April 30th - It's Looking A Lot More Like Spring

I always start to wonder in April what my garden looked like the previous year at the same time.  I plan on documenting the growth every Sunday until June and that way I can look back next Spring to compare.

One of the first signs of Spring in my yard is the blooming of the marsh marigold (Caltha palustris).  I have two varieties.  The yellow variety is a native plant.  I dug up this plant a few years ago along a highway in Prince Edward Island.  The plants add so much color early in the year when things are so drab.  Especially against the dark backdrop of the pond water.

Caltha palustris

 The second marsh marigold I acquired was Caltha palustris 'alba'.  I found it at a small perennial nursery outside of Halifax.  I owe a lot to the El Summit perennial nursery because that is the location of my first ever bamboo purchase.  The 'alba' variety is shorter and has white flowers.  These plants are both bog plants but I just keep mine in pots and sit them in the pond. 

Caltha palustris 'alba'

I planted a few Primula in a wet spot in the yard last year.  They were planted really late and were in quite sad shape at the time of planting.  I was surprised to see a few of them flowering this Spring.  I thought I would have had to wait another year.  



Primula denticulata

Check out the flowering native maples.  How beautiful.  What a shame this is the first year I noticed them.  It's funny how we often spend time and money to source unique beautiful plants that have a characteristic that only lasts a short time (magnolia, japanese maples etc...) and we don't notice the native plants around us. (or ID them)



Acer sp.

  This is my first bamboo Fargesia murielae.  I bought it May 3rd 2009.  The culms shoot really late in the summer and the branching occurs in the second season.  The branching is beginning  now.

 

Fargesia murielae


A quick shot just showing the height of the various perennials.  

Fargesia rufa is finally shooting.  This is the earliest of all the bamboo to shoot.  I planted it late last summer and I don't expect much of an upsize this year.  However, there are two shoots that are equal to the existing shoots diameter.  I check on them every morning before work.



Fargesia rufa




Fargesia rufa shoots

  The lungwort also blooms really early.  It provides a lot of color at a time when things are so drab.

Pulmonaria sp.  'Mrs. Moon'

 The Northern Golden Forsythia always puts on a good show.   I think they are outgrowing this spot and I plan on digging them up this summer and moving them to PEI.

Forsythia

Last weekend I was trimming the ornamental grasses and I found this nest.  I thought because I disturbed the site the mother may abandon the nest.  I never see the bird around so I am unable to ID the eggs yet.  I took a close up of the eggs so if you know anything about bird eggs and could ID them, post it in the comments.

Pretty sweet set up