Tuesday, March 15, 2011

March GBBD plus Daffodil Rescue

Tulipa clusiana with cactus
Where does the time go? Where did winter fly to? It seems like one day it was snowy and freezing, and the next it was spring and the daffodils were popping up everywhere! And with that, my gardening life kicked into high gear. And my blogging life slowed to nothing. I've been meaning to blog about all the wonderous things that started happening around here when spring started but I just got too busy. But no excuses, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is here, courtesy of Carol at May Dreams Gardens. So it's time to take stock of my blooming pretties, check out some other blooming pretties at Carol's blog, and share with you a daffodil "rescue" I did recently. Hopefully you won't mind a few blooms from a couple of weeks ago that I really meant to share with you.

Tulipa clusiana
This year I bought several (okay, quite a few) bulbs from Old House Gardens and I splurged on this little baby, a species tulip, Tulipa clusiana. Because these are so dear, I put a few in my stock tank and a few on my hard-to-please hillside, for insurance purposes in case they didn't like one or the other spots. These are the first to bloom and they're in the stock tank. They seem very happy here but the ones on the hillside are coming along too.

Peony sprouts!
Oh yes, Virginia, I do plan to try my hand at growing peonies in the South. One baby step at a time though. Not technically a bloom, but thrilling to me nonetheless.

'Wisley Blue' starflowers
Staying with the bulb theme, these starflowers are real keepers as they seem very hardy.

A few daffodils from my yard
I don't know the variety of most these daffs but the top left is 'Jetfire' and the bottom right is 'Ice Follies'. And speaking of 'Ice Follies' ...

'Ice Follies' (mostly) in front yard
Last spring at the Jonquil Jubilee in Gibsland, I plunked down a dollar for a raffle ticket. The prize? 1,000 'Ice Follies' daffodils planted whereever you liked. Lo and behold, I won! Of course, I wondered what on earth I was going to do with all of them and then I realized - I live on a corner lot and I really should share these with the neighborhood. So last fall, Will Baker came out and planted them (something I never could have done myself!). I can't really tell if there's a thousand there, and I don't really care! This variety is supposed to be really good for naturalizing in this area, and I've found out they last a long time in a vase. I hope they spread out and more people in my neighborhood will plant some!

Yes, my ice-encased flowering quince survived and bloomed!
Leveling for a tiny stock tank pond
Here's some of the work we've been doing. Husband moved my bird bath to put a little stock tank pond in (tank is awaiting leveling). Leveling is hard to do! Pam has generously offered me a division of one of her miniature water lilies, so Pam, the pond is ready! And in exchange, I'm giving Pam some of the daffodils I rescued from an old house.

Back of old house; note the massive crapemyrtle on the left
A co-worker lives near this old house and told me about the many varieties of daffodils blooming there. When I showed interest in them, he kindly found the owner and asked if we could dig a few daffs up. The owner's son agreed (the owner is 100 years old!) and we had a really interesting time looking and digging. I think it was a grand old house at one time.

Front door (minus the porch)
Old tree - is it dead?
Pine trees, privet and other "weeds" had invaded the property, but the daffs were still along a drive, near the house, and in the culvert.

Old driveway with just-bloomed "Lent lilies," some 'Butter and Eggs', and currently blooming redbud tree in background
I'm just learning my daffodils but I think we saw Lent lilies (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), 'Butter and Eggs', 'Grand Primo' (or else 'Early Girl'), campernelles and 'Sweeties' (sometimes called 'Louisiana Sweeties' or 'Sweetness'). Pam - I dug some Lent lilies for you.

'Grand Primo' or 'Early Girl'?? You tell me.
Field of 'Sweeties', campernelles and other daffodils
As Texans go wildflower peeping and Northeasterners go leaf peeping, I go daffodil peeping in early spring.

Duba enjoying the spring morning sun and his mixed cat greens from Renee's Garden
OK, Duba doesn't have anything to do with blooms but I thought he was cute.

Please visit Carol's blog to see what other new spring beauties abound (in the northern hemisphere at least)!

This post was written by Jean McWeeney for my blog Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog. Copyright 2010. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

23 comments:

  1. I love that daffodil rescue - it seems that down south you all are very interested in daff varieties, more so than up here in CT. I love the way a blooming redbud can just light up the woods, and t. clusiana is precious and delicate and sweet.

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  2. I can't wait to give the Lent lilies a try, Jean! I like knowing a little of the story behind them.

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  3. A thousand daffs - gasp...what a show! And your quince looks really nice.

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  4. I can't believe you can pick all those types of daffodils from your yard! Love the Ice Follies en masse. And the idea of searching out daffodils.

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  5. The blooms on your flowering quince are gorgeous, I think I might have to have one! Our yard is a wreck, but putting in new gardens is half the fun of a new house!

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  6. i love those tulips but have had terrible luck growing them...

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  7. Duba is very cute, I wouldn't mind photos of him every bloom day! All of your photos are awesome. And wow, 1,000 daffodils in your front yard, your neighbors must love you. :)

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  8. Oh I used to have a flowering quince and I miss her so! What beautiful photos of the old house! Great post!

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  9. I love the idea of a daffodil rescue - and a daffodil prize that you managed to share so beautifully. Wonderful post.

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  10. Hello Jean
    I love your tulps !
    Glad to meet you through GBBD.
    Greetings from Belgium !

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  11. Jean, What a delicious come to life dream~rescuing daffs! The older Southern daffodils are beauties~I am going to look up the campernelles. I have the same Grand Primo or Early Girl~Not sure which! Happy Bloom Day. gail ps I really enjoyed your article about stock tanks!

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  12. Hi, Jean! I'm so glad you shared all the spring scenes in your neighborhood with us from your own species tulips to the old house and farm, and yes, Duba deserves the spotlight, too:) I was excited when I saw your starflowers--I ordered a few of these last fall and planted them, just because they looked so pretty in the catalog. Now I'm anxious to see if they come up here. I was wowed by your display of daffodils, but even better is that someone else planted all these for you! Now there's a prize I would like to win:) Happy Bloom Day and happy spring.

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  13. He is very cute. In fact, he is darling. I have a thing for daffs. They are faves of mine. Yours are simply lovely, and your story of the rescue made me smile. Thank you for rescuing some of them.~~Dee

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  14. I wonder if we have any old houses around here? What a wonderful find and what a prize. 1000- what a job! Oh, but what a reward.
    You veggy area looks os tidy. I can see you keep things clear in between the beds. Mustn't let my husband see that. And the quince- what a beauty. That would look so pretty in my English garden. Wonder if it needs full sun.

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  15. My sister just bought an unloved 100 year old farm house. We just finished pulling up the blue shag carpet, sanding, scraping black glue, and staining the beautiful hardwood floors. We are both avid gardeners and we were trying to guess what was planted around the house. It is fun looking at old houses and trying to guess what its history was. I bet you had fun. Nice cat.

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  16. Your daffodils are glorious! I can't wait to see what your peony looks like when it blooms.

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  17. I love the daffodils in the front yard! Great idea!

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  18. Jean, love the daffodils in the front! The stock tank is going to look awesome.

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  19. Love the old homestead and your new raised bed garden of course. That green eyed cat is a looker.

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  20. What a wonderful adventure! Terrific story, and the flowers are beautiful.

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  21. 1,000 daffodils planted in your yard?? You won the lottery, not just a raffle! Love the cat, old house, and all the beautiful blooms. :o)

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  22. Love that little species tulip...such a cutie;-) What a 'win' that was: all those daffs! And to have them planted for you as well? Priceless! Hope this finds spring 'springing' even further along than when you wrote this! I have similar problems with 'ideas' and 'blog posts'...I have so many ideas and photos but getting them into an actual post is a whole 'nother story;-)

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  23. i too love the species tulips. i bought some plants from old house gardens (located in the town i grew up in) and they're doing great. how fun that you won the planting of 1000 daffs! your neighbors are going to love you...! keep rescuing those plants, and the next time you're in central texas, let me know :) ! -andrea

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