Are your daffs and crocus starting to show green?

Hooray for over-zealous. That means a very colorful pictures thread in a month or two.

I wanted to thank everyone for their comments about squirrels, crocusses, etc. Today I saw them digging up and eating my "Ruby Giant" crocusses, which are supposed to be "squirrel resistant", so I guess I'll just feel lucky if any of the crocusses make it to full bloom.

Tobasco--I'd be very interested if your pots with hardward cloth work out. Please keep us posted. I did put chicken wire down beneath the mulch in several areas, but I notice now when I walk around looking that there are severed crocus shoots lying on the ground there too, so I guess that wasn't enough of a barrier.

beaker_ch--wow, you've really been through it with the squirrels! Thanks for sharing that.

Daffodils coming up!

I hope most of these don't open before our hard freeze hits this weekend!

These are in their 3rd bloom season and still look pretty good.

Wheeee... we're cold cold cold here so its nice to know spring is coming to my southern neighbors!

I've got some snowdrops open, took my pic on the 7th. Mine looks a bit different to yours JamesCo, yours has broader leaves, but there are many types

I also have cyclamen coum in full flower

And the white form

helleborus Queen of the Night

Fancy, Wallaby1.
Are those Dryopteris in the background of the H. 'Queen...'?
Do your Cyc. bloom in the fall at all?

My Galanthus is not G. nivalis, that is why. G. elwesii is bigger and blooms earlier here. My friend is a big fan of them, and hers usually divide themselves threefold in the first season, (counting mature bulbs as blooming, and not counting seedlings.)
Hers are sprouting in her lawn currently with C. tricolor or C. 'Firefly.'
I should get some pictures tomorrow.

K. James

Oh, the harbingers of spring! How lovely!

Snowdrops, cyclamen, daffs, helleborus, all coming into bloom now!

Don't you think someone (Steve, K., or Wallaby?) should start a new thread to feature these lovelies (so they aren't buried way down here?!)

I would, but I don't have a thing even close to blooming!

The fern in the background is Polystichum aculeatum, the fronds don't break down until this time, I have now removed them ready for the next performance. It is very showy when growing, called the Sheppard's Crook as you will see in the pic from last year. The ground went a funny purple, something to do with low light I think!

I have crocus tricolor, with C. Beatrice, and C. Snowbunting, they have put on a really good show, but really need dividing. the moles are doing a good job of that, probably sinking them to the depths of the earth. They are in a dry border near an oak tree, not flowering yet, but C tricolor is mostly first.

My snowdrops were there when we moved here, I replanted them in 1999 after digging out the border from rough grass, and have divided once since, they are quite shaded. I think there are at least 3 types, not sure which, possibly 2 of singles, 2 of doubles.

These cyclamen don't bloom in fall, I have C neapolitanum (hederifolium) which do in the same border as C tricolor, they like a dry summer rest and get it!

The P. aculeatum

This message was edited Feb 10, 2006 3:24 PM

A most handsome fern!
Even the university horticulture extension agent says that ferns don't grow here; I intend to prove the well-learned man wrong. I am trying several Polystichums, I have not acquired P. aculeatum. I do know that Athyriums are a definite "yes" here. Back to topic, the ferns make excellent companions for bulbs, I think.

On the way home from school, I will take pictures of those Galanthus/C. tricolor.
K. James

JamesCO where is it you can't grow ferns, the CO I am not familiar with, can only think of Colorado. Ferns are definitely a good companion for many bulbs, they grow in the places both like, many bulbs like a dry summer rest, and under a deciduous tree is perfect. Mine are in a raised bed surrounding the trunk of a huge Horse Chestnut tree.

I took a pic of my first yellow crocus open today, not got downloaded yet. The yellows are always first. I have lots of others coming close to flower, C Flower Record along the path, they have 20+ flowers per bulb, quite a show. Got a pic on 35mm, but can get a digi soon!

Continued here http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/575352/

Thanks, Moby.