Last weekend was beautiful. Technically we’re in the depths of winter, but with a January thaw which has blended into a February thaw winter just doesn’t even seem to be trying this year. Part of me doesn’t mind, but the other part misses the weeks of nothing to do but curl up in a blanket indoors and that bounty of weather-imposed reading and puzzle time. A lack of snow and an abundance of mild days doesn’t offer the same break, and in fact can be exhausting with all the poking and shuffling around -hunched over of course- which needs to be done on a daily basis. Also there’s the idea that this is just the start of ever increasingly warm winters and the anxiety over where it will end… yeah that’s also slightly concerning…
Honeybees busy visiting the winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis). Plant nerds may notice the bee sits on the straight yellow species while the blooms behind are seedlings of the more apricot ‘Schwefelglantz’, but I don’t think the bees care.
But this week my only consideration is that I’m enjoying winter aconite, snowdrops, witch hazel, and other winter flowers in the middle of February.
Snowdrops close to the house are in full bloom.
The pattern and schedule of these flowers is oddly different than the order I’ve become accustomed to. Some late snowdrops are in full bloom, some early ones are barely up, flowers in the later, more shaded beds are beating out flowers in protected spots, and it seem all kinds of disorganized but I’m sure there’s a logic which escapes me.
More of the straight Eranthis hyemalis, it’s been seeding about and patches are finally forming.
Strangely enough many of the other bulbs are still a little wary of the mild temperatures. I don’t blame them since it’s hard to trust a spring which shows up in the middle of winter, and there’s bound to be an argument somewhere along the line before May and I’d rather not face the frozen wreckage of a spring garden which trusted a little too blindly.
This is Galanthus ‘Egret’ and I like it more and more each spring as it clumps up and settles in. Like the wings of a bird the flowers take flight when fully open.
Ok, one more complaint about a fabulously early and moderate spring. Without a foot of frozen soil and an inch or two of crusty old ice and snow holding everything back the pace of spring seems less exciting. Even with a string of mild days there’s no explosion of new blooms or a string of new flowers opening hour by hour, and it’s more measured and contemplative. I love the excitement of a spring explosion, but I’m also foolish to complain when it doesn’t happen. Four out of five days I’m stuck at work for the explosion and it’s sad cramming it in to the 48 minutes between getting out of the car and the sun going down so just forget I ever mentioned that last complaint.
Another snowdrop which took a few years to grow on me, galanthus ‘Blewbury Tart’.
With spring smoldering outside the fever inside is burning, and I’m moving into dangerous territory with a risky date on the horizon. In case you don’t know March 2nd is Galanthus Gala time, and for me that means a trip to Downingtown PA to meet up with fellow snowdrop fans to browse the snowdrop vendors, consider other rare plant purchases, listen to snowdrop-themed talks, and enjoy the enthusiastic bidding of the Gala auction. Since 2017 David Culp has been hosting this event and if you’re interested in specifics the ticket site can be found >here< …although I have to warn you that tickets for everything other than the streaming online access are already sold out. But don’t fret. Free admission runs from 10-4 and perhaps missing the opening frenzy and enjoying the sales tables while the masses have moved on to the lectures isn’t the worst approach. Here’s another link, this one to the Gala Facebook page which has more info on the vendors and the event, and even though nobody asked I’m going to give away my method for approaching this sale.
Walk in and start talking to someone. Ignore the selling frenzy. Talk to more people. Examine what others are buying and randomly stalk the people who are carrying the coolest plants. Make it (hopefully) less awkward by asking them about their favorites. Eventually start looking at plants. Try to make a full circuit without buying anything because there’s no way you can afford buying everything you want. Go back to the start and see what’s left and only then can you start buying. Trust me you’ll save a ton of money this way and still end up with too much… plus on the first round let’s be honest, everyone has a cheat list with a special snowdrop or witch hazel or two on it, so maybe I could be entirely understanding if you falter and pick up a few things on the first round 😉
If I didn’t already have one I’d consider ‘Moya’s Green’ to be worth adding to the cheat list. It’s been a good grower here, large blooms, the green fades in warmer weather but don’t we all?
Sorry, I didn’t expect to go on like that. It’s a weeknight and bedtime approaches so here’s where the warm weekend went.
I was relieved to see ‘Rosemary Burnham’ returning after I ripped up the boxwoods here and seeded grass. It will be interesting to see how she holds up to the new environment, and it will be interesting to see if the stray sprouts are more Rosemary or some equally interesting seedlings.
One of my favorite snowdrops out of the bulk elwesii bulbs. Large flowers and nice foliage, they just don’t like a cold snap after sprouting.
A warm weekend in February will almost always bring on a cold snap and here we are. Snow and some colder weather but nothing for most plants to worry about. I’m actually loving the sunshine and brisk weather.
I rarely get home in time to see this one open in the sun, but today I did. Adonis amurensis ‘fukujukai’.
Fortunately it’s not too brisk, and the snow is melting faster than it can pack down and turn to ice and the plants should be fine. Even better it will slow the season down and keep the more tender things from thinking it’s time to grow.
Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’ in the afternoon light.
Actually with things not growing yet I can imagine my beds are riddled with empty spots and perhaps I should go all out on the first round. Hmmm.
Have a great week, whether or not your days are warm or brisk, and trust me this isn’t the last you’ll hear of Galas or snowdrops 😉
sorta like suburbia 
Your snowdrops are looking splendid! Absolutely beautiful. There has been a snowdrop gala here in Ireland for the past ten years or so, only an hour’s drive away from us, but I have never attended. The commercialism of the snowdrop world doesn’t appeal to me and I avoid it. Now that I think of it, I haven’t bought any snowdrops this year and it seems unlikely that I will.
Here there are few options outside of the commercial, and to start I was lucky to even find places selling snowdrops, so a gathering such as this is far more than just a chance to just buy snowdrops, it’s a time to meet distant friends and revel in company which doesn’t bore when discussing a snowdrop other than ‘the one next to my front walk’!
It’s entirely possible I only bought one or two last year, the rest of my “haul” were trades and gifts between friends. -although non-snowdrop items had no problem exhausting the budget which had been saved for the day 🙂
Yes, I can understand the attraction of these events and I do miss the company of others who share an interest. I suppose I have online contacts and I chat with them, the usual swapping/gifting etc and, so, don’t feel a great need to attend the events. I had hoped to go to an event in England last weekend but it coincided with mid-term break in the schools and there were grandchildren to be minded. It is the gardens which attract me rather than the talks or sales.
It has been a winter, or more accurately, an non-winter. Of course, March could bring a surprise or two. We’ll see. Your early spring flowers are lovely, as always. My favorite combination is cyclamen, aconite and galanthus, so pretty. Enjoy the Gala, I look forward to reading your review. 🙂
March is always full of surprises, but I also see temps in the 50’s to start so lets hope the surprise isn’t a disastrous freeze!
I also love the cyclamen, aconite, and snowdrops combo. One of my first bulb books had a photo of this trio and I always wished I’d be able to grow something like it… but never really thought it would happen!
Excellent advice about the Gala, especially for those of us with a smaller budget. And I have noticed bulbs blooming “out of order” as well. I don’t blame the plants for being confused. The gardener is confused as well, albeit trying to make the most of opportunities that present themselves. For example, I actually did a little bit of weeding on Saturday, the last day of the warm temps. The soil had actually thawed–at least, where I was weeding.
Haha, don’t believe for a second I always follow my own advice, but like you say with a budget sometimes it helps if a few of your favorites are snapped up before you get to them. There’s always next year and I’ve never had a problem filling my cart and emptying my wallet 😉
Weeding happened here as well. The ups and downs of the weather never bothers the bitter cress, and it’s never too early to pull them. Although there’s a crust of snow I doubt the soil underneath has frozen much, and once we hit a few more mild days it will be back to snowdrops.
The Adonis and snowdrops look so lovely in the sunshine against the snow. The snow does make it all look cleaner and tidier. We have had rain, but no more snow and I am hoping for some dry days just so I can get rid of some of the winter debris before the bulbs start coming up. You are way ahead of us this year! It will be interesting to hear if you follow your own advice at the Gala this year! 😉 Hope you enjoy it in any case!
Thanks Cathy, I was feeling a bit weird over my happiness for sun, snow and cold and I can’t believe I’m actually ahead of you for once! I’m sure that will quickly change when March remembers how unpredictable he can be.
Luckily a drier spell earlier in the month let me clean up a little and these early bloomers didn’t have to come up through twigs and trash as they have done in previous years 😉
I didn’t think the snowdrops could look any lovelier and then you ended with the snow pictures! The Adonis in the snow is stellar.
In moderation snow makes for excellent early spring photos, assuming it melts away quickly! -and I was also amazed by how nice the adonis looked. I never catch it in the sun like that!
All right Frank, this post has convinced me that I MUST try harder with the winter blooming bulbs! I’m not sure I’ve seen anything more lovely, at least this week, than the combination of snowdrops, aconite, and cyclamen! Also, when should I stop by to see this spectacular show in person?
Yes! You need a few things in bloom now just in case the snow melts and you want something other than dead twigs and winter-weary autumn leaves to look at.
Of course crushed spring flowers can also appear when the snow melts, but if you plant enough something is bound to make it!
Maybe in another week things will really start to look like something, these are still just the earliest pioneers of the season.
Very entertaining … especially your process for dealing with the temptations of Galanthus Galas!