Spring Awakens

Happy Spring!

The first signs of life in the garden are the ephemerals; Galanthus (snowdrops) followed by the Helleborus (Lenten rose), whose buds started peeking out in January.  Hyacinthus (hyacinths), Narcissus (daffodils) and Tulipa (tulips) miraculously begin to break dormancy. The Crocus are next in purple and orange. The Helleborus is now in full flower by the first week of April. The evergreen leaves give so much texture and much needed green and are such a workhorse in the garden. It is fine to cut off the tatty looking leaves from the Helleborus. The Acer rubrum (red maple) has beautiful flowers that are both male and female. They are dazzling. By mid-April the Magnolia, Prunus (plum and cherry) have all wowed us with their display.  Prolific and sweet little violets have naturalized all over the glen. Are they slightly invasive? I’m ok with it, there are worse thugs out there. Today, the trees are leafing out. Don’t miss the spectacular spring show, we are in the midst of it, and spring only comes to town once a year. 

What’s blooming in your garden?