips.  Fingers crossed.

I (re)spread bald cypress needles over much of the tulip beds because I didn't have enough garden fleece.  We'll see what difference it makes.

And I've had the rhubarb under row cover for several days already.  It's been freezing a few nights in the last week or so, and rhubarb's large leaves don't do well in those conditions.

A few of the rose bushes have started to push out new leaves, and the climbing rose is further along than all the others.  I haven't removed the cypress needles from around the bushes yet anyway, but the climbing rose has leafed out all the way along the climbing branches.  I figured I could just cut it back when the leaf babies died but finally decided I'd try to save those tender shoots from the freeze.  Hopefully this works.  If the sun shines too brightly during the day, it might just cook those shoots, in which case I'll still have to cut it back.  Like I said, I'm out of fleece.  I've never had to cover this much area before.

Perhaps one year everything will work out perfectly.  You may call me a dreamer.

See you on the other side of winter.  (Lord, I hope this is the last of it.)

Off to a new start

Every year the weather gets more and more unpredictable, so it hardly seems worth noting that this year the weather has been crazy.  At any rate, another gardening season is underway, with lots and lots of seedlings in a germination station and others already in a cold frame.  Fingers crossed they'll all become beautiful plants, and that I don't break down from all the planting out.

The hard work of clearing off the old arch that was falling apart is done.  I moved the 3-year-old grapes that were on it to a place at the edge of the wildflower garden.  I don't know if they'll live, but the raccoons were getting all the grapes anyway.

Beds for salad greens are prepared, and 'New Red Fire' lettuce and 'Seaside' spinach seeds sown.

I love this time of year when the perennials start to show themselves.  Daffodils are budding, alliums are well up, and perennial poppy foliage already lush.  Crocus are blooming, and tulips are coming up.  

oriental poppies, 'Jade Eyes' and drumstick alliums

'Ruby Giant' crocus

I almost missed the Sheila Ann mini iris.  I forget how early she blooms. Two years ago I planted 10 bulbs, and they didn't do well.  Only one has survived this year. I got them from Michigan Bulbs, and other things I got from them failed to thrive as well, so no more orders there.

I can find other Iris reticulata of varying blues and purples, but I haven't found Sheila Ann anywhere else, and she's by far my favorite.

For the first time, I was successful getting rose cuttings to root last fall, and this spring I have five little potted rose plants.  I want to keep them in pots this growing season to be sure they get off to a good start before they go into the ground, but I'll be gone for two weeks the end of May, and they'll need watering.  Something to consider for everything I plant this year.  Luckily, I have two good gardening neighbors I can ask for help.

More to come soon.  Happy end of winter!