FIRST FLOWERS OF SPRING Frost..What the??

Freeze shmeeze....I wouldn't cover a darned thing in my yard, except for the things I planted recently that have artificially been forced out of dormancy because they've been at a nursery's GH. So for me that means a few deciduous Azalea and Viburnums. Anything that's over wintered in the ground will be neglected and will probably be fine. They're calling for 27 at my house but the good thing will be the wind. I think the wind will keep the frost from laying on the plants. I don't think this will be that bad.

Anyway, far past time to start a new thread. We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1355420/#post_9812745

I have some new pics of things blooming in the yard.

I am with Jeff and Karen- freeze schmeeze. They are well watered today, and I just don't believe all these things are so tender. they know what they're getting themselves in for, blooming so early anyway. I hope we all do not have any huge sadnesses over lost plants tomorrow.


David- that's a Pieris japonica? Japonica, (raised eyebrow)? Oh the Aucuba- how sad!!!!

Gorgeous daffodils everybody. One of my versions of he# would be having to get excellent pictures of daffodils all day long. Somehow the bright flower always throws off my automatic exposure and they are never as good as I like.

I find that I have a fine line between daffs that are unusual and novel and pretty to me, and those that are distorted, bizarre and ugly. Sometimes the breeders just go too far for new and different.

Events have delayed my plans for a day so I'm still around to clutter up this thread.

Sally, yes, Japonica. Two people live here, hence numerous alien species, some classed as invasive.

As for the Aucuba, we are working on making room in the freezer. (wink, wink)

This message was edited Apr 15, 2014 10:02 AM

Thanks Typ that's a good point about microclimates and Seq and Sally about plants forced from nurseries v emerging naturally from the ground.

Here are my dogwood buds ready to open when I left this morning silhouetted against the sky.

I'm only concerned about the peonies at this point.

They're so tall already! I'm going to put a giant pot over them and forget about the rest.

David, hmppphhh invasive - we'll show you invasive - Pat has some ammunition, and not just the bambi Aucuba eating kind. I've seen it LOL. Besides, I really like vinca, lily of the valley, and rose of sharon :)

Freeze schmeeze - I just have two cell packs of annual stock and 5 little pots of fuscia that I'll bring in to the garage tonight. Most of my perennials are at least 3 weeks behind anyway, so not much to worry about.

Beautiful hellebore, Sequoia. Do you know which one?

That makes so much sense, typwc. Maybe we won't need to cover as much.

Thanks, Terri, for the lead-in. The vinca really has gotten too aggressive, but as I pull it near the house, maybe I'll move some of the ivy in to replace it. Here is my inspiration. I think an ivy-covered dome would look quite natural.

Pat, that ivy covered look is so beautiful to look at, and I always wonder, terrible for the wood.

David, we all have our crosses to bear LOL. Some times I think I am two people in the garden; what do I really want? Native or exotic??

Catmint, I do also love looking at emerging tree buds and leaves, in silhouette against the sky.

Did I say soaking rain? Amend that to TORRENTIAL.

Thanks Sally.

I do feel bad for all the people who have gorgeous magnolias blooming. They've only come out since over the weekend and they might all be toast tonight :(

I'd totally forgotten about these tulips. They were starting to open yesterday but the buds are completely closed shut today. Waiting for warmth!

I think these might be the late blooming tulipa tarda.

SSG! I love those Tulips! What a surprise.

Silly me---even though i thought much the same as Karen and Sally---
When i got home from work-I put on my hooded jacket and was running around
covering up all my Peonies and early, full blooming fragrant somethings--
that are not really daffs..(Yuk bed marvels).
Tented all 3 of my Peonies--stems are over a foot tall--and, silliest of all, I believed
that I need to cover all the pips on my Hostas,,,I did, of course....

I am SO impressionable.....need to be tough--i KNOW they all would make it--
BUT--maybe DG'ers know better.....???

The only 2 things I put somewhere else was m tray-full of herbs (in the shed)
and my newly transplanted, root-pruned Schefflera. They both came inside...
Also--my pot of Brunera I just got recently.

Geez!!! What have i done????
I will now have to uncover them all Thursday or Friday when I will not be able to
use my right hand for anything....did not even think about that.....Silly me!
G.

I decided to cover my veggie bed with newly emerging seedlings (the kit comes with a plastic cover) but nothing else.

The orange and bay trees are staying outside. They're zone 8 plants and should be able to handle a short freeze. The lemon was brought indoors, though. I think it still loved being outside today in the rain.

But the peonies are gonna have to fend for themselves!

After reading all of your thoughts on the freeze, I opted to protect a few things that seem particularly tender, like bleeding hearts (no pun intended) and some in-ground seedlings. I have some seed trays in a flimsy little greenhouse and will hope for the best there! My purple leaf plum is in full bloom and it would be nice if the flowers stick around.
I also hope the magnolias make it; I don't have a deciduous one, but my neighbor does and I love seeing it.

Makes me glad my magnolia blooms in June :)

My crabapple was rushing into bloom by today- I will see if it makes it. I do LOVE the scent of old fashioned crabapple. Often there is only one or two really good days for it.
I was shocked at how tall some of my peonies had gotten in a day or two.
I left my lemon out, under the deck. It was already pretty sad. Everything else potted came back in.

I saw a couple mags while driving to work and I didn't notice anything browning on them nor any petals laying on the ground so maybe they made it through alright. I checked out some of our things this morning and I think I'll be ok. The new growth on our Hellebores seems sad looking but hopefully it comes back.

Ha ha sequoia - on my first glance at your post above, I thought you were saying you saw a couple of nags while driving to work, and my first thought was what old ladies is he talking about and what kind of story am I going to hear? Speed reading can make for some pretty funny mistakes - so can typos, and come to think of it, a hard of hearing dad.

My dad and I were sitting on my front porch on Sunday and I said I was tired and that my energy level was low. Without his hearing aids in, he just guesses at what is being said. I guess I was looking down at the porch flooring when I said it, and he knows it has been a long standing aggravation with me that even after the third attempt, I can't get stain to hold up or be the color I want it to be. My latest idea is to give up and replace it with the same trex we just used on the conservatory deck. His response to my saying I was tired and that my energy level was low was to say, yeah it is looking pretty orange to me LOL...

Oh geez Aspen, there weren't any browning old ladies on the way to work either...LOL

Just checked the night time "lows" we will have through Sunday.

Today (Wed.)---------------30*

Thursday--------------------32*

Friday------------------------39*

Saturday--------------------46*

Sunday-----------------------40*

SOOO! Springtime is here during the days--but NOT during the nights...
Looks like tonight tomorrow we may still have frost...

Bummer! G.

For me, the covering will remain tonight but I will remove it tomorrow morning and then let things ride on Thursday night.

Guess I will do the same--it is just that tomorrow Am I an having my
carpal Tunnel surgery--and not sure how much weight i will be allowed to lift...
When I talked to the dr. after my tests--he sai about 2lbs. That is ridiculously little!
This restriction will go for 2 weeks...then I am back to normal.

bad time of spring to have this take place....so much to do.....

Oh, well....This too shall pass... Gita

Praying for your surgery tomorrow, dear lady. Praying for the surgeon's hands and a quick recovery.

Speedie recovery Gita!

I hope the surgery goes well! Let us know as soon as you are able!

Hope it goes well, Gita!

Gita, I bet you'll be able to do something in the garden by this weekend. I hope your surgery goes well.

I covered up 3 of 5 bleeding hearts last night, and the 2 that had to brave the cold did just as well as the others. So, I won't cover those tonight, but I will cover the Jacob's Ladders.

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, Gita! You'll be back out there before you know it. Listen to the doc, and don't mess up your hand... it will need to heal after the surgery. You don't want to get impatient and end up scheduling another surgery after this one. When you go outside, tuck your hand into your shirt or something so you're reminded not to use it... you're right; 2 pounds isn't much, and it would be too easy to forget and pick up a pot or something with that hand.

I got to help with swim lessons this morning... teacher couldn't make it, so her assistant taught the class, but he didn't have an assistant to take his place... 6 kids, and I was already wet (Joyanna & I play around in the pool for a bit before her class starts), so I offered. Had a blast! But that meant I couldn't do any "real" work with my arm this afternoon, so peas are still unplanted. Swim lessons are more important than peas. :-)

I did cut back the tall stems on my 3 Montauk Daisy plants... they were already sprouting little leaves (lots of new sprouts from the base, too), so I snipped them into a bunch of little cuttings and potted them up. Cuttings are easy, and I moved my potting bench to the side patio so I can mess with stuff like that while watching the kids race around the cul de sac. :-)

I had some deep 9-packs that came with clearance-priced ornamental kales last fall... potted up 3 sets, so 27 cells, 3 cuttings in each. Had a few nice cuttings left over that went into big plastic cups (with drainage holes). If they do well, I should have plenty to go around at the spring swap! I want to do the same thing with the Silver & Gold mum I got from Gita (is that the right name? it's the one with lovely leaves, all silvery on the undersides).

We've been having fun inviting young friends to the back yard to pick daffs... I think 8 or 9 big bouquets have been gleefully gathered so far this week, but it doesn't make much of a dent since new varieties are opening each day.

The kids have a blast with the directive "pick as many as you'd like," although they keep checking back at first to be sure I don't think they should stop. As I tell their parents (who are usually more hesitant than the kids), what else are flowers for? I can't think of a better thing to do with daffodils than to let kids pick them for their moms. We've got them in vases all over the house. :-)

Jill--That Mum is called; "Chrysanthemum Pacificum"...

Thanks for your good wishes....I am a seasoned surgery person.
have had too many to worry too much about it.
i DO NOT look forward to having my right hand out of commission, though.

Gita

Good luck today Gita, I'll be thinking of you and hoping all is going well.

Critter, I bet those kids had a blast picking daffodils and bouquets of flowers in the house are always so nice.

Sometimes kids give us the needed reminder that flowers are to enjoy, and are not museum pieces. Besides, picking the flowers probably saves energy for the plant, n'est ce pas? And less deadheading! I took a few to work and already have two requests for bulbs!

I agree! And with wacky weather like we're having, I'm certainly not enjoying any blooms outside for very long! I grabbed a big bunch of these out of my yard, even had enough to share with a neighbor. What a heavenly scent! A few sprigs of native honeysuckle added in.

Wish I knew what variety this is. Many flowers on each stem. Naturalizes quickly. Flowers mid-season.

The only thing that suffered damage in our yard from the cold Tuesday night was a Toad Lily. I'm pretty sure that anything above the ground level was killed off in our one bed.

typwc: My ears perk up whenever I hear the phrase "naturalizes quickly" so if you find out what your daffodil is, please let me know. That bouquet is lovely!

That looks like Minnow daffodil. I have a couple pics of it below. If that is the one, it's performed quite poorly in my yard. The bulbs are not very vigorous and seem to decline yearly. There is one area though that they are performing nicely but that doesn't make up for the rest.

I didn't know Minnow had multiple blooms. I have mis IDed one of mine and been calling it Minnow. I bought Minnow once way back.

Typ I love those multiple bloom ones. Hawera does really well for me, but not the nicest scent.

Yeah my Minnows have multiple blooms.

Thanks, Seq. I was also told that it might be 'Avalanche' but that doesn't quite fit. 'Minnow' makes sense except that mine has 5-7 flowers per stem, more than the description for 'Minnow'.

It does do very well in my yard. It's in a pretty warm place near a south-facing brick wall, and gets very little supplemental water during the summer. Maybe that helps.

Happy, If I remember, I'll dig up a few bulbs for you after they go dormant.

Same daffs, just as they were starting to open. Sorry for the wacky colors: Instagram.

I don't know Typ, I bought 100 of these guys and planted them all over. The ones that are doing the best are under the drip line of a Blue Spruce. Now the tree is limbed up about 16' so I don't know. Just an oddity I guess. I've removed most of the ones growing in the yard and pitched them. I have low tolerance for underperformers.