More Spring Emergence at 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.
Every day, something new comes to life or blooms with vibrant spring color. The temperatures in the Northeast have been rising, and recent days have been sunny and beautiful. In the mornings before I leave for work, I love to tour the farm to see the progress and changes that have occurred. Here’s a glimpse at the flowers blooming in my gardens now - just days before Easter.
Enjoy.
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- My long and winding pergola is just full of lush green foliage. Soon, it will display a colorful palette of alliums, lilies, camassia, and fritillaria.
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- The landscape around the farm is changing every day – here, the golden yellow of the weeping willows can be seen in the distance.
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- This is one of four Sargent crabapples, Malus sargentii, in front of my Tenant House. It is now filled with bright green buds, and in May, it will have clusters of sweet, fragrant white flowers.
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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.
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- Here are some hellebores by my blog studio. 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.
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- The tree pits below my majestic pin oaks are filled with croci – you can see the blooming white flowers from a distance.
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- Crocus is among the first flowers to appear in spring, usually in shades of white, yellow and purple.
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- 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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- This crocus patch is growing beneath my bald cypress trees across from my pergola. I love the deep purple color.
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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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- 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.
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- Pushkinia grows so beautifully in clumps – I have several areas filled with these delicate small flowers.
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- Irises are a gorgeous variety of flowering plants. There are more than 300 species of Iris flowers around the world, making them not only beautiful but also incredibly diverse. I love the deep blue-purple of these blooms.
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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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- New growth is also emerging in the woodland. Symplocarpus foetidus, commonly known as skunk cabbage or swamp cabbage is a low growing plant that grows in wetlands and moist hill slopes of eastern North America.
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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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- The classic yellow trumpet of a 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. I can’t wait to show you the gorgeous daffodils in the long border along one side of the farm – they will all be open very soon.
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- 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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- There is a lot of forsythia blooming this time of year. They are among the first plants of spring to burst forth in the garden. These specimens like at least six hours of sunlight a day, and well-draining soil. Yellow blossoms cover each elegant branch, producing arches of color that can be seen from a distance.
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- The herbaceous peony bed is also growing beautifully. Soon, this garden bed will be overflowing with giant peonies in pink and white.
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- Tree peonies are actually woody shrubs and can reach about four or five feet tall. This is one of the specimens in my tree peony bed.
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- Mayapple is a native woodland plant that is widespread across most of eastern North America. This herbaceous perennial of mostly unbranched 12-18 inch tall stems is topped with umbrella-like leaves. The leaves remain furled as the stem grows in the spring, unfolding when the stem nears its full height.
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- In the back of my flower cutting garden, I have a large bed of rhubarb growing fast – The tart, colorful stems grace pies and jams with tangy flavor.
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- And here is one of two weeping cherry trees down behind my stable. This week, they’re in their peak of color. A weeping cherry tree is at its best when the hanging branches are covered with pink or white flowers.
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- 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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- I hope you are enjoying the colorful spring floral displays where you live – what is blooming in your spring gardens? Share your comments with me below.
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