Flashing yellows: caution, spring is approaching

Spring in New England: Daffodils are blooming along the banks of the Charles River (and Youth Fours are busily rowing up and down its length)



Happy little Iris danfordiae are in flower.



You have to go nose to nose with them to see their lovely sprinkle of freckles. And who isn't cheered by freckles?



A ring of sunny pansies rims the planter on my front steps.



In my backyard, yellows that remain in bud are forthysia and narcissi. Spring is on its way!

An altered (spring) state of mind

You have to think of this . . .



Daffodil "Mount Hood," 2007

When it's late September and part of your garden looks like this . . .



Yes, the foundation wall work continues. The yawning pit should be back-filled within a week. No time to return perennials to their rightful homes, but time enough to plant spring bulbs. Here's this year's order (and suppliers).

Along the back of the house, where foundation work is currently underway:
100 Grape hyacinths/purple (Tulips.com) to fill gaps in the border
100 Tulip dasystemon/yellow and white (John Scheepers), again for the border
100 Tulip "Apricot Impression"/orange (John Scheepers)
20 Tulip "Black Parrot"/deep purple (Holland Bulb Farms), just for fun

Corner of the new side bed:
30 Daffodil "Hawera"/yellow (Tulips.com), a miniature, multi-flowered variety

Corner of the old back bed:
20 Tulip "Princess Irene"/deep red, orange, and purple (Tulips.com)
10 Allium "Firmament"/purple (John Scheepers)

Front yard, to replenish existing supplies:
100 Iris danfordiae/yellow (John Scheepers)
100 Allium osttrowskianum/fuschia (John Scheepers)

Two concerns I've been wrestling with:

1. How to discourage squirrels from uprooting the tulip bulbs? Alliums and grape hyacinths are said to act as deterrents, so I'll slip them in nearby. Oh, yes, and I'm planning to lay chicken wire over the tulips along the back of the house.

2. How to time transplanting displaced perennials and putting in new dahlias? Except for the species tulips, I treat the other tulip varieties as annuals. No apologies, that's how I was raised. So when the "Princess Irene" tulips are spent, dahlias will go in; and when the "Apricot Impression" and "Black Parrot" tulips are pulled out, the perennials will be transplanted from their over-wintered holding bed.

One concern that I've largely dodged, being fearful that my head will explode if I factor any more variables, is how these blooms will all look together. I'll accept any serendipitous pleasures.

Spring sunshine

We are enjoying a welcome string of bright spring days. That yellow sunshine is reflected in some cheerful flowers.

A few Tulipa tarda or wild tulips remain from a batch planted about 10 years ago. The blooms so love the sun that they don't bother to open on overcast days.



A line of Narcissus poeticus, interplanted with daylilies, edges one side of the house.



After the reticulata have departed, a few later-blooming irises appear in my front garden. I think these are Iris bucharica.



And this weekend, I'm planning to begin planting my new side hedge with this Forsythia x intermedia "Lynwood Gold." This variety, with an upright habit, is nothing special, but I hope it will serve as a good landscape anchor--and I'm looking forward to forcing flowers indoors next winter.



Time to get busy outside!

Harbinger of spring

Before tomorrow's predicted winter storm is a happy harbinger of spring . . .