The spring Roll call

[ideasguy]

The weather has been bright and sunny here this past few days, so (as I say to James) it was time to "Hey ho"
Day one was cutting down 3 large conifers. Branches everywhere, trailer fulls!
Day 2, still gathering up the branches, took a break and decided to see what had survived the harsh winter. It had been too wet and soggy recently to do anything, but this week it was perfect to get to work weeding around the new plants I bought last year. To my amazement, the survival rate is very high, in fact only a few are doubtful, and I'm hoping they will make an appearance.
Day 3 and I have been out most of the afternoon enjoying the fresh air and finding more and more survivors!

My wife heard on the radio that this has been quite common and attributed to the covering of snow giving protection to the plants from the crazily low temperatures. This is quite well known in places like Alaska

My next door neighbour was cutting his lawn! If this weather lasts, I'll do the same very soon.

How did your garden stand up to the big freeze?

[Palustris]

We got the frost before the snow so it just kept the soil below freezing for a long time afterwards.  I have lost about 60 to 80 percent of my bulbs in pots, all my Pleiones, and about half the plants in the Alpine Houses. The things weakened last winter have definitely gone this time, Daphne J Postill and both Ceanothus so far and it looks like at least 2 expensive Acers. I am not replacing anything.

[ideasguy]

Thats really bad Eric. I agree about not replacing. If something doesn't survive, I'm now also unlikely to replace. However, most of my losses previously has been down to the plants being choked. Its made a big difference when Ive been able to get out to the garden earlier than when I worked in Belfast, when I didn't get to the garden much until the hour changed each year. I'm now out in the afterrnoons weeding grass and buttercups from around the plants before they have a chance to establish.

Another surprise - many of last years tulips are reappearing. In instances when they came back previously the survival was quite low, but this year they appear to have come back in greater numbers. What kind of bulbs do you lose?

[Palustris]

The list is too painful to make.

[roiphil]

It appearss that close to all my plants in the front bed have survived apart from the hibiscus which is broken off at the base, as for the rest its just grass, needing a cut but its been too wet of late, this week so far dry so think i will get the ride on out for the first time this year cut the grass, then i can sharpen the blades on it

[NightHawk]

Well, for this year at least we're behind all you guys.

Being a new garden and our first growing season here, we have nothing to compare with for any plant successes/failures.

Getting a nice showing of daffodils, snowdrops and a few crocuses dotted about in various places at the moment.

Our two Camellia bushes are now coming into bloom.  Both are covered in buds and are opening at different stages on both plants.

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

My next door neighbour was cutting his lawn! If this weather lasts, I'll do the same very soon.

We are having a lovely patch of dry sunny weather so Benji cut the lawns for us over the weekend. It is nice to see them tidier.

How did your garden stand up to the big freeze?

I haven't seen any obvious casualties so far. Perhap we will notice a few gaps later on.

That was really bad luck Eric. That is quite a roll call of casualties.

I have just been out checking what is in flower: -

1. The beautifully scented winter flowering vibernum
2. Winter flowering jasmine.
3. Periwinkle
4. Pulmanaria
5. Daffodils
6. Crocus (various)
7. Snowdrops (some are nearly over).
8. Helibore (various)
9. Dwarf iris.
10. KIng cup in the pond, buds almost open
11.Hyacinths
12.Violets
13.Primula (various)
14. Common or garden primrose

Spring is almost in the air but we are having heavy ground frosts in the night.

[ideasguy]

Lovely to hear from you again Eric, and thank you for breaking the silence! Everyone must be busy!!

What a nice range of flowers! I love the spring bloomers, I have to say. My early daffs (Tete a Tete) are blooming merrily and the larger varieties are about to burst into full flower at the side of my house. An early flowering Azalea has been hit by a frost and the upper flowers are killed off. Its a treat when it appears. Normally I throw a blanket over it any other year, but missed it this year - caught out by a frost! Its been very mild here.

I agree with you about the scent of the Viburnums. I had two large bushes which were planted along my driveway, and between our house and next door neighbours. It was like a little scent trap on a calm winters day and a pleasure to be surprised with a heavenly whift when walking up the driveway. They became too big, so one was removed (try digging one of them out!) and the other cut down to base. Its on its way back, but no flowers this year.

[Eric Hardy]

My early daffs (Tete a Tete) are blooming merrily

Yes, a lot of ours are Tete A Tete too. Anthea can never resist buying pots of them on the market and, of course, when they are finished they get popped in the ground to come up the following year.

I missed one bloom of my list - we have about half a dozen wall flowers coming into bloom.

[ideasguy]

Yes, we do the same with our spent indoor bulbs. Its nice to see them reappear outdoors.

What about Forsythia? Do you have that?
Our bush is in full glory at the moment.

The wallflowers have a glorious scent as well, dont they? I have planted a few this year, for the first time in years. I have them in a tier of a set of upright baskets. Not in bloom yet though.

[Eric Hardy]

How silly of me, of course we have Forsythia. I forgot to put it on my list. We never clip forsythia, we don't like it looking like a hedge. we let it grow naturally and prune out a few branches when it is getting too big.

[ideasguy]

I thought you might
Its hardy and reliable and gves a nice show to herald the spring.