Signs of Spring at My Farm
We're expecting cloudy skies and snow showers here in Bedford, New York this morning. Tomorrow, temperatures are expected to rise into the high 40s. It's been quite an erratic winter, and although we still have several more weeks of this cold season, the first blooms of spring are starting to emerge here at the farm.
Over the last few weeks, we've seen daffodils, crocuses, hellebores, and winter aconite pushing their way through the soil. The witch hazel is also blooming. It won’t be long before bursts of spring color cover every border, orchard, and allée.
Here are some photos showing the early spring activity, enjoy.
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- In the Northeast region, it is still very much a winter scene. Deciduous trees are still bare, and here at the farm, all my boxwood is still wrapped in protective burlap. Yesterday, the skies were bright blue, but the chill is in the air and snow is on its way.
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- But there are signs of the warmer spring season ahead. Small patches of color are emerging from the soil. Crocus is among the first flowers to appear in spring, usually in shades of purple, yellow and white. This cluster is just outside my gym building.
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- These are darker purple croci. Crocus is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms.
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- Here is a hellebore flower just beginning to open. 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. Hellebores are members of the Eurasian genus Helleborus – about 20 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae.
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- Helleborus orientalis, or Lenten roses, get their ecclesiastical nickname from their growing season. It begins in winter and extends into spring.
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- These are the leaves of another hellebore – a stinking hellebore, Helleborus foetidus. It is an evergreen with its dark leaves, sprouting from a thick stem. Although ‘foetidus’ means fetid, or smelly, the plant does not smell too bad; however, the leaves, when crushed or bruised, give off a smell that many describe as unpleasant.
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- Snowdrops are another 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. I love galanthus and plant many bulbs every autumn. I will share lots of our snowdrops in an upcoming blog.
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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. 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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- 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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- Witch hazel is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae. Most species bloom from January to March and display beautiful spidery flowers that let off a slightly spicy fragrance.
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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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- 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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- Looking closely, some of the trees are showing off their buds. These buds are on the cascading branches of the weeping cherry trees – I have two just behind my stable. When flowering, they are covered with white flowers – big eye-catchers when guests are lucky enough to see them in bloom.
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- These are the bold green leaves of Rohdea japonica, also known as Japanese Sacred lily, or Nippon lily – a tropical-looking evergreen herbaceous perennial that has an upright, clumping, and vase-like form. Its leaves are thick, rubbery, and measure from about a foot long and two to three inches wide.
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- The Nippon lily produces bright red berries that persist into the winter. I have several of these outside my Tenant House.
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- And of course, the daffodils never fail. Here, one can see how the daffodils pushed through the soil.
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- I have daffodils in many areas of the farm, but 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 daffodils near my allée of linden trees are developing so nicely. There are several varieties planted here – all in large groupings, providing a stunning swath of color when in bloom. I can’t wait to see all the spring blooms covering the farm. It won’t be long…
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