Every year the Veratrum californicum are the first thing to push out of the ground (I grow no daffodils, tulips or crocus). I think last year there were only two, so three is fabulous!
The Eremurus is also bulking up, hopefully at least a couple will have blooms.
There are also signs of spring in my basement (how many people can say that?)! One cold night in January I left my Bocconia frutescens outside, temps got much lower than predicted. The foliage was toast and perhaps the plant too (only hardy to 25-30F, and that’s when it’s in the ground). I chopped it back and stuck it in the basement. Look!
Lots of new growth…
The Erythrina crista-galli (Cockspur Coral Tree) has been in the basement too, I cut it back last fall when it went dormant and just hoped to keep the plant alive. Looks like it is!
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One more basement oddball. I stuffed this container of Canna tubers on the bottom shelf in December, before the super cold temps, just hoping to keep it from freezing. Then I forgot about it…oh spring, hurry up!
All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
New growth is so exciting! Is some of the best things about having a garden!
ReplyDeletePlus it kind of (just kind of) makes you forget all about the pain of winter.
DeleteVery exciting! Spring is only 16 days away. (16 long wet muddy days, but 16 nonetheless) Glad your Bocconia frutescens will make it!
ReplyDeleteAnd magically on that 16th day the sun is going to come out and it's going to stop raining, right?
DeleteI love the impatient Cannas pushing against the shelf above! So glad you have so much life going on in your basement.
ReplyDeleteRe: my visit to Cistus, I'm definitely planning to come to the bloggers exchange again. And I'm still thinking about the California buckeye too. I want to see how it looks all leafed out. I don't remember seeing Hesperaloe for sale up here, but maybe I haven't been looking specifically for it.
I think hesperaloe are one of those plants it's easy to miss until you're looking for them. Once your eyes are opened to their delights you'll start seeing them everywhere!
DeleteHopefully we'll be zipping into spring here soon too! I haven't seen any signs of anything poking out of the ground yet -- luckily, since it was 5ºF yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI've never had cannas leaf out when in storage, but mine are at 40ºF or so and in darkness (in covered tubs or in plastic bags) so maybe that's the difference.
5ºF? Oh I am sorry.
DeleteWow, those Cannas are impatient. It's always wonderful when something you feared you lost lets you know it hasn't given up on life yet. I hope your spring boon continues!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazingly warm outside today (61) and not raining (for the moment) so I was out getting a few things done and noticing even more little green nubbins poking out here and there. Yay! Hope it just keeps on keeping on...
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ReplyDeletegives new meaning to the phrase "Hope SPRINGS eternal".
I think I'd give up spring if it meant never having winter.
DeleteYay for the Bocconia and everything else! March can be a funny month, the promise of spring and yet the threat of cold is still there but no point being negative when the light at the end of the tunnel is so visible.
ReplyDeleteIndeed! I've been hearing a lot about it coming in like a lion this year. Hopefully that means the lamb is close behind?
DeleteHope so!
DeleteYAY spring! It can't come soon enough! we had snow on the weekend. Luckily its all melted away now, but it felt like a little insult to injury after having snow the weekend before as well!
ReplyDeleteYuck, enough winter already! I was thankful we missed last weekends snow, sorry you weren't so lucky.
DeleteI love watching buds expanding in spring. So much life!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard of anyone growing Erythrina in the PNW in the ground? E. x bidwillii is root-hardy to zone 7, and I think E. crista-galli is, too, but I'm not sure the PNW has enough heat for them to bloom successfully in the ground.
I have only heard of erythrina grown in containers in these parts, but then again I only became aware of them last summer when my E. crista-galli was gifted to me. All those thorns! How had I missed it until then?
DeleteI've been so distracted by the possibility of spring right around the corner that I accidentally left a brugmansia outside! In the ground! Here's to hoping it makes it past any lingering cold...
ReplyDeleteYikes! Sending warming thoughts your way...
DeleteSpring growth is always one of the most exciting times of year. You must be a good month ahead of us in the UK. Great to see Eremurus, I think they are so well with succulent plants, but you don't see it that often. I found one trick to get flowers on mine to to put a cloche over them at this stage and ensure they have lots of water. The extra heat gives them that little extra kick.
ReplyDeleteGood to know! With all obscene amount of rain we've been getting water isn't an issue but I'll keep the heat factor in mind.
DeleteI'm so excited to get outside, even though I know that the crazy time will be here soon enough. I can't believe your cannas are raring to go already!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I saved a couple of cannas, I fear the ones planted in the driveway holding tanks were probably frozen in December, sad!!!
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