March

March...the month that is said to be "In like a lion, out like a lamb"...is predictably unpredictable. Every year we forget this, of course. My actual garden journal (the written one) has more entries in March than in any other month. Part of this is due to the excitement of the garden awakening and each event is heralded. Later, there are so many things happening at once, that it is enough of a challenge to see each of them, let alone write about them.

Every year, as I am wont to do, I reread Henry Mitchell. This, from One Man's Garden, seems particularly appropriate today:

As our daffodils begin to bloom in March, our hearts leap up, briefly, but they don't stay leapt up, for all too soon the magical day that so excited us --blue sky, crocuses, snowdrops, scillas, early daffodils, temperature of sixty-five degrees--is followed by a hail storm or a drop to twenty-two degrees and a flurry of snow or ice, and gray skies that look more somber than any of the sky of winter. If we have temperature drops to thirty-two or below--we need to remember that early spring is invariable variable--we always have warmer-than-usual days and colder-than-usual. Nothing would be more surprising than a spring of settled weather.

There is not much to be done about it. The flowers that bloom in variable weather have evolved over the eons to survive in variable weather. A bloom here and there may be doomed, but in general there is nothing to worry about when a freeze "threatens" the crocus or daffodil or emerging tulip. They are born to this.*

Now, don't you feel better? You know this, but it helps to see it in writing and to hear it from someone with much more experience than most us...like a gentle pat on the back...

On to my own garden....where Spring is indeed showing and the weather is beautiful one day, cold and dreadful the next. As it always is in March...

Emerging oriental lilies....


Brunnera...


Trilliums...


Virginia Bluebells...


Spanish Bluebells...


Monkshood...


Monarda...well behaved for the moment as this one was just put in last fall...look in the corner, a couple of toad lilies have made their way there...



And, one hopes, Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia)...this is its first spring here, so I am not confident...I may even have the wrong variety....hmmm, where is that tag when one needs it??


It could just be a common weed...

On that cheery note, let's move into things that are actually blooming...

Winter Hazel...


Pink Dawn Viburnum...


Chionodoxa aka Glory of the Snow...the pinker variety that I have, a darker, blue-purple one is a bit behind this one...


Well, okay...I suppose this is long enough....a few more daffodils are opening...we'll get to them next time...

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*One Man's Garden by Henry Mitchell, pages 67-68

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Rose Beloved (own root) planted yesterday to replace same which had an unfortunate arrival and then lack of care by....ahem...someone...last year...

OT Lily Bonbini (6) and Oriental Garden Party (3) lilies planted in former tree bed. First orientals (Garden Party) planted in some time here due to lily virus...hopefully, it has killed off everything affected...including itself...

Asiatic Elodia (a double) lily planted in driveway bed amongst (what else) daylilies)...oh yes (3)...

All lilies acquired in a co-op on Dave's....love those co-ops!