Spring has finally arrived to east-central Wisconsin and it couldn't be more perfect. A couple of inches of rain and cold earlier in the week are now tempered with sunny days in the high 60's to low 70's. This will be a spectacular season as long as the temperatures stay mild. Throughout the gardens plants are literally bursting into new growth and bloom as is the case with these primulas...
Picea abies 'Acrocona' showing its penchant for putting out cones at the tips of new growth...
The star magnolias are coming on strong throughout the gardens...
There are many helebores at the peak of perfection, while others are just now developing because of their colder and shadier garden locations...
Tulipa tarda or waterlily tulip is always a brilliant ray of sunshine upon coming into bloom...
Buds are swelling on the smaller of two Butterflies magnolias and should be open within a week...
More daffodils come into bloom daily but there is a lot of season left to come. as these are only the earliest of the cultivars. Generally we have six weeks of daffodil bloom, the length of which is pretty much regulated by the temperatures...
I am absolutely thrilled with these tiny daffodils planted last fall and look forward to the grown being covered with their bloom in the future...
The rockery appears to have sustained a great many losses this year but the Anemone pulsatilla are not among them... these are among my favorite harbingers of spring...
The pulmonarias have also managed the wet winter well and they cover the ground in several areas with bountiful blooms...
The two trees of Wada's Memory magnolia are full of bloom as is the norm. Wada's Memory is very dependable. It is prone to weak crotches and the time has come for me to add some cables as I wouldn't want to lose the larger one. A second tree stands behind the larger so generally doesn't show up in photos, growing in a bit more shade, its bloom is not quite as heavy...
I've installed daffodils in a number of other 'wilder' areas of the gardens... especially where the five large trees were removed earlier. This area holds a lot of potential for the future and I wish I were able to start developing it right now, but my health concerns are not allowing for that at the moment.
Following are some other views from the gardens this weekend...
Just a word of follow-up regarding my surgery on Thursday past. It was not successful although they were able to install a stent which has allowed me to stop using the narcotic pain killers which I so vehemently despise. In addition to causing me to sleep way more than is necessary, they also depress me. I am glad to be past that, at least for now. I have surgery scheduled again this coming Thursday and very likely the Thursday following that. Thankfully both of the bus tours scheduled for next week canceled for a number of reasons... a God-thing I think, considering the fact that I am very restricted in how much I can do in the gardens and He is aware of what is best for us despite our own stubbornness! Because of the constant bleeding I'm experiencing, there was no way I could prepare for these tours at this time. I want to thank those of you who have expressed concern as well as those who have prayed for me... I am anxious to get past this bump in the road!
Happy spring to you all...
Larry
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