#30 Finding and naming

Monday – the sun is up and air is still cool and there is frost rising from the ground. I wear only a light Polartec, no big jacket, and my old trusty clogs to make the rounds in my city garden. No spring clean up has started since winter has not completely released the ground and leaves left from last fall. The land is heavy with dampness after the weekend snow but it has enriched the green plants. It is almost as if they were waiting for this last bit of snowy moisture to start growing in full force.

I stood on my deck looking over the yard and the first thing that caught my eye was the Iris plants which last week were droopy. They now stand erect, greening and pushing upward.

The bed next to them is full of rhubarb which also is easy to see from a distance with its red leaf heads popping up.

As I take my morning walk hunting for plants that have appeared I realize that many of the plants at this early stage are hard for me to identify. Most I can name due to where they are in the garden. Several the names are hidden in my brain and are just not going to show themselves today. Warm sunshine over the next few days will help these guys grow and will jog my memory of wild plants left unnamed for now.

This lovely images has two plants. The green leaves at the top and bottom are Creeping Charlie which is always green and indeed creeping all over the garden. The spiral of leaves in the middle is what I was hoping to capture here and then could not name it for you. (Give me time I will remember it!)

There is Monarda that will bring lovely purple flowers this summer. It was peaking up through brown leaves and lots of that not so nice Creeping Charlie as well.

Many of the early spring plants are not up yet. There was no sign of the Wild Ginger, the Trillium (although I think I saw a tiny bit of a leaf peeking out of the ground – I will check tomorrow to  be sure), no sign of the Jack in the Pulpit yet either.

The Strawberries are excited to be growing. The old leaves from last fall are very green and the new leafs are opening up. These were planted late last summer and I was unsure if they would make it. I know I lost many of them but there are enough to begin this fruit garden if I can keep the squirrels out once the berries begin to form.

In the rock garden I found more plants just beginning and more that I have lost the names to but most are still sleeping waiting for warmer days and nights.

I left the back garden and moved along the south side of the house. Although facing south this area is well shaded by the neighbors house and a large beautiful Elm tree in our front yard. Even with the shade and the snow dump from driveway shoveling the Wild Geranium and the Yellow Archangel are greening up nicely.  I use both of these as ground covers in this shaded garden. They will both flower with spring and then fill the area with green leaves all summer and fall.

This leads me to the front gardens with Sedum coming up, and Crocus leaves among the tiny Chrysanthemum leaves. Both of these plants start growing early but will not share their flowers with us until fall. The Sedum will be tall with dusty rosy pink flowers and the Chrysanthemum’s will have a bright yellow flower to match the fall leaves.

 

The spring Tulips and Daffodils have gained height and are filling in around the front gardens. We will not see flowers until later in April but I appreciate their green during this early spring. They weather the on and off snow falls just fine.

The early part of this week the weather will be warm and sunny so I will spend part of each day beginning the clean up of last years leaves and wilted flowers. It will be fun to see what else is coming up to entertain us in the strange new world we are living in.  At least the plants are acting “normal”.

What are the signs of spring in your area? I expect many of you are seeing blooming plants and trees. This garden is in the northland – Minnesota to be exact. We are always slow in bringing spring to the world but when it comes it is always glorious.

                                             We are here waiting for it!