Spring Blooms Emerging at My Farm
It’s wonderful to see the gardens transform this time of year - now that it’s spring, every day something new is emerging at my farm.
Beautiful plants and their blooms have been erupting all week - crocuses, snowdrops, hellebores, and even some of the daffodil leaves are now peeking through the soil. Soon, the grounds will be covered with carpets of fragrant, eye-catching flowers - I can't wait. Here’s a glimpse of what is blooming in my gardens now… what flowers are blooming in yours?
Enjoy these photos.
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- Snowdrops are a sure sign of spring. Snowdrops produce one very small, pendulous bell-shaped white flower which hangs off its stalk like a “drop” before opening.
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- There are bunches of snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, in various beds around the farm. These flowers are perennial, herbaceous plants, which grow from bulbs.
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- These snowdrops are located in a bed near my carport – it is so nice to see these beautiful early spring flowers every time I leave and come home.
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- Eranthis, or winter aconite, is a genus of eight species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae – the Buttercup family.
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- Winter aconite produces such cheerful yellow flowers that appear in late winter or earliest spring. And, they are deer resistant.
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- Crocus is among the first flowers to appear in spring. Here are some white and yellow crocuses in front of my main greenhouse. They only reach about two to four inches tall, but they naturalize easily, meaning they spread and come back year after year.
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- From above, you can see the open blooms. We also planted Spanish bluebells in this area – they will look so pretty when all are flowering.
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- More white crocuses can be seen opening throughout the farm – splashes of white, and shades of purple.
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- Here are some light purple or lilac colored croci. Crocus is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family made up of about 90-species of perennial plants.
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- Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The spice saffron is obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species.
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- Along the border of my clematis pergola – darker purple crocus.
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- The cup-shaped, solitary flower tapers off into a narrow tube. Their colors vary enormously, although lilac, mauve, purple, yellow, and white are the most predominant.
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- The witch-hazel is still blooming nicely. It grows as small trees or shrubs with clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers. This one is just outside my Summer House.
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- Witch-hazel is great for splashes of winter color. They’re very hardy and are not prone to a lot of diseases.
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- Hellebores are members of the Eurasian genus Helleborus – about 20 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. They blossom during late winter and early spring for up to three months. This hellebore is beginning to open by my blog studio. Hellebores come in a variety of color and have rose-like blossoms. It is common to plant them on slopes or in raised beds in order to see their flowers, which tend to nod.
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- New growth is also emerging in the woodland. Symplocarpus foetidus, commonly known as skunk cabbage or eastern skunk cabbage, swamp cabbage, or meadow cabbage, is a low growing plant that grows in wetlands and moist hill slopes of eastern North America.
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- They look so pretty, but be careful not to step on them. Bruised leaves present a fragrance reminiscent of skunk.
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- Sedum does really well growing between the crevices in stone walls. We planted this sedum several years ago. Sedum has fleshy, water-storing leaves and is drought tolerant. I am so happy with how well they do here in the stone wall along my Winter House terrace parterre.
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- Here is more sedum in red. I love how patches of bold red show through in early spring every year. Sedum, a large genus of flowering plants, is a member of the succulent family. Its plants are also known as stonecrops.
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- This is ‘Natascha’ miniature iris – a lovely ice blue in color. These bloom in early spring and grow to about four to six inches tall.
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- Here is another one down near my tropical hoop house. The blooms have a very light and subtle violet-like scent. Irises come from a vast genus of plants, but nearly all show the recognizable iris flower form – three standard petals and three hanging outer fall petals.
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- Muscari is a genus of perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia that produce spikes of dense, most commonly blue, urn-shaped flowers that look like bunches of grapes in spring. You may know it by its common name for the genus – grape hyacinth.
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- Puschkinia is a genus of three known species of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae. It is native to the Caucasus and the Middle East. I have puschkinia growing outside my greenhouse and in a large patch near my Tenant House. Puschkinia is best grown in moist, fertile, well-draining soil in full sun to partial sunlight.
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- And the daffodil border that stretches along one side of my farm has been growing so nicely. There are several varieties planted here – all in large groupings. There are no flowers just yet, but soon this border will provide a stunning swath of color. The original daffodil border was begun in 2003. It now stretches all the way down from my Summer House, past the stable, and ending at the Japanese maple grove. All around the farm, bulbs are pushing through the earth with so much energy. I will continue to share photos with you as my beautiful flowers emerge.
And don't forget to tune in April 3rd at 10/9c on VH1, when I'm back together with my friend, Snoop Dogg. Here is a great video promoting our show, Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Party Challenge.
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