Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sunny Flowers on a Cloudy Day

If the daffodils in our yard are any indication, spring is finally on its way! 



My color preferences in the garden change with the season.  I adore this color yellow in the early spring, but I can't tolerate it any other time of year.  This must be caused by some sort of innate reaction to the lack of sunshine from being cooped up all winter.



The only flowers that existed when we moved here were a row of daffodils planted along our front fence by the road.  Every year, I plant more around the property ... adding daffodil bulbs on our side of the front fence, in the Noisette border, with the azaleas by the driveway, and other places.  One can never have too many daffodils!

See the edge of the road in the background?


Last year, I took advantage of the fall clearance sale at Brent and Becky's Bulbs, and I came home with a wonderful assortment of daffodils.  Most of the ones I bought bloom after the plain yellow ones, so I can stretch the season a bit.



Critters won't eat daffodil bulbs or flowers, so I find ancient clumps of them at many of the abandoned old house sites I visit.  When these sites are threatened, I dig the bulbs up and relocate them to my yard and I share them with friends. 

My very favorite daffodil is one that the locals call 'Butter and Eggs'.  Scott Kunst at Old House Gardens says that these are actually 'Van Sion' (also known as 'Telamonius Plenus’) a double daffodil from 1620.  These multiply happily completely untended by humans.  They bloom a bit later than many other daffodils ... this one must be in a really warm spot in the garden because it's already starting to open.  (It's fragrant, too.) 



The other sunny yellow in the garden is the forsythia.  I don't have any of my own.  This one belongs to my neighbor, but it's planted adjacent to my rambler fence and I enjoy its sunny color.



Blooming forsythia means that it's pruning time around here!  I expect to get started on this in earnest next week.  Woo hoo, spring is here ... it's time for me to sharpen the pruners and gather a matching pair of gloves, because I have a lot of work to do.

16 comments:

  1. Wonderful pictures! I spotted a magnolia in bloom yesterday and the one outside my kitchen window is showing a little pink!
    I adore daffodils, one can never have too many, as you say!
    Enjoy your pruning - I am going to redo my garden beds as soon as the ground dries a little...

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  2. Oh the gloves really don't have to match do they? lol
    Beautiful Daffs...so sunshiny indeed.

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  3. Fragrant daffs are the best. I have one or two but they bloom much later than the non fragrant ones.
    In answer to your question about the Lady Banks-yesit was propagated from that one. Do you know the story about the original one. You can see the post I did here
    http://wwwrockrose.blogspot.com/2010/03/every-lady-should-have-her-moment.html
    Thanks for visiting my garden.

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  4. Love all your daffodils! It is exciting that there are so many different varieties and even fragrant ones. They are supposed to grow here in San Diego, too, but I don't see any in the neighborhood. Hmmmm..., next year I would like to try some by myself. For me they are the ultimate spring flowers.
    Christina

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  5. If you have any questions about any kind of bulb, get in touch with Scott Kunst … he’s the guru! He will give you the best advice on what can grow in your climate. He does with bulbs what I try to do with roses … we preserve the rare varieties and introduce them to a wider audience. I love his stuff!

    For fragrance, the little Twin Sisters narcissis is probably my sweet-scented champion. These bloom really late. I'll share them here when they come.

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  6. Your daffodils are beautiful! I'm so happy that Spring is making an appearance for you!

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  7. Agreed; I'll tolerate colors in spring that I won't at other times of the year...some daffodils are okay, but it's a rare forsythia that I like. And I hate the yellow (forsythia) and pink (redbudg) tones together in the garden, but again, it's a welcome combination in spring.

    If I lived in a world with only the colors I refer to as "dayglo" orange (think Stella de Oro) and "puke" magenta (think purple barberry), could I finally become accustomed? Thank God the rose season follows Spring!

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  8. After this winter... I'm doin' the happy dance that spring is springing! Your daffodils are splendid.

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  9. A really lovely selection of sunny blooms.

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  10. Isn't is wonderful when the daffodils start blooming? Love that butter and eggs - never seen one, I don't believe. Happy pruning!

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  11. Connie, Did I read right! Did you get to stop at Brent and Becky's! How wonderful and to get bulbs on sale, too. You lucky gardener! Happy Bloom Day! gail

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  12. I think you're right about the lack of sunshine= fondness for daffodils! I have bleeding hearts blooming now, hyacinths, catchfly, lots of daffodil varieties, vinca vine, hellebores. So much green growth too from our mild days. However..I especially yearn for the ROSES! You must tell me which cuttings I should send you this spring. Tomorrow is supposed to climb to 75 here.

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  13. Thanks, Connie, we don't see those here.

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  14. I love daffodils! When the old house on courthouse rd that sold lilies from their yard got demolished to build a walgreens my dad and I knocked down the chimney and saved the bricks, and dug up all of the daffodils (with permission)... Now I have a 60' bed of all kinds of them. its wonderful!

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  15. Oh ya... with the color yellow you know spring is announcing herself. I'm always happy when my daffs bloom in March.

    DI

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  16. Love your daffodils and forsythia pictures. I agree totally how I can't stand this bright color of yellow in my gardens during the summer, but love it in the spring. I have tried to plant more and more daffys and last fall I added another row of forsythia so that I have this burst of sunshine enveloping my yard first thing in the spring. Nothing blooming yet though. Thanks so much for following :)
    Cindy

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