Countdown to Spring: Cosmos

Every week I say that this week my choice for Countdown to Spring is my favorite, but cosmos rank high on that list. The crisp colors, the deceptively delicate flowers, and the feathery foliage are beautiful, but they are easy to grow and attractive to wildlife. They look best grown in a group or cluster. With so many varieties to choose from, gardeners can find one they like.

Spiders like cosmos.

 Dragonflies like them.

Bees like them.

 Ants like them, too. I wish I had a photo of hummingbirds near the flowers, but they're too quick. 

Countdown to Spring: Squill

"Squill" sounds like a fish instead of a flower.  The official name is Scilla sibirica or Siberian squill.  Gardeners will call this bulb scilla, a more dignified name, I suppose.  It's one of the flowers in nature that looks blue.  Planted in the fall, the bulbs bloom in early spring before the trees have leaves.  I've got them planted in my lawn with the hope that they'll spread  a little more every year. When the flowers die down, the foliage gathers energy for the next year, so I mow around them until the leaves have yellowed. The photo below is to show how small they are, but so worth it! After a long winter, I welcome their cheery brightness.

Countdown to Spring: Daffodils

Mice?  Squirrels?  Deer?  No problem!  Snow?  Cold?  No problem! These amazing daffodils (otherwise known as Narcissus) stand up to whatever Minnesota throws at them. The earliest they've ever bloomed for me in Minnesota is April, but gardeners in warmer climates may see them flower earlier.  (Perhaps January in Texas...  can it be true?) Planted in the fall, daffodils come in a range of sizes and levels of frilliness. The colors range from white and yellow to pink and apricot. The ones above have a delicate flower, but an amazing fragrance and they open later than the white ones below. I'm sorry that I can't give the variety names; one I planted immediately when I moved here and lost the tags.  The other was a gift from a gardener when I was a new homeowner. I try to continue the tradition by dividing these daffodils to give as housewarming gifts. Moving in?  Let me know and I'll give you some. But you'll have to wait until the ground thaws. 

Countdown to Spring: Daylilies

Daylilies, named for the blooms that last for one day, are my new favorite perennial.  I used to stay away from them because my grandmother had some daylilies planted around the foundation of her house.  The plants had to be nearly as old as the house; they grew too well, overtaking any other plants nearby. Once the flowers were done, the leaves were tall and scraggly. They were orange, which I never minded, but at one time orange was considered unfashionable.  (I've never understood this philosophy of colors coming in and out of vogue--I just love color!) But now daylilies are bred to stay in one place.  And they come in a wide range of colors, from pale yellow to mauve to rose, and--of course--orange. Eventually I broke down and planted those old fashioned orange daylilies, and they bloom in the hottest part of summer, holding up to the blazing sun with their bright colors and strong constitutions. Daylilies will need dividing eventually; you'll know because the flowers won't bloom as profusely. Reliable. Hearty.  Colorful.  Daylilies are the perfect Minnesota beauties for every garden. 

 

Countdown to Spring: Sunflowers

Sunflowers are striking--flowers with brilliant colors of sunlight in summer atop tall stems. New gardeners may not know that sunflowers are surprisingly versatile. Yes, some varieties grow as tall as 15 feet with bright yellow flowers, but there's more! Some grow only two to three feet tall, some branch out to include several flowers per stem, some are fuzzy (such as Honey Bear,) and colors range from yellow to gold to mahogany to wine-red. Here's a couple of tricks for planting.  Soak the seeds overnight.  Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the newly planted seeds to keep away the critters that like to eat the seeds.  If you live in an area with wildlife, once the seeds start to ripen, protect the flowers and the stems.  One year the stems were knocked over and the flowers half-eaten (we suspect raccoons).  For an impressive salad, add the edible flower petals.