Wednesday, May 12, 2010

So this is spring???

       Is this spring? What a roller coaster we have been on weather wise. From all that snow to highs in the 80's in April; in a two week period we went from winter to a brief glimpse of what summer may become. This has been a bizarre weather pattern and plants and animals are having trouble adjusting.
      The gardens are a haze of green and we already have lots on bloom. The Wisteria finally bloomed, or should I say after all these years the arbor was loaded with blooms and it has been worth the wait. This is an invasive plant and we will be containing it so it doesn't "escape" into the woods. We also have a native variety, Amethyst Falls, which should be blooming shortly- even prettier than the Chinese ( invasive).
       Now that I have told you how pretty it was I should mention that Jack Frost visited on May 10th and those blooms were nipped. Mother Nature has a way of reminding us who is control with a chilly 29 degrees, oh well there is always next year.The ground in the woodland garden is awash with the white blooms of Sweet Woodruff and a golden mass of Golden Alexander. The Hummingbird friendly blooms of our Red Buckeye are magnificent standing above the purple of Woodland Phlox and yellow of Epimedium. The white blooms of the Doublefile Viburnum round out the chorus and we are most fortunate none of these were affected by that quick freeze the other night. Hopefully those same Viburnum will berry shortly and the birds will have their long awaited feast. This is what it looked like last year.


      This time of year we get the most comments about our Opaka Viburnum, which is adorned with huge 5" white globe shaped blooms which makes it appear to be a  Hydrangea. I should have a "Guess this shrub" contest. Everyone usually sees it and I hear" Where did you get the snowball bush?" or " My snowball bush isn't blooming now- why is yours?" When I purchased this shrub it was in a 4" pot ( yes it was tiny) and I have been unable to find another one, so for all of you who are coveting it I am currently propagating it and it will be available in the fall. One thing to keep in mind, it is sterile- all bloom no berries.
       The gardens are  awake and so are all the critters; birds, bees and butterflies. The Ajuga bloomed late and has been a favorite of the bees. The Scarlet Honeysuckle has been claimed by an aggressive Hummingbird and Bluebirds are busy feeding their young in the boxes.
        We hosted a Wildlife Mapping Class at the farm last Sat. and we had a guided hike after it was over. We heard and saw a variety of birds, salamanders, frogs, tadpoles and newts. We did see the Jefferson Salamanders  which were discovered at Beagle Ridge last year in their larval stage.  We had two amazing naturalists/experts on the hike; Lou Verner from DGIF, our instructor, and his wife Holly Walker a wildflower expert who is now retired from DCR. It's great to see things through a new set of eyes which discover things we never see as we take the same trails.
        Yes I guess spring is finally here and summer is looming. Let's hope we can enjoy spring until June 21- probably a pipe dream but I will hope anyway. I am anxious to see our first fawn  it will not be long now.
       Well I had better get busy, This Saturday is the opening of Flying Flowers at Beagle Ridge. If you would like to hold and release a butterfly be sure to join us at Flying Flowers at noon. All participants will attend  a brief program on butterflies and their needs and  receive a Monarch, which they will release  upon entry into the butterfly house. Where else can you experience such an amazing creature up close? The cost for adults is $10.00, children under 12 will cost $5.00. Participants will receive a coupon for a free visit for future visits to Flying Flowers throughout the 2010 season.
       More shortly, I need to get back to work, so much to do, so little time.
Thanks for reading,
Ellen