ICE COLD BLOOMERS

Yesterday, it was so cold, it was unpleasant to walk though the garden, much less sit outside and drink tea. Nevertheless, slowly, a garden is coming into bloom.

The crocus have been in flower for two weeks. The arabis is beginning to bloom. And the little bulbs, so reliable year after year, are popping out for the first real spring colour.

Unlike tulips and other large bulbs which can break a Northern gardener’s heart, the little bulbs never let you down. Here come the deep blue Siberian squill (or Scilla), the long blooming grape hyacinth (or muscari) the intense blue of glory of the snow (or chionodoxa) and my fav, the blue puschkinia. The garden bed by the house is alive with species tulip (tulipa tarda), a short plant with wide-eyed yellow flowers. If you plant these bulbs in the fall, plant in drifts of twenty or more to get any kind of show in the spring. Alone each flower is small but en mass, they look grand.

Let it blow or snow, still they grow.

Meanwhile, I plant three flats of impatiensin the sheltered shade garden. I have the marigolds outside shivering and awaiting a warmer day.