Sunday, April 28, 2024

Bulbs Update

While it's raining outside, it's a perfect time to share these photos. The large daffodils have survived year two and are looking good! 
The clearance crocus came up and the foliage looks fantastic, but below is the only flower. Did I plant too late? Were the bulbs defective? Or is something eating the flowers before I see them? I check each day, but critters are quick. 

It's year two for the tulips, too, and I'm surprised (and happy!) they've survived. Although you can't tell from the photo, this pop of color glows. 
I experimented with new daffodils, alliums, and snowdrops. I'm not sure if the snowdrops made it, unless they're late, because there's a blank space where they were planted.
This is year three for the daffodils below. I lost one small cluster because I mowed over them by mistake...many times. But they look like they're multiplying. 
Bonus: Prairie Smoke is blooming! These native flowers continue to amaze me, surviving in spite of adverse conditions. 

Friday, April 19, 2024

Indoor Succulents

Imagine my surprise when my somewhat neglected indoor succulents have decided to bloom. The one above is silver squill (Ledebouria). It is poisonous to people and plants. The photo above is after I cleaned it up a bit. Below is all the leggy flower stalks.
I'm not sure what kind the one below is, but it's got an interesting flower. 
You can see in the background that we're having a rain storm. Normally, we'd have a blizzard this time of year with all this water falling from the sky. I am NOT complaining. I'm happy with the rain, which helps with the drought, and the warmer temperatures mean I can walk outside. 
I believe the plant below is Kalanchoe tomentosa. Small leaves have dropped to the soil, and because I've been too busy to notice, they created little baby plants. I repotted one of them. Hopefully it will grow up to be as pretty as its parent plant. 




Tuesday, April 16, 2024

First Daffodil

The first daffodil! I remember only one other time in my life when daffodils bloomed this early. More will bloom (I hope), but the first daffodil is something special. 

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Seed starting and spring fever

Am I starting seeds too soon? These lanky seedlings would say yes. I'll probably re-seed. The photo below is a different tray from March 27 after we got over a foot of snow. It's melting slowly, which is good for replenishing groundwater and not so good for someone who wants to play in the garden.