March 15 Late Winter Round up

I had a much needed vacation day today, and a gloriously sunny day it was. I did not do any work in the garden, but I did poke around to see what was happening.

I see leaf break on my lilacs, and the buds on the weeping cherry are not as tight as I would like, given that we are still having frost overnight.

The daffodils are up and one looks ready to open in the next few days. Tulip leaves, but no flowers yet. I can usually have a nice bouquet by my girlfriend’s birthday April 23, and since she lives out of the country, I text her a bouquet each year. Grape hyacinth are starting to send flower stalks up.

Early natives: Golden Alexanders (Zizia aureus) is sending up reddish new leaves in the sixth image. Under last years growth are new green leaves of Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) – second photo. Agastache foeniculum is putting up its lovely purple tinged early leaves and also many reseeds that will be plucked for tea in due time – first photo. I can see the persistent leaves of the tiny Stout Blue Eyed Grass ( Sisyrinchium angustifolium) that I had hoped would reseed or spread in some way, but maybe it is a slow grower or not perfectly happy in its spot. (fifth photo) Some leaves of native columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) have appeared as well. In a month, we will be well on out way!

I also have new turkey tail fungus!