March 16, 2024 Six on Saturday

I survived Environmental Law and now can get back to dreaming of Spring and keeping my tulips and daffodils watered. Insane to think of watering in March – it does not bode well. We did get a nice gentle soaking rain yesterday. Only an inch in my area, according to the maps. I will take what I can get! Things have dried out, so it must be time to celebrate impending Spring with a garden tour that will take us around the world! Join us if you want by visiting Jim at Garden Ruminations and post six pictures from around the garden, or just enjoy what you see!

I noticed on the way to my bus the other day that things are sprouting in a planter near one of the dormitories. Suddenly, there was a grid of tiny plants with white flowers – some kind of squill, I guess. Super cute. I recall seeing flats of royal catchfly, Silene regia, in that area in the fall, so I will watch to see if they come up. Hummingbirds like them, but small insects get stuck on the sticky plant and die. Supposedly, the plants do not even take nutrition from the dead insects, but do use enzymes to break down the rotting insects. I wonder if hummingbirds eat the insects…that would make me feel better about introducing it into my garden. See this pretty picture from my fave native plant vendor, Prairie Moon Nursery

But back to the Squills… They are cute!

Another diminutive surprise is the crocus that appeared this year in the lawn. I suspects squirrels are rearranging the landscape and someone is missing a crocus this year.

The chives are up. The first edible thing from my garden each year. I see a mushroom omelette in my future with young fresh chives. I am going to try violet leaves in a salad this year, but I have not seen them emerging yet.

The rhubarb has wisely kept is leaves tight for now. We still have chances for more cold and heavy wet snow, though it has been worryingly spring like for March. Still too cold at night for the rain barrels to go out.

My most recent stroll in Centennial Gardens showed progress on both snowdrops and winter aconite, but the only other color I spied was this nice ruby red sempervivum. I do not recall if it stays so red in summer, and guess not. I love that the flower stalks are so tall compared to the compact little plants, tough these are not yet blooming. Proof that if you consider the environment, you can find something lovely that will grow, even on rocky dry terrain.

I see signs of Agastache, Geum triflorum, Zizia aureus, and Aquilegia, leaf bud break on the lilacs, and worry the weeping cherry may be getting ahead of itself. Late winter is too warm for its own good, yet it is hard not to enjoy it.