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A SIGN OF SPRING

March 29, 2017

There are signs of life in the garden. Somehow the leaves that I removed in fall reappeared and all of the perennials that I left standing in November are waiting to be chopped down, but underneath the mess, things are happening.

The earliest daffodils in my garden, which live in a little microclimate along the house, have been up for awhile, but even in other areas, tiny green bits of daffodils are popping up.

Perhaps the most wonderful sight in the garden was this one, where some very wet winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) popped up their heads after a rainy and generally miserable weekend. When the sun comes out (which it must, eventually), the daisylike flowers will open up.

These cute little ephemerals, which are native to Europe, spread easily once established, which is how I got the few I have: those who have them are generally happy to share. Deer don’t eat them, which is a requirement at this time of year when the deer are very hungry. Every resource I consult says they bloom in late winter before crocuses do. It’s late March, and I do not consider this to be late winter, but who am I to argue with flowers?

This is not a particularly spectacular plant and were it not for the fact that ANY flower is reason to celebrate at this time of year, it wouldn’t be much noticed. Still, that’s reason enough for me to grow it and wish it well as it wanders my garden.

aconite spring
by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
2 Comments

About Erin @ The Impatient Gardener

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previous post: 3 PLANTS I’LL GROW THIS YEAR
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Comments

  1. Lisa Greenbow says: March 29, 2017 at 11:07 pm

    I think aconites are wonderful winter plants. They don't last long in my garden. I imagine the long hot dry summers takes their toll. I love to see pictures of them in England where they naturalize in an area.

    Reply
  2. Karen says: March 30, 2017 at 4:20 pm

    I agree…This time of year when those of us in the northern latitudes are looking for any sign of life, and especially some color in flowers, these early spring flowers are such a delight! I always tell myself to plant more of the little ones that have their glory before the showier tulips and daffodils start blooming. Thanks for the reminder!

    Reply

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The Impatient Gardener

Do you love gardening? Me too! I'm Erin and I garden in Southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5. The Impatient Gardener is all about real-life gardening: the good parts, the bad bits and even the funny stuff. It's part information, part inspiration and a little bit commiseration. Thanks for visiting.

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Erin Schanen 🌿 The Impatient Gardener
These sister dahlias are big, beautiful girls. Pen These sister dahlias are big, beautiful girls. Penhill Watermelon (first picture) and Penhill Dark Monarch are the best two HUGE dahlias that I grow. They share slightly twisty petals (Watermelon more so) and, when you look closely, subtle striations that add a beautiful depth of color. Watermelon grows taller than Dark Monarch (7 feet tall or more sometimes) and they both need serious staking, but it’s worth it because they produce a lot of flowers for a large-flowering dahlia. 

I like them both but if I was forced to choose (and who would make me do that?) I’d give the edge to Dark Monarch because it’s a little easier to manage size-wise, produces more flowers and has a bigger variation in flower color so it’s always interesting. 

Which do you like better?
I don’t love tools that only do one thing. But w I don’t love tools that only do one thing. But when there’s only one tool that does that one thing really well, I’m here for it. This pottery/container knife from Sneeboer makes it possible to actually get plants out of pots without breaking or damaging the pot. It’s also really expensive. 😀
A little snippet of a bouquet from the weekend. Zi A little snippet of a bouquet from the weekend. Zinnias, pycnanthemum muticum and bronze fennel shown here.
My love for Nicotiana is not a secret. I love tryi My love for Nicotiana is not a secret. I love trying out new varieties and I feel like they just work so well in my garden from both a design standpoint and a cultural standpoint (they are happy here). Because I grow so many, the ones that self sow can be surprises. 

All of these self-sown Nicotiana are probably at least partly the children of the F1 hybrid Perfume series, which grow to be about 24” tall or so. Last year I grew purple, pink, white and lime versions and these are likely new variations on those. 

Picture 3 is, in my opinion, a good example of how these self sown second-year hybrids can go wrong. I’ll probably rip that one out. 😀

And the last photo is of my favorite colorway, lime, popping up amongst the Zinnias. I find these self-sown Nicotiana popping up all summer, so there’s always a fresh-blooming supply. 

Are you as enamored with Nicotinana as I am?
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