Spring Preview

We've had a cold, slow start to spring here in Michigan, which honestly, I'm trying not to complain, it is better than last year when we hit 80 in March and then everything froze and got destroyed. But, I still get impatient. Luckily, we have greenhouses. We keep the cool, but warm enough to get a few weeks jump start on spring, and OH is that ever nice! I love all the things flowering right now... sadly, because we're not open for retail this time of year, customers rarely get to see them. So, I'll share them with you now.

I'm currently NUTS about the allionii primrose group. They're gorgeous, TINY little primroses that bloom super early. Like their close kin (and another of my favorites), the xpubescens group, they like good drainage and full sun. The allioniis aren't quite as bullet proof as the xpubescens, but they're still very growable and insanely gorgeous.

Primula minima... frilled, lavender flowers, and a slight sweet scent. Adore.

Primula allionii 'Viscountess Byng' Does it GET any cuter?

Primula 'Lismore Yellow' Great color and a vigorous grower, eventually forming big clumps

Helleborus are, of course, a wonderful early-spring bloomer. I love the massive flowers and bright colors of the newest hybrids, but I'm also really enjoying the more delicate, refined beauty of the wild species helleborus. 

Helleborus odorus Green, almost yellow flowers. To me they are quite fragrant, but about half the people I've told that too don't detect a scent at all.

Helleborus purpurascens Perfectly refined, elegant flowers,  and a lovely shade of bright green on the inside.

 Corydalis solida is another favorite... It is a little bulb that should be as common as crocuses. It seeds around like wild, but who CARES when it gives you jaunty, delicate bright blooms about the same time as crocuses, and then goes dormant so fast it never competes with other plants?

The hoop petticoat group of daffodils is usually represented in catalogs by Narcissus bulbocodium. Which is a shame since it is just about the least beautiful of the group. Here, Narcissus romieuxii shows us how it is REALLY done. Stunning plant, and very vigorous for us, though it needs a sheltered spot to overwinter reliably in zone 5.

Hepatica is one of my favorite wildflowers... So early, so delicate looking and yet so tough! This is our selection of H. nobilis we just call 'Dark Magenta' For obvious reasons. Usually I'm not a fan of this color, but this one REALLY does it for me. Just gorgeous.

Finally what would spring be without the anticipation of more? SEEDLINGS!!! Pure happiness.

Favorite Plants of 2011: Part 2

Some plants I loved last year. See part one here.

Gladiolus 'Atom'

I love plants that suck me in with glorious, unique flowers, and then win my heart forever by also being tough and carefree. 'Atom' fits the bill perfectly. The flowers are a vivid, shade of red, with each petal edged in the faintest possible line of white, somehow at once brash and elegant. All gladiolus are pretty much trouble-free during the summer, unless they need staking, which this one is thankfully short enough to avoid, but 'Atom' takes that all to another level by also being completely zone 5 hardy. That's right, no digging and storing the bulbs, just plant it and enjoy year after year! Even better, it multiplies pretty quickly, so from one plant you'll soon have a mass to enjoy and plenty to share with friends.

Mint "Sister Julie's Wintergreen"

I talked about these mints when I first purchased them, an amazing array of gourmet mint varieties bred by a chef. After eating my way through the varieties I tried for the summer, I've settled on a clear favorite. Quite unlike the standard mints you might have grown, 'Winter Green' packs an enormous punch of menthol, the compound which stimulates the temperature sensitive nerves in our mouths to create the sensation of cooling, much as chili peppers do to produce the feeling of heat. That makes this mint a perfect counterpoint to intensely spicy dishes, and I love this particular variety in the Indian sauce Raita. It is simple to make – plain yogurt, cucumber, handfuls of fresh mint, and a little salt. Dip some naan in it after a mouthful of fiery curry, or even a tortilla chip after a mouthful of hot, hot salsa. The contrast of hot and cool is wonderful, soothing, and primes your tastebuds for the next hit of heat. I got mine from Richters Herbs

Primula x pubescens

Like most American gardeners, I've spent most of my life being jealous of England. It seems, with their mild summers and winters, that they can grow everything better than we can. Well, now I've found something for them to be jealous of. Look up Primula x pubescens, the auricula primroses, online or in reference books, and you'll find all sorts of nonsense about how finicky they are and how carefully they must be cultivated. Turns out, all they really want is to be living in Michigan. Plop these babies in anything from full fun to bright shade, and watch them do their thing. Lovely, thick, fleshy leaves all year, topped with incredible clusters of fragrant blooms in the most delicate shades imaginable. I got mine from the always wonderful Arrowhead Alpines

Gazanias

Sometimes the best plants are right under our noses. I'd seen gazanias countless times, and never given the much thought. Little daisies... okay, whatever. But this year, on a whim, I bought a packet of seed and grew out a patch of them, and once I got down and looked closely at the flowers, I was amazed. Each flower is incredibly intricately marked with the most mesmerizing patterns of spots and stripes. Like most mainstream annuals, they bloom profusely all summer, but unlike some, they are also require no pampering whatsoever being wonderful heat and drought tolerant. It is time I explored this group some more and gave this marvelous little blooms the respect they deserve.