More Spring Emergence Around the Farm
It always amazes me how quickly plants can grow from day to day - I love watching the transformation around my Bedford, New York farm.
While sheltering at home, I’ve had more opportunities to tour the gardens and to see all the new growth - every day, something comes to life and blooms with vibrant spring color. Here in the Northeast, today is expected to be windy with possible thunderstorms, but this past Easter weekend was pleasant with sunny, warm skies. Here's a glimpse of what's been blooming here at Cantitoe Corners.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Chionodoxa, known as glory-of-the-snow, is a small genus of bulbous perennial flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, often included in Scilla.
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- Here are purple and white striped croci growing in the back border of my pergola in front of a row of bold green boxwood.
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- This striped flower produces several upright, cup-like, purple and white striped blooms on stems rising to four to six inches above basal, grass-like leaves.
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- The other side is full of lush green foliage. Soon, it will display a colorful palette of alliums, lilies, camassia, and fritillaria.
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- Blossoms are also emerging on the fruit trees in my orchard. My fruit trees have been doing so well – in part because of how nutrient-rich the soil is. When choosing to grow fruit stock, it is very important to select those that are best for your area’s climate and soil.
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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. Puschkinia grows so beautifully in clumps – I have several areas filled with these delicate small flowers.
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- I have two almond trees at my farm – both on one side of my main greenhouse. They thrive in mild, wet winters, and hot, dry summers in full sun. These are deciduous trees with gorgeous spring flowers blooming pink with double petals.
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- Bright colorful flowers rising above neat mounds of delicate foliage make corydalis perfect for shady borders. Of the 300 or so species of corydalis with differing colors, these are dark pink flowers growing near my blog studio.
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- From the carriage road through the lower hayfield, one can see the gorgeous golden yellow of the weeping willows.
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- And here’s a section of my long daffodil border. There are several varieties planted here – all in large groupings.
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- 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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- The classic yellow-and-white daffodil is a welcome sign of spring. With more than 25-thousand named varieties, daffodils are one of the most hybridized flowers in the world. The blossoms come in many combinations of yellow, orange, white, red, pink and even green.
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- I plant early, mid and late-season blooming varieties so that sections of beautiful flowers can be seen throughout the season.
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- The species are native to meadows and woods in southwest Europe and North Africa. Narcissi tend to be long-lived bulbs and are popular ornamental plants in public and private gardens.
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- This cheerful daffodil, with its color contrast, makes a bold statement in the border. Cultivars with bold colored cups generally retain better color when planted in a little shade to protect them from the hot afternoon sun.
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- Some of the magnolia trees are also blooming. Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. Growing as large shrubs or trees, they produce showy, fragrant flowers that are white, pink, red, purple or yellow.
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- And here is one of two weeping cherry trees down behind my stable. A weeping cherry tree is at its best when the cascading branches are covered with pink or white flowers.
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- Here is a photo of the two. The various species and cultivars offer a wide range of sizes, from eight-foot dwarfs to 40-foot types. These trees are big eye-catchers when guests are lucky enough to see them in bloom. They only bloom for a couple days a year.
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- Here’s a closer look at the flowers. When in bloom, weeping cherry flowers attract many butterflies and hummingbirds.
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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. They look so pretty, but be careful not to step on them. Bruised leaves present a fragrance reminiscent of skunk.
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- Underneath the majestic pin oaks in the allee, and the stand of weeping willows is a variety of Narcissi named after me by Van Engelen Inc., a wholesale flower bulb company in Bantam, Connecticut. Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart’ is a Karel van der Veek hybrid with a three-inch white perianth surrounding a pale yellow cup edged in a thick band of frilly apricot-pink. In full bloom, these flowers grow to about 16 to 18 inches tall and look wonderful against the luscious green lawns.
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- The herbaceous peony bed is also growing beautifully. In June, this garden bed will be overflowing with giant peonies in pink and white.
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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. 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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- The hellebores continue to show beautifully at the farm. 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. Hellebores come in a variety of colors 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. What spring blooms do you see around your home? Share them with me in the comments section below.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
