Spring Emergence Around the Farm
It’s so wonderful to see the gardens transform this time of year.
We’ve had quite a mild winter here in the Northeast. Today, we’re expecting temperatures in the high 60s. And while spring doesn't officially start for another 10-days, we're already seeing many signs of the season - flowering crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils, witch hazel and more. Soon, the grounds will be covered in carpets of colorful warmth - I can't wait. Here’s a glimpse of the flowers that are blooming in my gardens now… what flowers are blooming in yours?
And please tune in to QVC throughout today starting at 11am ET - I’ll be sharing lots of spring decor and apparel. At 4pm ET, I'll also be sharing gardening tools on QVC2.
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- Crocus is among the first flowers to appear in spring, usually in shades of purple, yellow and white. There are about 90 different species of crocus that originate from Southern Europe, Central Asia, China, the Middle East, and Africa.
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- Here are some light purple or lilac-colored croci. Crocus is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family. The cup-shaped, solitary flower tapers off into a narrow tube.
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- Crocus lives in alpine meadows, rocky mountainsides, scrublands, and woodlands. Patches of crocus can be found everywhere around my farm. These flowers are blooming right outside my gym building – I love seeing them early in the morning on my way to exercise.
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- Here are some white crocuses. They only reach about four inches tall, but they naturalize easily, meaning they spread and come back year after year.
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- And here are some golden yellow crocus flowers. It is so exciting to see what flowers open up each day.
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- Snowdrops are another sure sign of spring. These beautiful white flowers are blooming all around my houses.
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- Snowdrops produce one very small pendulous bell-shaped white flower which hangs off its stalk like a “drop” before opening.
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- Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, are perennial, herbaceous plants, which grow from bulbs. These snowdrops are located in a bed under my ‘Gravenstein’ apple espalier.
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- This is a red sedum. Sedum, a large genus of flowering plants, are also known as stonecrops and are members of the succulent family.
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- Sedum does really well growing between the crevices in stone walls. We planted this sedum several years ago. Most sedum has a trailing nature – I love how it grows on the side of this wall outside my Winter House.
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- The witch-hazel is also blooming nicely. It grows as small trees or shrubs with clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers.
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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. Most species bloom from January to March and display beautiful spidery flowers that let off a slightly spicy fragrance.
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- Witch-hazel flowers consist of four, strap-like petals that are able to curl inward to protect the inner structures from freezing during the winter.
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- Most are familiar with witch-hazel as a medicinal plant. Its leaves, bark, and twigs are used to make lotions and astringents for treating certain skin inflammations and other irritations.
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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. The leaves are green, strap-like, and grow in pairs. The flowers open in early spring in racemes up to about 10 inches high.
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- I have puschkinia growing 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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- The tree peonies are also beginning to bud. Once these are in bloom, they will have an abundance of flowers.
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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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- All around the farm, bulbs are pushing through the earth with so much energy.
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- The daffodil border that stretches along one side of my farm is also growing rapidly. There are several daffodil varieties planted here – all in large groupings, providing a stunning swath of color when in bloom. 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.
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- I planted early, mid and late-season blooming varieties so that when one section is done blooming, another is just opening up. Spring is on the way – I will continue to share more photos with you as my beautiful flowers emerge.
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