What's blooming in February?

Got my camera back from the shop and took a couple snaps before it froze up again. The focus seems to not work very well (a bit blurry even though I used super macro mode), and now the lens won't come out. I think I'm off to shop new camera (dang). Anyway, this is a little mini iris I have which I don't quite know the name of. I thought I'd try you guys first and if no one can help me out, I'll move on over to the forum specific for identifying mystery plants. This little fellah opened up a couple days ago, so is really a very late January bloom, but thought I'd start a February blooming thread anyway.

OK, got an identity - Iris reticulata, who knows what cultivar... Does anyone know when would be a good time to divide this puppy? It's really overcrowded in a big clump (but blooming handsomely) and I'd like to spread it out behind a dwarf daylilly but am not sure when would be best. Very fragrant as well, always a bonus.

Very pretty even out of focus!
Let it bloom, flower stalks die back (6-8 weeks?), then divide.
The Irises are a sturdy lot, so dividing isn't a problem.

Bonehead, your iris is very pretty! If you are looking for a new camera and aren't wanting anything "fancy" I so highly recommend the Cannon Elph series. Wonderful for gardening as they are small enough to stick in your pocket, but take some wonderful pics!

Rarejem, I've always been partial to the Canon brand. Does the Elph series have a good macro feature? That is what I really like about my current malfunctioning Olympus -- it has both a macro and super-macro, both very easy to activate.

Bonehead,

The Elph is a very simple camera...not tons of whistles and bells, but so easy and convienient and SMALL! It has a very easy macro function, as well as easy to navagate options for picture effects. I use the "foilage" or "sunset" settings a lot in my garden to get true color in the pictures that I take. With every camera I had had before the Elph, I could not get the colors to come out as vividly as you see them in real life. Everything looked washed out. (My last camera before the Elph was an Olympus, and I had to replace it because of a lens problem as well, but it was self induced as I had it hanging around my neck open when on horseback...not recommended when the horse starts to trot!) This is from last summer, a pretty good representation of the macro capabilities.

Great photo -- I may be newly sold on the Canon Elph. All I do know is I need to get a camera in hand SOON...missing too many photo opps. We went campering last weekend up around Birch Bay and saw an eagle just perched in a dead tree for quite a long time. Burned into my memory...

I think that's where most of my photos reside - in my brain where no one else can see!
I am looking for a new camera - mine does well sometimes, but scenes tend to be washed out.
Aargh - this year perhaps...

Look at this. They were not there yesterday, I swear.

And my pretty little speckles one is open.

A pretty yellow

This was my favorite

Until this bloomed

MMmmm, I like that yellow! And love the crocus too...can't wait to have you get a picture of their faces! Willow, your pics tempted me to drive by my local Freddys rather than my normal grocery store when I needed to stop last Tuesday, and I was so BUMMED! Our garden department is usually very well stocked, and there was NOTHING! About 30 bare root roses, and one table of single daffs and hyacinth in pots. Needlesss to say, I cursed the garden buyer in my head and I went home sulking (however, my pocket book was probably pretty thankful!)

Cross posted again... really like the color of that dark one! Pretty!

And the Ivory Prince standing at attention.

And the lingularia. It really should not be up now or even showing at all.

I do like the Prince, with his head up. I read somewhere that a good place for hellebores is hanging over a rock wall where they can be more easily viewed from below. Guess I need to build myself a rock wall to accomodate that idea.

Bonehead, that is one of the reason's that I would definitely put Prince in my top list of hellies! You don't have to bend over to see him! I agree with the rock wall suggestion if one has the room to build one. I was at a vendor selling them where they had the majority of the hellebores sitting on a shelf either eye level or right above your head, and it was the best hellebore viewing experience I have ever had!

I think they keep their heads down to protect their pollen from the weather at that time of the year.

Willow, I think you may be right, but after a day in the garden, it is rough on the back to stoop down and turn their tiny heads!

I finally got a chance to spend time in the garden in the daylight, and have a few pretties to share. This is the very first double Hele. I ever purchased, and I am thrilled with it every time I walk by it. No name, just part of the "Double Queen Mix", but I love it.

My hamamelis "Early Bright" is in full bloom now, and it is the VERY VERY best smelling of my witchhazel. I think that this may be a show of flowers that only a mother could love as it is not very impressive, unless you keep in mind that the poor little thing is only about a foot and a half tall!

One of my own heleborus seedlings, and YES I did have to bend over to get this pic, but it sure is pretty.

A sunny primrose on a gloomy day. I would have mounds and mounds of these if the slugs weren't so darned hard on them!

Pixy, this is the helebore that your seeds came from. I might get to see it's face next weekend!

And this is it's little "patch". All started with the momma plant, and I have transplanted/shared about 20 decent sized babies over the last several years.

"Christmas Cheer" was looking very cheerful.

My really cool odd little shrub that I got from Watson's a couple of years ago is starting to leaf out. (Of course the name is no longer legible and I haven't been able to find it in my notes)

OH pretty plants.

Sorbaria sorbifolia?

Did you excuse yourself for that remark?^_^

Gesundheit!

(giggling at Willow's coment!)

Kathy, that's it! Thank you! I knew that if I heard it I would remember because it was something funky that sounded like you were just repeating yourself. I bought it this time of year, and thought that the new growth was just divine. It is also a very nice filler in the summer, and I planted it in a spot where the forest will keep it's spreading in check.

To be honest, I might not have remembered it right away, but this is its season and I've just been looking at it wondering if I "needed" one. I'm anxious to see what you think of the plant. I like the sumac-like leaves without the sumac-like form.

Kathy, Mine is three, and I would highly recommend it. It is a lovely graceful shrub, and a wonderful herald to spring. It supposedly can spread fairly quickly, so I planted it in a spot that hopefully will keep it under control. Supposedly it spreads like sumac does, so if you want to try a little kid rather than buying a big one, I would be more than happy to scope out the base and see if I can come up with a runner. Let me know!

Julie, thank you for the offer. If I find a spot, I'll come a begging . . . I'm currently watching my Tiger Eyes to see how crazy it's going to go . . .

Beautiful pictures. I don't have a good camera right now or I'd have a picture of my first blossom from one of the plants I bought at Mt. Tahoma last summer. It's Hepatica x Cremar. She has beautiful little violet flowers. I didn't realize this, but apparently she was developed at the Elizabeth C. Miller Garden in North Seattle. Check out the picture in this article from 2007 (search on cremar and you'll jump straight to it, below the article on the NWFGS).

http://blog.seattlepi.com/gardening1/month.asp?blogmonth=2%2F1%2F2007&x=8&y=8

Isn't it beautiful? Mine isn't nearly this big - it's still tiny and still in the pot. In fact, I think I'll keep it and the others in their own pots until they grow up. I know they're tough, but I hate the thought of putting them out on their own against the slugs until they're bigger.

But seeing this picture, I'm really excited. I've cleared out a new bed for them all that, it turns out, has lovely rich soil and not the rocky clay that I'm usually fighting. It'll be a perfect home for them while they grow up. I think I'll just put them in a little bigger pots and sink them half way until next year.

Like all your pictures. All of you have fantastic flowers. You guys really know your plants. I thought I new something about plants but see that my level is about 1st grade.

One of you posted a picture of Eremus.(Is that right) Maybe on one of the other threads. Is that hard to grow and where do you find? I have never seen that. Remember 1st grade here.

One of you should send you flower picture to Sisco Morris for his pic. of the week. You could be a star!

Ooohhh Kathy, that is lovely!! I can see why you are excited! I was just looking at my Mt Tahoma kids yesterday, and got excited all over again for them. I got two little Origanum varieties, and I don't see any new growth yet, but restrained myself from poking at them too much. Their little friend (can't remember what it was without looking at the tag, but it is a cute little umbrella shaped kid) is very happy, so I have faith that they will come out just fine as well.

I am all game for another trip to Mt Tahoma, but can't remember when Rick said he would prefer that we come out... I think that it was May? I will e-mail him and ask. He had recommended a time that we would get to see the most plants in bloom, but wanted us to wait until after his heavy shipping season. I would just LOVE to see his display gardens in bloom!

(GIGGLING) You should walk through a garden with some of these people! It's like taking your own walking encyclopedia, and not only can they come up with what the plant is, but they have usually grown it or know someone who has, and can give you lots of advice as to how well it will do and where. It amazes me how much I have learned just hanging around here for the last year! I have to force myself to remember to use latin names (which much of the time I have to look up), when I post, because my mind really works with common terminology. I also find myself often relying on the ID's of others, because I have my notes "somewhere safe". The very best part though, is that this group has really stretched my horizons as far as "cool" things to add to the garden to make it different than those you see everyday. Since I have added at least a couple of dozen new plant species to my garden in the last year, I think that I will give myself a graduation to 2nd grade.... but that's about it!

I am not familiar with the pic of the plant that you are asking about, but if it was Eremurus (Foxtail Lily), then I do know that I have purchased them in the past mail order from a bulb vendor, and have unhappily killed them all. Slugs are a big problem for me (wet yard is surrounded by deep woods, so I have more of a problem than most), and apparently for that particular plant as well in my yard. Hopefully someone has a better report for you!

This message was edited Feb 8, 2010 5:54 PM

Eremurus - yes i was growing them. But unhappily, I have just discovered that mine have "disappeared" courtesy of voles, most likely. Stalks were there all nicely marking the spot. I was going to dig them up this weekend - inserted spading fork & got AIR.

They are not hard to grow, but do best in a hot sunny spot, shelter from the wind if possible. Keep the soil on the moist side - they don't like it dry. Plant them where you want them - they don't like being disturbed/moved/divided until absolutely necessary. I grew them behind other tall perennials or shrubs, because the foliage dies back in the summer, which leaves a big empty space.
I really like them - so pretty & easy. The voles are in agreement. but i will plant more this year & cage them this time.
I also lost more Lilies this year - "Tiger Woods" was one of them, LOL...
this is Cleopatra - not mine.