Spring preview
March 29th, 2010 by Kristin Green
I’m no doubting Thomas but I can tell it’s spring because I’ve seen it up close, and I’ve smelled its intense sugary sweetness in the air. Spring and I were both in Zone 8 last week. Now that I’m back in Zone 6 (maybe 7) I’m reassured to know that elsewhere in the world the cherry trees are blooming and the daffodils are almost gone by. A little time away also made the changes here at home all the more obvious to me and extra precious.
Maple trees (such as red, silver and sugar) are in full bloom, forsythia and magnolias are starting to open, and leaves are emerging on all sorts of Asian introductions, earlier than everything else – just like Professor Tallamy said they would. Not only that but if it wasn’t raining quite so hard today, I’d take my first Daff Cam picture of the season because a few in the Bosquet have already started to open. Looking back at calendars and pictures from the last few years, I think it’s safe to say that this year we’re all being treated to a little spring preview. Over the last week in the greenhouse, Gail and the volunteers filled benches full of seedlings and the gunnera pushed enormous, weird flower spikes out of its mysterious tangle.
If the rain ever lightens up (we’re calling it Lake Bristol right now) I’ll take you outside. In the meantime, here’s a glimpse of the preview I was treated to at the Washington Park Arboretum and Japanese Garden in Seattle. If only there was an app for scratch-n-sniff…
What has changed in your garden over the last week or two? Is your spring sproinging or already sprung?
March 30th, 2010 at 10:26 am
I have always wanted to go those Japanese Gardens in Seattle! Hope you had a good trip. That Gunnera flower is really interesting in a repulsive kind of way, isn’t it? Does it have a scent?
Susan, In all the gagillion years I lived in Seattle I never visited the Japanese Gardens. Let that be a lesson to me: I need to get out more here too! So far the gunnera flower doesn’t seem to have a scent but I suspect it’s not fully open yet… I’ll keep you posted. -kris
March 30th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Spring is always a late-comer to the party in my part of the world. She’s not here yet, but the snow has been melting, bit by bit. Still a couple of feet left though. There are so many beautiful gardens in Seattle, I’m quite jealous.
Christine in Alaska
Christine, It’s true about Seattle gardens being beautiful and I can’t even describe how good it smells there right now! I hope the residents of the Emerald/Queen City dont’ take that fragrance for granted. -kris
March 30th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Flooding, cracks of color here and there. No flowers on my deciduous trees just yet. I will have to visit you to check them out. Love the gunnera shots. They are scary.
Layanee, I’ll bet your trees burst this weekend – but still hope you come by to see ours! – You could take a break from cleaning up flood messes… -kris
March 31st, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Welcome back Kris! Water, water everywhere, and this weekend it will be in the 70′s… I think everything is going to pop this weekend… cherries, magnolias, daff’s…. I absolutely must finish cleaning up the perennial beds this week!
Thanks, Kathy! — I love your new blog!! We still need to finish in gardens too but now it’s soooooo squishy… I hope you stayed high and dry. I think you’re right about the popping this weekend. It’s like we’re on fast-forward over here. -kris