Yes, it was a beautiful sunny day today. My pal Phil saw his shadow this morning, as did our wonderful construction paper groundhogs. I wish you could have seen the excitement in the children's faces when they saw exactly what I have been telling them.
Tradition tells us we will now have six more weeks of winter. Long before there were weather satellites animals and insects were routinely used by farmers to aid in predicting planting time. Supposedly they would gauge the arrival of spring by watching the hibernating animals, bears, groundhogs and woodchucks, waking up. Many claimed they could judge the severity of winter by the fuzz on caterpillars; the fuzzier the caterpillar, the colder the winter. Now we have high tech instruments to forecast weather trends. I'm not for sure they are any more accurate. They certainly are not as much fun.
While Phil has returned underground for a longer nap things are awakening behind my garden gate.
The pink Camellias are almost spent. They have been blooming since late December. The reds are ready to burst open. Camellias usually bloom this time of year. I'm not worried about a cold snap hurting them.
Both shrubs have been suffering from a blight, bug or something for a couple of years. Until this past summer both were in containers. They did very well for several years and then stopped blooming. Roger was ready to send them to the garbage heap until I came home from a nursery trip with a picture of a price tag from a comparable size shrub. He finally agreed they were worth trying to salvage. We planted them in the ground and they both flourished. Well, except as I said, they do have something going on. I've been treating it with a systemic to no avail. Once the blooms are gone I am hoping to find a cure and have healthy plants by the next blooming season.
The Hellebore are loaded with blooms.
The Quince is blooming.
I would love to say the Lilac is ready to bloom as well, but it fooled me last year. I was so excited by what I thought were blooms. Alas, I did not have a single flower. I was so disappointed. I am not expecting much with with the mild winter we are having. I am after all on the wrong side of the border for successfully growing lilacs anyway.
I must say seeing things beginning to emerge and bloom does whet my desire to to start digging in the dirt. I'm still holding out for just a little snow.
holding out for snow! Why???
ReplyDeleteS
xo
I love your "hibernate" wall chart. So sweet!
ReplyDeleteOur local groundhog predicted that winter is almost over. We'll see if he's right!
The groundhogs are adorable and your flowers are so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteBeth, Thank you! I am not for sure it really matters, but it is a lot of fun to speculate. Hug! Bonnie
ReplyDeleteYour class's groundhogs-all-in-a-row are darling, and a great lesson for children. In a lot of ways, it's the "funnest" holiday. I have adopted Coney Island Chuck, who did not see a shadow. Too bad, Phil!
ReplyDeletei can't remember where you live bonnie....i am thinking it's cold there and i am not familiar with plants that offer such beautiful flowers in cold climates.
ReplyDeletethe paper groundhogs are adorable, what a wonderful project!!
Have you taken some clippings of the sick plants to your local nursery? They can usually tell you the problem and sell you something to bring them back to health.
ReplyDeleteEven if the groundhogs are right, that would mean we would only have 6 week of winter the entire year. For those of us in the Middle Atlantic states, spring came in December. Come to think of it, November was nice also.
I am enjoying the sun on my face and just wearing a sweater on my back. It might turn on me tomorrow, so I am living in the glories of today.
I can tell you're a wonderful teacher!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a bloom...it's so brown here and I have spring fever bad. I hate it when I'm over winter but know there's still a couple more months to go!
Snow is in the forecast for this weekend...only our second of the winter. I'm actually excited but only if it's short lived. My garden does need a drink.
Have a lovely weekend ~
The pink camellia looks like one in my aunt's yard that has been there for years. It is a pink perfection. Yours looks like it has a scale problem. I think it might be an insect....but I'm not sure. I'll bet the undersides of the leaves look kinda messy wiht some white and gray stuff maybe???
ReplyDeleteIt might need a little iron, too...yellowish leaves sometimes indicate a need for that. That might be why they improved once planted.
I'm glad your class had fun today. I was really expecting a long and hard winter this year. The acorns from our tree have never been bigger--as large as my thumb--and so many of them, too!!
Marsha
Wow ~ your flowers are amazing...some of them I have never seen before like the Hellebore and the Quince...they are beautiful. I am guessing the groundhog knows best, but here in Louisiana, we are also having a "spring like winter"! We will see what the next six weeks brings, but I am kind of enjoying this right now!
ReplyDeleteHello Bonnie:
ReplyDeleteYour line-up of Groundhogs are simply delightful. What fun the children must have had in creating them.
Your garden seems to be bursting into life. The Hellebores look absolutely wonderful. They are our favourite early spring flowers and we love those plummy shades that you show here.
Such a pity about your Camellias. It could be that they might benefit from a hard prune and a good feed after flowering but, for some shrubs, it is just the case that they do not flourish indefinitely, particularly if they started life as pot grown specimens.
Your flowers are so pretty. I would definitely keep trying to save them. I planted half a dozen lilacs last year and they already developed powdery mildew, which I am told is fatal. But I am trying to save them as well. Gardening can be both frustrating and rewarding, can't it?
ReplyDeleteWebb, It is funny the holidays or events we can come up with the celebrate. I've heard several other groundhogs did not see their shadow. Ha...I suppose we will just have to wait and see. My hibernating bears are going to stay asleep through February with dreams of valentines. Hugs, Bonnie
ReplyDeleteArleen, Taking some of the affected leaves to the nursery is my next plan. I did it a couple of years ago. That was when they said to treat them with a systemic. I think something needs to sprayed. Even with mottled leaves they seem to be so happy in the ground.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Bonnie
Layne, I can remember wearing shorts on Christmas day in Louisiana. It always seemed there would be a freeze just about the time Mother's camellias bloomed.
ReplyDeleteQuince is actually a fruit. I think you can actually make quince jelly. Even though I do get some fruit, I don't think it is the variety one might want to eat.
You might recognize Hellebores as Lenten Roses? There is as so a Christmas Rose. I have several varieties and am in love with them. Hugs, Bonnie
Jane and Lance, I do think there is hope for the Camellias. Our garden fair is later this month; there are always plenty of Master Gardeners on hand to give advice. They seem so happy in the ground.
ReplyDeleteHellebores are one of my favorites as well. I have several varieties. I planted a new one last year, Mardi Gras. I am anxiously waiting to see if it blooms or if it needs another year. Hugs, Bonnie
I love your kids' art!!! Everyone is blogland is posting about the mild winter. We were supposed to get 10" of new snow, but only saw 4" yesterday. Has me wondering what Mother Nature has in store for us!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great weekend!
Hugs,
Zuzu
Bonnie, I hadn't seen your post -- so funny how much a like. I think all of gardeners get excited this time of year. Your camellias are gorgeous. Mine aren't in full bloom yet, lots of buds.
ReplyDeleteYour groundhogs are so cute too. Happy weekend!
Julie
Those are very stunning hellebores, mine never look like that.
ReplyDeleteThe camellia is beautiful, I love to see them in winter, although I can do without the brown blossoms when they fade...
Here in London, everything is white, not very common since our winters can be quite moderate.
Those construction paper ground hogs are adorable! We have trees and shrubs blooming and sprouting here. We also have wild green onions sprouting from the ground that usually doesn't happen until March and sometimes April. We haven't had a winter here, and that is fine with me, but I know the farmers need one in order to control certain insects and things.
ReplyDeleteHi Bonnie - I know exactly what you mean (in your post on y blog). Did you read "Ahab's Wife"? (I get the feeling you have read everything I have!)I never liked "Moby Dick" (or Melville for that matter!) or Captain Ahab, but I LOVE this book about Una, Ahab's wife!
ReplyDeleteI love the color of your quince! Mine has buds but isn't blooming yet. And why oh why are you holding out for snow??