Springtime on the Grange; Peony, Hydrangea, Azalea Break Dormancy (GDD 12)
(top: crocuses; bottom, clockwise: azalea buds, hydrangea leaf, rhododendron leaf bud, peony eyes emerge)
For the past week, spring peepers have provided the season's soundtrack from the pond a few hundred feet from the grange. Spring is in the ear, if not in the air.
The season's first peony eyes were spotted this morning. Purchased from Wal-Mart for a few bucks, Paeonia lactiflora "Bowl of Beauty" was planted in May 2007 after languishing for months in my basement before being rediscovered and planted. An instant malingerer, it never grew more than a few inches tall despite constant prodding, good schools, and the best private tutors. This year, it has put its humble beginnings behind it and has emerged far ahead of its more established counterpart in the other bed, "Sara Bernhardt," which didn't emerge until April 20 last year.
The bigleaf hydrangea macrophyllas, both the "bailmer" remontant and traditional varieties, have broken their winter dormancy. My traditional hydrangea - the kind that blooms on old wood - did not set any flowers last year and only 1 or 2 in 2006, whereas the remonant variety, which blooms on new wood put on a show all summer. This past winter wasn't quite as cold as last year's, allowing the traditional hydrangea to emerge a week sooner this year, so there might be hope for a least a few flowers.
In other corners of the garden, the Cornell Pink azalea (rhododendron mucronulatum) has started to leaf out. Crocuses continue to delight.
The season's first peony eyes were spotted this morning. Purchased from Wal-Mart for a few bucks, Paeonia lactiflora "Bowl of Beauty" was planted in May 2007 after languishing for months in my basement before being rediscovered and planted. An instant malingerer, it never grew more than a few inches tall despite constant prodding, good schools, and the best private tutors. This year, it has put its humble beginnings behind it and has emerged far ahead of its more established counterpart in the other bed, "Sara Bernhardt," which didn't emerge until April 20 last year.
The bigleaf hydrangea macrophyllas, both the "bailmer" remontant and traditional varieties, have broken their winter dormancy. My traditional hydrangea - the kind that blooms on old wood - did not set any flowers last year and only 1 or 2 in 2006, whereas the remonant variety, which blooms on new wood put on a show all summer. This past winter wasn't quite as cold as last year's, allowing the traditional hydrangea to emerge a week sooner this year, so there might be hope for a least a few flowers.
In other corners of the garden, the Cornell Pink azalea (rhododendron mucronulatum) has started to leaf out. Crocuses continue to delight.
Cloudy, cold, and rainy typified the past week. Buds on a few deciduous trees began to swell noticeably. Some even showed a bit of color. Springtime bulbs like tulips and daffodils continued to march toward bloom, which is probably two or three weeks off still. Pictured at left are garlic chives. These were planted three years ago and seem to be finally hitting its stride.
