First Snowdrop Sighting!

Galanthus elwesii

One of the most exciting January moments is finding that first snowdrop, usually in the Birch Walk.

Stay warm friends! 

-Julie

New Snowdrops

 Galanthus 'S. Arnott'

Are My Bulbs OK in the Snow???

Crocus tommasinianus in the snow...

People always ask, "Are my bulbs are going to be ok coming up in harsh winter weather?" 

"My tulips are poking up and it is only January! Are they going to be ok?" 

Winter scenes at Havenwood

Primrose blooming in the snow on New Years Day

Hello friend!

I have missed sharing here on WMG recently!  I have been able to Instagram, which has become a form of mini-blogging for me. You are welcome to check in with me there anytime to see what is starting to bloom around Havenwood, or just what we are up to. I am hoping to continue to share some of our big changes and achievements in our garden here in more detail this year.

January 2016 - Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Creamy Lenten rose, Helleborus orientalis, already beginning to bloom on the warmer days this month.

Welcome to Havenwood! We have been having an extremely mild winter so far, and so we have more blooms this January than any other. Enjoy your walk around!

An Egg Hunt and our Bunny...

Iris histrioides 'Katharine Hodgkin' in the Birch Walk

Our bulbs have been a great success so far at Havenwood this spring, even though they were covered in snow just a week before Easter. The snow melted and they made the perfect little hiding spots around the garden for colorful eggs on brown leaves... Can you find them all? ;)

Snowdrops...

...standing taller after the melting of the snow.

 

TO A SNOWDROP

          Lone Flower, hemmed in with snows and white as they
          But hardier far, once more I see thee bend
          Thy forehead, as if fearful to offend,
          Like an unbidden guest. Though day by day,
          Storms, sallying from the mountain-tops, waylay
          The rising sun, and on the plains descend;
          Yet art thou welcome, welcome as a friend
          Whose zeal outruns his promise! 

Blue-eyed May
          Shall soon behold this border thickly set
          With bright jonquils, their odours lavishing                
          On the soft west-wind and his frolic peers;
          Nor will I then thy modest grace forget,
          Chaste Snowdrop, venturous harbinger of Spring,
          And pensive monitor of fleeting years!

         ~William Wordsworth, 1819 

March 2015 ~ Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

Snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii) huddled in the Birch Walk this March at Havenwood.

Welcome to March in Pennsylvania!

Except for the early spring of 2012, most years we are just peeking out from under our snow cover from the months past and that is certainly the case this year...

Snowdrops at Havenwood!

Galanthus elwesii is the very first flowers in our new garden.

While the flowers have been popping up everywhere at Gilmore Gardens this April, we have been a bit disappointed not to see the new bulbs that we planted at Havenwood yet. It has been my experience that many newly planted bulbs take a bit long to pop up in the spring than the older naturalized ones, and we will keep hoping that is the case.

April showers bring March flowers...

Crocus tommasinianus at Gilmore Gardens April 1st

... at least that is how the song goes for us this year.

We are just now enjoying our crocuses and snowdrops during a few days of warm sun. I hope that those of you in more northern places in North America will feel encouraged to know that your flowers are coming soon as well!

Flowers in the Cold! ~ GBBD February 2013

Hellebores orientalis in the Shade Path Garden

February is here at Gilmore Gardens in Pennsylvania! There are a few early signs of spring today, though they are shivering at the moment in 32 F (0 C) and will be even colder tonight as it is supposed to get down to 17 F (-8 C). We had snow flurries for Valentine's Day yesterday instead of the 40 F that was predicted. But it is warmer inside with all of the heart garlands hanging about thanks to my daughter Grace.

Gardening in Pennsylvania ~ January 2013

One little groups of snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii) popped up on the Shade Path garden just for Bloom Day.

Not much is visibly happening in our Pennsylvania garden this month, except for the normal winter pattern of freeze, snow and thaw. Over the weekend, our temperature actually warmed up to 64 F/18 C! That removed our foot of snow cover from Christmas time. It also enabled this small group of Galanthus elwesii to emerge with a few glistening (if sparing) flowers for January.

GBBD at Gilmore Gardens ~ March 2012

Crocus tommasinianus in our backyard at Gilmore Gardens

Welcome to our small-town garden in Pennsylvania, zone 5. We are so pleased to be welcoming spring earlier this year, and are thoroughly enjoying the temperatures in the upper 60 degrees F (16 C) this week! I am sure that we will have snow again, more than one more time. But we are not going to think about that right now.
Everything is popping around Gilmore Gardens. Here are a few shots that I captured this week:

This Crocus vernus in a hot place near our back door is the first of its kind this year. I planted a couple hundred in the front borders, but I expect them later since it is quite a bit colder on the north side of our house.

Another photo of Crocus chrysanthus 'Goldilocks' in the Driveway Garden. This one show the striping on the side petals.

Moving around to the slope outside of our fence, you can see what I have called the "Tapestry Garden." This is an area where we killed off the turf (mowing on this slope, ugh!), and then planted hardy ivy, which has proven to be incredibly slow growing here. So, other easily divided plant alternatives have been added: Geranium macrorrhizum, Ajuga reptans, Stachys byzantine.

Crocus tommasinianus has found its way to a nice combination on this slope with Ajuga reptans and moss.

In the Circle Lawn, Crocus sieberi 'Tricolor' is starting to bloom.  And in the back of this photo you can see the Shade Path, which has a few little pretties also...

Crocus sieberi 'Tricolor'

Galanthus elwesii on the Shade Path

A beauty that I have been waiting for since I first say it last year in Rosie's bloom day: Iris histrioides 'Katharine Hodgkin'. Just a few are blooming now; such delicate markings.

Galanthus 'Flore Pleno' stands out with the fresh compost already in place for the season.

As I walked down to the Front Woodland to check for some crocuses, I was accompanied by my little photography buddy. She soon had spotted what I was looking for and set to business getting the shot:

My daughter in proper garden photography style!

After I waited for my turn, I was able to take this photo:

Crocus biflorus ssp. isauricus 'Spring Beauty' with beautiful purple flames on alternating petals.

We are a homeschooling family, so this is what we call Botany class. :)

We also found this vivid moss sending up its flowering shoots. Such a green delight in March!

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Check out what is blooming in other gardens around the world at May Dreams.

First flowers at Gilmore Gardens

Crocus tommasianus on February 5th, 2012

A few pretties for the start of the year. They are about a month earlier than last year.

more on their way...

Galanthus elwesii

Galanthus elwesii with an upturned head? We shall see.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day ~ January 2012

Snowdrop, Galanthus elwesii, in the snow on December 17th

Welcome to chilly Pennsylvania and my beloved Gilmore Gardens.

Today we have "The Tale of the Snowdrop." It all began before GBBD December. One Galanthus elwesii bloomed unexpectedly in the beginning of December, though they usually bloom in March or even April in our area. It is situated in our Shade Path garden and therefore has a cool, sheltered position which has kept it from deteriorating too quickly.

Just two days after December's bloom day, a light snow fell over the garden but stayed less than a day (see photo above).  For the remainder of that month and the beginning of January, our snowdrop looked perfect in bloom, as though it really was not January at all (see photo below).

Galanthus elwesii just three days ago, January the 12th.

The weather in western PA has been as odd here as everywhere else in the northern hemisphere: snow laying on the ground for less than four days total. Usually we have had a month or even two by now which are thoroughly blanketed with a foot of snow and temps in the 20's or teens (-11 to 0 degrees C).  Our high temperature this month has been 52 degrees F (11 C) with it being 43 F for most of last week. The average high is usually 35 degrees (1.7 C).

But the cold and snow have made a comeback, returning just three days ago. And so today finds our dear little snowdrop under a pile of white. This was easily dusted away for its last portrait (below).

Today on January 15th

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams for hosting GBBD!
Perhaps there will be more snowdrops to show next month? We can always hope.
In the meantime I have been luxuriating in this wall of green.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day ~ December 2011

Cherry Corner garden at the front of our house

I am surprised, but I do have one bloom to share today. The garden is finally frozen solid this week after evening temperatures down to 12 degrees F (-11 C).  I thought I would throw in a few overview shots for contrast. See if you can find the flower...

Ground frozen for December 15th

 Not by the front steps...

There is this iced fairy rose on the Hill, but that was not what I wanted to share...

Nothing in Cherry Corner, except the Saccharum vittigera major, also known as large striped candy canes...

Not along this side either... but you should really appreciate these nice straight edges around the gardens. Those were a bit of work from last month.

Ok, here by the gate to the Shade Path you are much closer. Can you spy it? In the middle to the right a little?

Galanthus elwesii

There it is. Pretty, huh? Perhaps not quite the climax I would like, but there is it nonetheless. It reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas songs.

I was confused as to why I had an autumn-blooming snowdrop when I know that I have only planted two spring-blooming varieties so far, Galanthus elwesii and Galanthus nivalis flore pleno. Then yesterday, I learned from Carolyn's Shade Gardens that the former often sends up a few autumn blooms in her garden every year. That solves my mystery. (You might also enjoy Carolyn's wonderful post on autumn snowdrops proper; I am investigating some new autumn possibilities.)

My single, cherished Galanthus elwesii

I do have one flower in the house that is keeping my spirits up...

The florists' cyclamen, Cyclamen persicum

Thanks to my dear friend Bev for this pretty cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) on my desk! These like to be kept cool, less than 68 F, during the day and at least 15 degrees cooler at night to keep them flowering.

lovely winged creatures

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams for hosting yet another GBBD. Be sure to visit her and scout out the color that is blooming all over the globe.