I look forward all winter long for the yard to come to life in the spring.
So the early spring bloomers always mark the end of winter.
Here are some pictures of what I found touring around my yard yesterday.
#1 Dirca palustris. Leafs out early with pendant yellow flowers emerging along with the fresh green leaves.
#2. Prunus mume. This is a light pink double - don't recall the cultivar name.
#3. Cornus officionalis. Same yellow flowers as cornus mas.
#1. Abeliophyllum. It took a few years for the shrub to fill out sufficiently to even notice the flowers. It's beginning to look nice the last couple years.
#2. Corylopsis spicata. The dangling yellow flowers really stand out against the brown backdrop of the winter woodland.
#3. Magnolia stellata Waterlily. Maybe this year it won't get nipped by frost - it's supposed to stay warm this upcoming weak!
#1. A white-flowering quince.
#2. Daphne odora Zuiko Nishiki. Daphne odora isn't really hardy in my zone. This is supposed to be the hardiest cultivar. It survived last winter with significant browning of both the leaves and flowers. This year, it came through better, due to the mild winter. We'll see if it can tolerate a more typical winter as it gets better established.
Edited to add the fragrance of the daphne is fabulous!!!
This message was edited Mar 11, 2012 10:37 AM
My weeping cherry (Prunus subhirtella pendula) and a volunteer red bud.
