Wood squill (Scilla siberica)
One day, there are snowdrifts in the yard at least three feet deep, and not a shrub or a garden feature (think stone lanterns and birdbaths) can be seen. The next day, the snow is vanishing into the good dark earth, and greenery is popping up everywhere.
The Siberian squill in the south east corner is about to bloom, and the first delicate sprigs of bloodroot, trout lilies and daffodils are already making an appearance. It remains to be seen how many perennials made it through the winter this time around, but I am hopeful about the mints, lavenders, sages, thymes and lupins.
There are no worries about the roses in the garden which are Canadian Explorer roses and hardy to -35 Celsius (-31 Fahrenheit), but just to be on the safe side, I covered them all last autumn. This year I will add a Kordes climber called "Kiss Me Kate", can't resist its fragrance, old rose shape and impressive stature. The critter can reach ten feet in height, and it blooms all season long.
On morning walks, grasses thrust themselves out of sunlit puddles in the park, and ducks paddle up and down the little stream among the trees. The air is full of birdsong, and every feathered singer in the overstory seem to be declaring his (or her) delight in the season.
It has been a long cold winter, and we thought it would never end. Now, we can hardly believe our good fortune, and every sunbeam, leaf and tiny bloom is a gift. There is still some rough weather to come, but we are tough old sticks, and we can do this.
2 comments:
What an exquisite photo of that little wood squill and I can almost smell that rose. So beautiful! What do you cover your roses with?
Those are beautiful photos! I can almost smell that rose...What do you cover your roses up with for the winter?
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