Bogturtle's Garden- March 2024

Sold everywhere, this time of year, and one pot was planted at the base of the Sourgum Tree by the front walk. Just keeps getting better and better. The dwarf called 'Tete a Tete'.

                                                                                                           Half inch wide flowers on what is often called the 'white forsythia'. Abeliophylum distichum, a Korean native, but reported to be rare, there. At any rate, my bush is sparse, getting quite a bit of shade, and tinted pink, which frequently happens with cooler weather. In fact, a pink form does exist.

I suppose this is the typical 'Lenten Rose'. Some sort of Helleborus hybrid, likely. If I had my druthers, I'd appreciate the flowers facing out or up, but this plant is always welcome, as Winter ebbs. I tried to get the camera low enough to catch the inside of a flower, but then, of course, I could not tell what the camera was really catching. So many beautiful sorts are on the market now, but I am really past making additions to the property. I expect few new plants to report upon.  I do have one showing some pink, and also a number of young ones, with the plants just seeding about.

Breath of Spring is probably at its best right now.

Edgewortha chrysantha, the 'paperbush' is looking especially good. I don't care for the odor, but others do.  Did try the brilliantly red orange sort called 'Akebana'. Likely, I will not try again. Not as hardy, to my knowledge ad E. chrysantha.

The shrub is growing around another that will soon be in bloom. Pieris 'Cavantine' a fine evergreen.

The Cornelia Cherry, looking like it will be in bloom two weeks from now, is the most familiar species to Americans. Thomas Jefferson had it on his property, and, apparently, groves are cultivated in the places in Russia. But here is the earlier Cornus officianalis, from Japan. I suppose you can use the super sour fruit just as you would the Cornelian Cherry. 

Prunus mume is in full bloom now.

There should be 3 sorts of the common Viola odorata in the lens shaped bed just outside the bank of windows in this room. But the Rabbit liked what was green in the Winter and so the plants are  recuperating.  I hope, with much more green available, the Rabbit will find enough to leave these plants alone. 

Today being the 16th, it is good to see the patch of yellow Violets have recuperated and are blooming with the others in the lens shaped bed in back of the house. Suceeded, as I often do, with getting a finger in the photo. I think this apricot yellow Violet may be just a sub-species of V. odorata. Likely V. odorata 'Sulfurea' or 'Irish Elegance'. Matches photos on the web.

Below is another neat color, growing with the others yellow and bubble gum pink sorts, and it has also recovered from being  browsed by the Rabbit. He or she is sitting just outside my window, here, as dark falls, munching on the newly emerging grass. 

The Gray Fox. One of two that visit the leftovers tossed out by the barn. I can only post this because the camera is low in power and not taking the requested 10 second long video. 

Only part of the story, and like many animals, this Raccoon is trying to look bigger, to intimidate some other animal.

The Siberian Squill, or Scilla siberica, is only about 5 inches tall, with hardly an inch wide flowers, but among the few flowers that really do approach an actual blue color. In a number of places, with these growing among the stones in the front walk.

Just outside the bedroom window, with considerable shade, the Korean Rhododendron named R. mucronulatum is in bloom.  Not blasted by bitter, late weather, as in other years, it has been in bloom for a week, today being 3/16. Commonly purple pink, this is the rarer form R. m.'Alba'.  Another form exists, that is pure pink, R. m. 'Rochester'.

All sorts of Daffodils in sensible and unlikely places.

 

Corylopsis 'Gotoana' with the flower chains. This shrub is among the most graceful of the sorts, here. All the Corylopsis are called, commonly, 'Winter Hazels'

The view from where I sit to eat dinner. To the left, the tall tree, with duller yellow flowers is the Cornelian Cherry, Cornus mas. I expect it must be just about in full bloom, but bright sun would make the photo better. The bright yellow is Corylopsis 'Gotoana' again. 

Cornus mas, close up.

Growing where Camellias seem to like, under very high pine trees, this sort has shown some red tips in the buds, all Winter. Camellia japonica 'Crimson Candles', I believe. 

Many of the finer Crocus, with larger blooms, have been planted over the years.  Only occasionally do some show up, like the fine striped form called 'Pickwick'.

Tritella uniflora, the Spring Starflower. Growing in the bed between the house and back walk.  Flowers only about an inch wide.

This unusual Corydalis is planted as bulbs. C. solida 'G.P.Evans, I believe.  Very brief in bloom but, pleasingly, returning each Spring. Many of the rocks in the little rock garden are a type called Mica Schist, so they reflect the Sun blindingly, being full of reflective Mica bits.

'Crimson Candles' at its best, here.

As of this date, 3/26, Camellia 'Red Candles' has, largely shed all its flowers on to the ground, but the other C. japonica, here, C. 'Red Jade' has opened the first of its many buds. Growing just off the pool deck, giving a lot of shade to one end ofthe perennial area. The Lenton Roses thrive there.

One of the first plants brought here is the Forsythia called 'Karl Sax'. Not special aside from the somewhat larger individual flowers. Of the opinion that Forsythia should be allowed to attain a natural fountain shape, really disliking them being trimmed into neat little rounded buns, but to each his own.

Not common in S. Jersey, the Spicebush lights up the brown deciduous forests, as you drive by. They typify N. Jersey hills. S. Jersey woods have far more evergreen, like American Holly, Red Cedar and sorts of pine. The Spicebush interests, me. Lindera benzoin, having an obscure species in the orient, as so many species here do. 

Dirca palustris, the 'Wicopy', with twin flowers like little eardrops, is another relative of the Spicebush. An obscure native shrub of use by the first people because the bark will rip in long, amazingly strong strips, good for binding or weaving. 

Corylopsis pauciflora makes up for the few, paucity, of blooms in each dangling cluster by producing many such bloom clusters. Just another Winter Hazel, such being, generally, not well know and underused.

Interesting that the vanilla scented, evergreen Clematis called C. armandi 'Snow Drift' actually is reacting badly to this sudden onset of rather cold weather. It is among the vines that hide the side of the above ground pool from where we park the vehicles, just beyond the main perennial garden.

More C. armandi.

Already gone past, but too interesting not to include, this is, I believe, Gelsemium sempervirens, and covers itself with little yellow flowers in the worst of February. A romping, tall ground cover, needing room. As I always say, mine is purposely trained up into the lattice fence surrounding the pool deck.

Taken through the bedroom window. A few flowers of the commonest of deciduous Magnolias, M. soulangia, I think, actually overhangs the house

The simply beautiful, almost turquoise little Grape Hyacinth called 'Valerie Finnis' grows among the bulbs along the back walk.