Drivers are warned to be aware of a mob of Galanthus near the intersection of Fort Street and Leighton Road.
photo by SVSeekins
Please contain your excitement. It is dangerous to drive while craning your neck, trying to get a better look.
Pull into the next available parking spot.
Walk back to get a good eye full.
Do your happy dance.
Then continue on your way to spread the news.
Although this may be an unusually early & large riot, expect to see more popping up around the city in the coming weeks. Continue to use caution while driving past these harbingers of spring.
It’s taken a couple of years for me to really appreciate Forsythia in all seasons.
photo by SVSeekins
Yes, Forsythia is at its best in spring. Every morning through March, I sit with my coffee & ponder the coming growing season. As I’m peering out the kitchen window, my anticipation builds as the buds on the Forsythia show more & even more promise.
I’m energized by the sunny yellow blossoms in March & April.
Each year I feel so desperate to see any spring colour. Forsythia will never be challenged over its prominent real estate between our driveway & the kitchen entrance.
For all that hoopla, it’s easy to forget about Forsythia for the rest of the year. But that would be ignoring the assets.
photo by SVSeekins
In April & May, the yellow blooms give way to yellow-green leaves. Like the rest of the garden, the shrub begins to fill out, supplying much-appreciated privacy.
photo by SVSeekins
By June, Forsythia is a steadfast background green and working hard to compliment the new flowers in the garden parade throughout the entire length of the summer and into the fall.
photo by SVSeekins
When the brisk winds of October arrive, Forsythia again steps up for a more significant share of the garden interest. The yellow, apricot and red leaves add lovely colour to the fall palette.
For Halloween, they’re even more vibrant. No wonder Forsythia has become one of our garden mainstays!
photo by SVSeekinsphoto by SVSeekins
By December, Forsythia is naked again. That’s not my favourite look for a shrub… but I understand that without the barrenness of winter, the spring probably wouldn’t be as exciting.
It’s sometimes called the Winter Rose, but isn’t actually a rose relation. The flowers really do remind me of the wild rose, but mostly it gets that name because it blooms in winter, some even by Christmas!
Typically the Christmas bloomers have boring white flowers that slowly age into interesting light green flowers before setting seed. We gifted Mum with one of those hellebore this past Christmas & it’s still looking great on her balcony.
photo by SVSeekins
There aren’t any Christmas blooming hellebore varieties in our garden. At that time of year our hellebore are just happy evergreen perennials that the deer leave alone. I think they’re wonderful just filling in the borders so winter doesn’t look completely desolate.
These come from the new hybrid varieties that have appeared in nurseries over the past couple years. The hellebore suppliers have presented blooms in pinks and even dark colours that seem almost black. Those types seem to flower later in the winter.
photo by SVSeekins
By February our hellebore are starting to show promise. That’s my cue to get out there & do a bit of pruning.
The new bud stems shoot up from the centre of the plant, pushing last year’s stems over a bit. It’s those older stems we need to check out closely. Some get a bit of gunk on them & that could infect the new growth. It’s wise to remove any with those issues. This sample below shows it even better…
photo by SVSeekins
That poor hellebore really was looking worse for wear. I cut away all infected old stems, knowing that the new growth would arrive in hardly any time at all. Here’s what it looked like shortly after its trim:
photo by SVSeekinsphoto by SVSeekins
Another variety was showing buds in February at about this same time. I checked closely but didn’t find any issues on the leafs, so it didn’t get trimmed back at all. My intention is to let it alone unless it starts to look poorly.
In the meantime I’m really enjoying the fat double blooms it’s producing, even though they’re that boring creamy white colour.
photo by SVSeekins
I’ve heard that hellebore will slowly spread through the garden, & that’s fine by me! To add some extra encouragement, my plan is to collect their seed pods & help out a bit with the distribution.
It’s just a delight to have a good show of blooms so early in the year! That’s why I’ve kept a couple in big pots by the back door. I seem to need that promise of the flowers & warmth that will arrive in a couple more months if only I can hold out that long.
Garden Variety Life 