Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Floral census

In the pleasure grounds before suppertime today the following were observed in bloom: English peas; the first hyacinth flowers, blue ones, on the oak motte and near the front porch; five blue florists' anemones (with two white ones not yet open); alliums, in pots only, not in the ground, yet; dozens of Montopolis narcissus flowers; rosemary; both all-yellow and orange-and-yellow milkweeds; a few nasturtiums in pots, sweet William; five of those very sturdy mystery daffodils, naturalizing well in the grass (I think this is year three for them; as they stay open, either the trumpets darken or the perianths lighten some, although they begin as the same color; the trumpets are fluted and have no ruffle on the edge); and stock (this is from Lone Star seed; it didn't bloom last year and went through the summer and now the winter so far undamaged; we have grown these successfully just twice, both times years ago and also from Lone Star seed). All the flowers just reported are not near the street. Near the street and open are just a few Avalanche and Grand Primo flowers. On many Valentine's eves or days there are Ice Follies ready for stealing and presentation to the larcenous ones' sweethearts. They won't be ready this year.

2 Comments:

At 2:39 PM, February 15, 2008, Blogger Annie in Austin said...

Hi Rantor,

Many garden bloggers are posting their February blooms today for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. It's the 13th month we've been doing it. You have quite an impressive list!

I wonder if your mystery daffodil is similar to the one on my post - mine look all yellow when new, but the cup gets kind of orangish-gold with time.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

 
At 3:43 PM, February 15, 2008, Blogger Rantor said...

I did a long comment but it disappeared. The scale in your depiction eludes me, but the cup definitely appears to be ruffled and quite wide (not the case with the mystery flower described). I can't tell whether the trumpet is reeded or grooved as is the case here. The stems here are very sturdy, not tall at all, with the flower proportionately, although not absolutely, large. These are sturdy and last very well. They begin lemon (not greenish-yellow) before the colors diverge. The trumpet may approach egg-yolk color, but I wouldn't quite say it's orange. We have so many mystery bulbs for several reasons (including bulk bargain buys of bulbs for Southern naturalizing in years past from White Flower Farm and from Pak, plus we've found that local nurseriess when it's very late in the season just tend to toss a mixed lot in a container and anyone who inquires about them is sometimes offered the lot or at least massive quantities of mystery items for practically no money at all. We have three pots of pink cyclamens that have wintered outdoors, one a reappearance from last year. I tend to report what's blooming when it's new, but every once in a while I try a little census. I'll try to remember the fifteenth.

 

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