The life and times of an eastern North Carolina garden.
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February
25, 2001
High of 70· predicted Rain I have a hard time believing it is still February. The shortest month of the year always feels like the longest one to me. It was rainy and overcast much of the afternoon but cleared up after 2pm. It's been busy outside for plants the last few weeks. The forsythia has been in bloom for about 3 weeks and the daffodils have been up for about 2. Some species of daffodils are almost finished while some have buds ready to open any day. The vinca has started growing new leaves and so has the red Maple tree, the Lady Bank's rose, Caryopteris and forsythia's. The Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) has already put up 4" of tightly furled leaves and stem and has some buds developing. The iris's have all been serious about throwing up new spears of green and the sedum's have all started putting out wee little cabbage headed buds. If you look closely you can see some plants have a little whorl of leaves out already: the Rudbeckia "Goldstrum's", the Penstemon's and the Pink Achillea. SOME plants never really died back and have put on a great amount of new growth: fennel, lamb's ear, oregano and the ever loving WEEDS. Even the Cilantro seedlings I planted too late in the year haven't fulled died. The side where all of these herbs reside is the South side and it IS very protected and about 10 degrees warmer than any other place in the yard. Today's warm weather was so welcome even with the little bit of rain. It only reached 67 degrees and last year today was at 78 degrees but after all the cold we've had this winter, it just needs to hurry up and be 90 degrees again. I'm sick of winter. ..... We took a tulip tree seedling that had parked itself about 3" away from the house behind one of the compacta's. Not a good place. We dug it up and transplanted it, along with a pine that we pulled up out of the herb garden, on the side of the front yard - the cotton field side- up towards the road. We also planted about 18-20, mid height, gladioli's in the large perennial bed at the back by the fence, on the upper left hand corner. I have
to make such details available because I can't remember where I've put
what from year to year. Which is one of the reasons for this garden journal.
February
2, 2001
Happy Groundhog's Day.
So. Six more weeks of winter time eh Phil? I don't like that prediction one bit buddy. I'm tired of cold. And it is, cold I mean. It got cold and cloudy again. Ugh. I go back to my archives to cheer myself up because the daffs were blooming in March last year. I can't wait! Last Sunday I cut some Forsythia, Yoshino Cherry and Quince branches to bring inside for forcing. They had fat buds and I can't wait to see if I get some flowers off of them. The daffodils are showing signs of
life. Their leaves have pushed up out of the ground about 3" now. I just
like going out to feel the nice new green growth.
February
1, 2001
The last two days have made everyone hungry for spring temperatures. 70· both days and sunny with a breeze. I certainly haven't wanted to be sitting in this office this week. I visited down at the greenhouses
the other day and walked through touching the plants and just smelling
that "green" smell. I miss that place so much. I miss working with plants.
I did find four new plants that I do NOT have and put 3 of each on hold. Some annual Heliotrope, Gaura "Siskyou Pink" and the new Perennial 2001 Plant of the year: Karl Forester, and Verbascum x "Southern Charm".
Look at that stuff. How beautiful. It is a perennial and a cottage garden plant. I have been wanting some of this for years. Since it is in the Verbascum family, the leaves are similar to the common Mullein and are soft , fuzzy and grayish green in color. It blooms in June and then on and off until September. For zones 5-8. It does sometimes act as a biennial so I guess I need to collect some seed just in case. Now my only dilemma is which bed to put it in!! Probably in my new perennial bed.
Stuart and I planted a line of 'Green Giant' Thuja's along the back of the property line with them extending partially up the side of the property next to the cotton field. The North/North East side. We did this about 3 weeks ago. I hope they make it. I want a solid wall of green back
there. We did leave a break in the trees where I am going to install a
white gate in a few years....a beckoning to go exploring. If it ends up
as half as beautiful in reality as it is in my mind, even that will be
spectacular.
All photo copyrighted to owners. No malicious intent
is intended with the inclusion of any here. Verbascum flower ©
Burpee
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