Thursday, June 19, 2014

The First Flush of Spring

It seems difficult to believe but the first flush of spring blooms has finished and we are well on our way into early summer.  I say difficult to believe because it has been darn cold around these parts.  We're looking at a high of 15 degrees for the next couple days.  That is not normal for June.  It should be in the low twenties at least.  It has been so cold that my vegetable garden is still not planted.  I fear putting out my basil seedlings lest they die in the frigid overnight temperatures.  I loathe the idea that it may never warm up enough to allow heat seeking plants like pumpkins to grow to full size.  It is looking like one of those summers.


For now though we'll look at the positive side.  Cool temperatures meant that daffodils opened their sunny faces and stayed around for weeks.

Golden Echo Daffodils
 Taking a tip from Jennifer @ Three Dogs in a Garden I paired my daffodils with Snowdrop anemone.  

Daffodils in the foreground are echoed by anemones in the background
The plants are similar colours with similar bloom times.  The anemone lingers longer though and hides the withering daffodil leaves in their foliage.

snowdrop anemones
I also enjoyed how the daffodils picked up the white fringes of the hosta leaves.


There is a lot of white in my spring garden.  The tiny flowers of sweet woodruff, the bells of Solomon Seal.  There is more than white in my spring garden though.  Tiny purple violets peek out at me from shady corners.


Tulips blushed and then blossomed.  Shades of pink and purple gracing the bed day after day.


 And a good dose of yellow as well


Cushion spurge makes a great foil against the yellow trumpets of daffodils and pops against the pink of tulips. 

I must say I am feeling a major sense of accomplishment this spring.  Although the daffodils and tulips have faded I can see the next crop of blooms starting to push out.  It's taken four years but this bed is finally starting to resemble a mature garden.


Time for a happy dance I think. 

23 comments:

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Some absolutely beautiful pictures! Wow. I will trade you temperatures - it's WAY too hot here in Kentucky :) Happy Friday!

The Witch said...

Nice pictures of your garden. It is maturing nicely.
I don't blame you for waiting to plant your garden. I babied my pepper plant varieties inside and they looked so lovely, only to be planted and damaged by frost. Same happened to my tomato's and the edges of my pumpkin plants. The weather this year doesn't look good for our short growing season.
Hope you have better luck.You have been smart to wait because it's expensive to re-plant and of course you are stuck with the local nurseries variety only.
Happy Friday and Happy Gardening.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Oh my,it is difficult for me to believe that it is still so cold up your way. We have been running in the 90's with heat index in the 100's. UGH... I would take your beautfiul blooms and weather any time. How frustrating it must be not to be able to get your veggies in tho. Try to keep warm.

Marguerite said...

thanks Keith. I had heard that the southern states were getting hit with a heat wave. What a difference from what we're getting here.

Marguerite said...

I had similar troubles trying to harden off my plants. Some crispy edges on those leaves. You are absolutely right about why I'm holding back. I'll never find the varieties I have grown in a nursery so I'm trying to be as careful as possible.

Marguerite said...

Hi Lisa, what a difference in climates! It's nice to have a little extra time with the tulips but at this point I need my veggies in the ground. Our summer is so short that if we don't get growing quick the season will be gone.

Melanie J Watts said...

We have cold days alternating with relatively hot, for us, days too. Night time temps are mostly cool, I grow my warm weather crops, except beans, in a greenhouse or pots so I can bring them indoors. The other problem is lack of light. Summer days in Prince George are shorter then those further north, despite their shorter season they get more light!
I would love a division of your snowdrop anemone :)

Carla from The River said...

Rain, Rain, Rain, Wind, Wind, Wind, Thunder, Thunder, Lightning... :-)
We have had a crazy two weeks of weather, with storms. Wisconsin got hit by 3 tornadoes. We had high wind and LOTS of rain. The wind did some damage on my squash plants, but all else seems to be doing okay.

The weather always keeps life exciting. :-)

Your photos are beautiful. I enjoyed your post.

Carla


Diana Studer said...

and a rather lovely mature garden!
I've been taking advantage of chilly rainy weather to try again with cuttings of shrubs and trees I'm hoping to take to the next garden.

Casa Mariposa said...

Hooray for you! It is just so satisfying when the garden starts to look the way we want it to. Your spring garden is a beauty! Great idea about pairing the daffs with the anemones. :o)

Jennifer said...

It was pretty cool in Nova Scotia when I was there so I think the whole of the Maritime provinces must be experiencing cooler than normal temperatures. Even in the GTA the nights have been pretty cool.
It is wonderful when a garden matures enough to have it look the way you envisioned. I am glad that underplanting daffodils with anemones has worked out for you. It certainly looks pretty in your pictures.

Marguerite said...

ahh Melanie, you are so lucky to have a greenhouse. I was just daydreaming out loud today about greenhouses. Wonder if the anemone would survive Canada Post?

Marguerite said...

One thing you can never predict is the weather, although we sure do try. I just wish I knew what the summer would look like before I try growing watermelons. had I known it would be so cold I wouldn't have bothered.

Marguerite said...

Diana, that's a brilliant idea. I was just saying today this would be a good year to plant more trees with all this rain. I hope your cuttings take hold so you can bring your lovely plants with you.

Marguerite said...

thanks Tammy. I kept peeking out through the windows this year, looking at the flowers. Very satisfying to see a garden out there after several years of tiny plants and too many weeds.

Marguerite said...

It definitely has been cool all over the maritimes. Only 8 degrees this evening. This just doesn't feel like summer at all. So frustrating after that long cold winter. Hope your trip was fun despite the chilly temperatures.

Jane said...

I've been checking temperatures daily in anticipation of my journey and YIKES!! Low teens has been the most common with the rare day reaching 20. My brother is returning from his motorcycle trip to Lannie's and Halifax and has had some cold temps to deal with and has had to wear his rain gear frequently. I am not impressed!!

Marguerite said...

Bring some warm weather with you when you come Jane. We sure could use it. We had to pull out extra blankets last night as it was too cold to sleep!

Anonymous said...

Enjoy the happy dance. It is very satisfying when the garden starts to look like you envisioned. And I'm going to have to remember not to complain about our cold spring - you've got me beat in that department!

Marguerite said...

Thank you! I'm just tickled that I finally have a proper garden.

Anonymous said...

I have a simple spinach frittata recipe that I love -- steam the spinach until it is wilted, add it to 3 beaten eggs and a 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese; pour it into a skillet coated with olive oil, cover and cook for about 10 minutes -- and you have a simple dinner for two. I also love spinach on a white pizza with lots of garlic and either feta or ricotta cheese. Enjoy your iron! -Jean

Anonymous said...

Oops -- somehow added this comment to the wrong post -- too many windows open at once :-| -Jean

Marguerite said...

thanks for the suggestion Jean! This sounds simple and yummy. Just the sort of recipe I was hoping to find. :)