february=flower fever
I seem to detect a note of desperation in the search for blossoms among bloggers this month. These snowdrops are singing their swan song, and like anything that’s been around for a while, one must get down on all fours to appreciate them (unless, I guess, you have great drifts of them…i do not).
The violets are just beginning. This is the commonest, and my favorite scent: Viola odorata, a shovelful of which came to my garden from my mom’s many years ago and has claimed space in every shady nook and cranny in two subsequent gardens.
Out under the sweetheart trees (see yesterday’s post) a carpet of white violets went unnoticed by me until joining in Carol’s Bloom Day project. Thanks again to Carol for opening eyes to hidden treasures.
They are sparse now, but soon there will be swathes of them. Here, again, it was necessary to get down for a worm’s eye view. Am I soggy and muddy? Guess. Was it worth it? You bet!
Still crawling around to get this shot of ‘Diane’. She has put on nice spurts of new growth each year, so I think by next year she will be tall enough to make a real impression on her own, without the camera tricks for giving a starlet presence.
About the time my back threatened to revolt over the permanent stoop, here came Euphorbia wulfenii doing its thing right at eye level. It is still getting into character before straightening up and unfurling its full glory, but I like it almost best at this stage…so full of promise…very like February itself.
February 15th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
We’re moving closer and closer to Spring.
Amazing what you can find, once you’re out and looking. Advance planning is helpful, too. Violets are such happy little plants. Happy Bloom Day.
February 15th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Nell Jean~Always exciting when a new voice shows up here. Happy Bloom Day to you too, and now I will pop over to check you out.
February 16th, 2010 at 12:33 am
Actually, to me in the near-tropics, snowdrops and shade violets seem pretty exotic ways to celebrate the start of spring. Enjoy them!
February 16th, 2010 at 3:55 am
Ricki, so nice to see your snowdrops. I discovered their charm for the first time this year and I must have some for next winter. On my walks through the city the drifts have been lovely, so I hope yours naturalize and spread - I’m told it happens. ‘Diane’ is clearly giving you great pleasure!
February 16th, 2010 at 10:44 am
You’ve got snail!
So glad to find that even on the West coast there are beasties guzzling away.
First thing I look for nowadays when I visit blogs with flower pix. I feel much calmer when I detect a hole here and there
Can’t wait till my little violets are prolific.
February 16th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
James~Ah yes…the grass always SEEMS greener. Thanks for the reminder to practice that other old saw, bloom where you are planted.
Jane~I’ve heard that too…even the need to divide them, but these have been here for several years, and never seem to increase.
Jo~”You’ve got snail!” Much better play on words than what you could do with slugs, who are the real culprits around here. Snails are cuter, too.
February 17th, 2010 at 9:49 am
‘cute’ doesn’t cut it with me in that department.
Certainly not when we are talking thousands.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Jo~Wow! Thousands? How about going into the escargot business?
Nell Jean~If you come back here, I tried to leave you a comment, but with no luck…probably tech-deficit-disorder on my part.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Hi Ricki~~ I love the diminutive treasures that take center stage this time of year. Your white violets remind me of a wild spread of yellow ones growing in a shady spot on our previous property. I dug clumps up and they survived here for a few years but sunshine and dry soil are not conducive to their survival. I’ve learned a few things since then.
I champion you and anyone who has the nerve to grow ‘Wulfenii.’ I like the plant but its vigor scares me.
Isn’t this weather grand?
February 18th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Grace~I see the yellow ones growing wild in the woods around here. Yes-shade and lots of woodland duff seem to be prerequisites. Heading out into the sunshine…bet you are too.