Thursday, April 28, 2016

tiny marvels

Last June I attended the Town Library Plant and Bake Sale. It's a community event; contributors donate thinnings from their own gardens or flats of seedlings from their greenhouses.

One plant I chose was an epimedium.
I planted it at the base of a young oak tree surrounded by ferns, and by July it looked three times it's original size and seemed quite happy:

July 2015

In Autumn, it's leaves took on a semi-coppery sheen,
and when the "last" snow melted (quite recently, and possibly not the last at all), the remaining leaves looked like this:


As my world begins to green up, I've been keeping a close eye on the many, many places where I planted perennials last year, hoping for signs that the plants wintered well and will be back and thriving this year.

Last week, I was thrilled to find a glimpse of green at the base of that oak tree. A single stalk, elegantly arched over a cluster of deep pink buds:


And then another:



Just a few days later, there were more green stalks, unfurling, and many buds:



And now the first flower has opened!


I had to almost stand on my head for that picture, but I wanted you to get a sense of how threadlike these stems are, and how tiny the flowers. (In case it's not clear, those pink logs to the left are my fingertips.)

When I bought this plant, it was past flowering, so these flowers are a complete and wonderful surprise.

I have an illustrated list of many epimedium varieties, kindly given to me at a nursery last year. At some point, I will locate that list - probably when I am looking for a spool of thread or a screwdriver or a phone number - and then perhaps I can identify the plant with some certainty. Meanwhile, tentative identification: Epimedium alpinum 'Rubrum.'

Whatever it's botanical name, it's an unlikely-looking gem of a plant to appear and bloom at this changeable time of year. I'm thrilled to bits that it's back!

What happy returns have you found in your gardens this year?
~~~~~

10 comments:

  1. What a weird and amazing flower.

    Not a lot in our garden, but I'm just so happy to see the trees greening.

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  2. Wonderful discovery! I don't recall seeing that flower before. Its charming in a weird way.

    Seedlings...nasturtium are leggy, squash is acting like a teenager with first car keys, the balsam is slow, snapdragons need re-potting, and I'm still wondering why the radishes in a peat pot.

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  3. I've never seen this one before - is the center white part waxy (for lack of a better word)? It looks like it might be. Alas no gardening here, beyond a couple of tomato plants & some herbs on the balcony.

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    1. I'll have to go out and stand on my head again to check...will get back to you!

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  4. Sand...I've found sand, here in the desert! What a beautiful flowering plant...what a grand surprise (and your photos - SIGH!!!). Happy Thursday - here's to more surprises in your garden!

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  5. Sure looks like the pictures of Red Barrenwort to me (the more common name of the plant you mentioned). It's beautiful and such a joy to see lovely plants at this time of year!

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    Replies
    1. We're now having three dry, sunny days in a row, so lots of plants are starting to appear. Sure hope they don't get frosted like many of the very earliest risers did.

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  6. What a sweet and intricate little flower. I would be thrilled to have it return and flower as well! It reminds me of a mini columbine. So happy for you that it survived all that snow.
    I'm happy that my iris have returned. I had to transplant them last year, and although I waited until the gardening man told me (Aug), by then a lot of them had been attacked by grubs. They seem to all be doing well this year though, and I see I missed a few in the original flower bed. These are all my mom's iris, so happy that they didn't disappear all together! Have a great weekend Quinn, and I hope you find some more surprises peeking out from under the leaves :)
    Wendy

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  7. That must have made you smile a huge smile!!! What tiny gems to open up springtime in your yard! Wow, they are beautiful.

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  8. Thank you for writing about the sweet things that happen in nature, like the anticipation, and then the actual return, of a plant. This sure is a pretty one. I thought it was a columbine at first. Being a former New Englander, I am reminded, as I read your posts, of the olden days of short springs. In Nashville, we have long and beautiful springs. Have a nice day.

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