Posts tagged witch hazel

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

June 19, 2013 · Filed under bulbs, trees · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Although the song is talking about christmas, for me, it is spring.  Although anytime I get to visit my garden now becomes the most wonderful time of year.  But here was spring in my garden (a bit late), I was soooo very excited. Just a quick look at what was happening all around me.

All three of my witch hazels were still in flower,

Hamamelis ‘Arnold’s Promise’

This one I took the moment I arrived, just starting to get dark.

Jelena

Magic Fire

Another problem with trying to post two months later, I can’t remember if this is Jelena or Magic Fire, I am inclined to think the latter.

Crocus Roseus, although looking a bit more lilac here.

And perhaps, if I lie to myself, a few more tommies then last year.

A friend gave me a number of helleborus seedlings three years ago. This spring a couple of them started flowering for the first time,

this was the first one to open,

and in bud another.

Scilla tubergeniana is bulking up nicely,

love the ice blue flowers.

This is the first year that I got to see Bulbocodium vernum flower,

often referred to as a spring Colchicum.

There was lots more in bloom, but I have to leave you wanting more, lol….

lyrics by Andy Williams

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Witchy Poo!

April 25, 2011 · Filed under shrubs, trees · Tagged , , ,

I am greedy, greedy for spring!  It is my favourite time of the year, nothing (in my mind) compares to it. And so I am always looking for plants, trees, bulbs etc. that are early. Now early does not always mean the same thing to everyone. To all you lovely UK bloggers, early is January. I would love to have something flower in January, but there is no chance of that in Owen Sound. When I lived in Toronto or in Kingston,  I would sometimes have snowdrops flowering in February, but at Kilbourne Grove the snow is deep. It often doesn’t melt until the end of March. So the bulbs and perennials (hello Helleborus) stay buried until then, but the witch hazels don’t care about the snow. They are above snow level, and just give it a wave.

I started last year with Hamamelis ‘Arnold Promise’.

Now he is two, and has put on a lot of growth.

I think that his flowers are larger than last year. They look gorgeous, shining against the snow.

 I enjoyed him so much, that I decided to add another. Hamamelis ‘Magic Fire’ or ‘Feuerzauber’  is a lovely red/orange, brilliant against the cedar backdrop.

I gave her (funny how she is female ) a underskirt of crocus tommasinianus, purple to set off her fiery locks.

Now the question is, can I stop at two?

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Toronto Botanical Gardens-Spring

April 5, 2010 · Filed under bulbs, garden visits, perennials, shrubs, trees · Tagged , , ,

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where all the flowers is!

I was hoping I would find out.  A garden lecture that I was attending with Helen from Toronto Gardens, was being held at the Toronto Botanical Gardens and I thought I would visit a little early and see what was happening in the garden. Luckily with daylight savings time, it is light in the evening, the last lecture that I heard there, Heathcliff of the Hedgerow, was in winter, and it was too dark to take pictures.

The first plant I found as I walked towards the front door was Hamamelis x intermedia  ‘Primavera’. She is much paler than Arnie, and I couldn’t get close enough to have a whiff(darn), there was a wide flower bed under her.

In the small floral courtyard was a large collection of Helleborus “Blue Lady“.

At least that is what they were labelled, although quite a variety of shades.

Isn’t she lovely,

And she is very fertile, I could not believe how many babys were scattered around.

In the large courtyard, heaths were flowering. I have never grown these, although I was smitten by a gorgeous display of them at Holland Park, in London.

 Galanthus was rising out of the heath, not nearly enough for my liking. 

Actually, I thought there should be a lot more small bulbs on display at the TBG. It could really extend the season for them, maybe they could even have “snowdrop parties” like in the UK. I wonder if there is a suggestion box inside.

But they did have eranthis. I am hoping that mine will be in flower when I visit Kilbourne Grove next time.

I love these sunny little flowers, again, big drifts are needed.

These crocus, (don’t know the variety) were a good match with Euphorbia myrsinites.

Another patch of helleborus, this is Helleborus niger “Maximus”.

But, look at the magnolia above them. This is a sunny, warm, protected corner, and she is certainly taking advantage of that.

More helleborus, this time Helleborus foetidus.

I grew this in Kingston, but it never did this well, it keeps its flower bud above ground all winter. I wonder if the massive snow cover at Kilbourne Grove would make it happy.

Because, it is gorgeous.

They only had one urn, potted up so far, right at the entrance.

Can you see the lettuce in it? Toronto Botanical Gardens theme this year is “Edible Summer” and they are starting here.

But an urn does not have to be planted to be beautiful.

At least, that is what I think.

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