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skybirdforever

It's Spring!

Hi all,

I have to post this FAST, cause in a couple hours itÂs gonna be winterÂagain! I was out working in the yard today, took some pictures, and just downloaded them so I could post them quickly before spring goes away again.

Here are the snow crocus on the "other" side of my yard. The ones I was posting pictures of earlier are pretty much gone by now!

And even the "real" crocus are blooming by now! I MUST get more of these for next year! And, yeah, thatÂs daffodil buds behind them!

HereÂs another shot of some of the daffodils with three of the hyacinths already coming up with the buds becoming visible. This sure seems like an early spring for bulbs to me!

And here are a couple pics of the perennials that are big enough to be worth taking pictures of at this point. The first one is one of the lupines I got from Sherri09 at last yearÂs Spring Swap. It was a seedling at that point. Actually, I got two of them, but the other one didnÂt make it. At least one of them did and it looks like itÂs doing really well, because IÂve been trying to grow oneÂor manyÂof these for the last three years or so, and have been unsuccessful up until now. This year I think IÂm gonna actually get some flowers! Thank you Sherri09!

The blue flax, Linum perenne, is looking really good!

And I love the little upright sedum "rosettes" at this time of the year. This one is ÂPurple EmperorÂ!

ItÂs been a glorious three days here in the Denver area! I had a high of 72 on the sunny side of my yard on Tuesday, it was 78 on Wednesday, and it was 70 todayÂand tomorrow weÂll be lucky to get up to 30! The temp is supposed to be dropping most of the day! I was still cleaning up in the basement on Tuesday, but on Wednesday I was out and about, and I stopped over at PaulinoÂs to pick up a new bale of soil since I discovered they have a 20% off Senior Day on Wednesdays thru March. Now I have lots of soil to start some things in, and to pot up things for the swaps this year. And today I was out turning over part of the veggie garden in anticipation ofÂtomorrow! At least since weÂve been so warm recently, most of the snow will melt when it first starts!

Hope this gives all you Front Range folks something to keep hoping for until our latest winter once again turns into spring!

Counting down to the snow storm at midnite,

Skybird

Comments (27)

  • greenbean08_gw
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's 11:30 and we've already dropped to 29 degrees in Falcon. The wind is whipping out there. I even locked the dog door for the night so it doesn't chill my seedlings too much. I have them under lights in the unfinished basement. It's always a little cool down there and the dog door just lets in so much cold air. I just hope my dog doesn't decide she has to go out at 5 am tomorrow!

  • markmahlum
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Pretty flowers Skybird!

    We are still significantly below our seasonal averages here in SW Colorado but the sun is overpowering the snow anyway. It has settled a great deal the last couple of days with a few bare spots showing on steeper south facing slopes.

    Mark

  • digit
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, I celebrated a start to gardening with 53° today.

    A blue sky, bright sunshine, and virtually no wind made for a very pleasant day. I'm really surprised that it wasn't officially warmer than 53°!!

    But, I did get a fair amount of exercise so wasn't just standing around, leaning on my spading fork, shivering.

    The prediction is for 60° tomorrow!

    Happy Spring!

    Steve

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a difference a day makes! Oh, my! I was out yesterday diggin in the dirt in short sleevesand too HOT, and right now its 23 and supposed to be going down into the teens tonite! As snow storms go, this was a pretty strange one! When I got up this morning I thought it had wimped outit was hardly snowing at all and radar didnt really show much. Then it picked up early in the afternoonand just kept going! Not really hard most of the time, but for a while this afternoon the wind was blowing so hard the snow was horizontal and I could hardly see the neighbors house right behind me. Not really sure how much I got, but Id say it was at least 6 inches, probably more than that. And the really great thingno snow to shovel! The sidewalk was so warm that it just kept melting all day! The neighbors across the street, whose houses face north, had to shovel, but not me!

    I did have one problem! With the snow, I had to spend most of the day chasing the blackbirds off of my suet feeder! That stuff is just too expensive to be feeding to the blackbirds. My flickers and hairy woodpeckers were out there today, along with the usual house finchestho I really dont have very many of them around here this year compared to past years, and a couple junkos showed up, and one poor robin was out there trying to hang onto the suet feederbut robins arent very good at that. I stuck a dish out with some suet and nuts in it up on the electric box where they built their nest a couple years, hoping it would find it, but I dont think it ever did. Poor thing is out there in the cold tonite without having had much to eat today!

    Anyway, the storms over now, and after a cold nite tonite, it should start warming up again. Maybe by the end of the week things will be warmed up and dried out enough to get back outside. And I really am glad we got enough to give the lawn a good watering again. It was starting to get pretty dry. And I think everything has enough snow cover to protect the new growth from the cold tonite.

    Hope everybody else around here fared ok in the snow,
    Skybird

  • markmahlum
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Speaking of blackbirds, where are they this year. They are always here the middle to end of February perched in the tops of my pines, singing like crazy. I haven't seen one yet.

    Mark

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Temp in the CF this morning was a toasty 38ºF when I took the cover off. You can see mesh for my peas, a low tunnel behind the spigot and another at the far end where the spinach, mustard, lettuce etc are waiting to be uncovered:

    {{gwi:1194276}}

    BTW, the blackbirds here are starting to sing for their territory, but we caught some in the nets early this week and they aren't breeding yet.

    Dan

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sun is out, the snow melted off, but the wind is bitter. The true indicator that spring is here is the return of the bluebirds. Happy to see them again!

    Bonnie

  • sunshine_27
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been enjoying the photos in all the threads - thanks to all who have posted these. I can't boast of anything growing vigorously outdoors here yet. My outdoor perennial and xeric beds are just barely starting to show the first hint of growth, with a few tiny green leaves just barely poking their noses above the ground on about 1/3 of my plants - the rest are still dormant. Our local newspaper also reported this being the coldest winter in this area since they started record keeping for our town in 1943. Last week I felt like an oudoor gardener for the very first time this season. as I cut down the few remaining stems of late-blooming perennials left over from last fall. My geraniums and nasturtiums from the greenhouse have been spending days outdoors - in between the snow days, that is - and last week when I put them outdoors, a few bees arrived for the first time to busily visit the flowers.

    Dorothy

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Spring has sprung A LEAK!

    It rained herehardcomplete with thunderfor a couple hours, switched over to snow about a half hour ago, and the grass is already pretty much covered up! This is gonna be great moisture, but Im sure glad I dont have to be out and about tomorrow! Theyre saying probably about a foot for the metro area, and I just spoke with somebody up in Boulder who said theyre talking about up to 20" up there. And when this one is gone, theyre talking about another one on Saturday, tho theyre minimizing that one at this point.

    Looks like itll be a while before Im able to get back out to the veggie garden! It was absolutely beautiful yesterday but too wet in the garden to work there, so and I spent a couple hours in the yard potting up my first things for the swap. Guess itll be a while before Im able to do more of that too!

    Tomorrow sounds like a good day to build a firewhich I havent taken the time to do for 2 years nowand sit back with maybe some hot chocolate and watch it snow!

    Stay warm everybody, and for those of you that need to be out in the snow tomorrow, drive carefully.

    When its springtime in the Rockies......
    Skybird

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Our neighborhood was covered with ~3/4" deep with hail, then snow pellets, then snow all while thundering, now it is sideways snow and tremendous rate of fall right now. Had a cold funnel nearby and looked like it was good wind but little rotation, so likely little damage.

    Very hard to secure the cover for the cold frame and I hope it stays (note to self: improve the design to replace with bungees for next winter). Should be excellent moisture. We were supposed to go to Dinosaur Ridge for Hawk Watch on Thurs., but canceled because of this. But its all good, as we need the moisture and enuf snow to ensure the potatoes and peas and spinach stay warm. Wheeeeee!

    Dan

  • markmahlum
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dan,

    Where can I get one of those blackbird nets? I'm out of cat food and the coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats and fox still haven't eaten my cat. Blackbirds would provide cheap cat food!

    Regards, Mark

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mark, these are nets used to catch birds for banding, so I suppose Audubon Society, DFW, etc.

    Here is the yard this morning, not bad for the Front Range in March:

    {{gwi:1194277}}

    Sure did need the moisture.

    Dan

  • digit
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No snow here but most everywhere -- the Pot Holes are Blooming!

    digitS'

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In grad school one quarter we hosted visiting students from Berlin, and they did a great project on mapping and analyzing guerrilla gardens in the Berlin area. Fantastic presentation and project, amazing what people were doing to bring green to concrete. You'd be amazed at how prevalent this is (and why don't we hear about it?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?).

    The primroses are a nice touch and high quality snark!

    :o)

    Dan

  • markmahlum
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm just teasing, Dan. I have a reputation, according to my 3 daughters as a cheeseball. Anyway, I checked my calender, Skybird and you are right, it is spring. As cold as it is I have only one explanation for the gradually shrinking snowpack- EVAPORATION! Must be, because it's been too cold for any melting.

    By the way, snow melts from the sun heated ground, and then up, right?

    And, I was told today that my second grandkid, due in August is a boy!

    Pretty cool, huh.

    Mark

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    All we got here were a few sprinkles and a dusting of snow.

    The first daffodil of the season opened up today. Spring has sprung now : )

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well your daffodils beat mine this year, Bonnie! A couple of mine have buds that are showing color, but not opening yet. I was glad for that yesterday when we got the snow storm. If they had been open, they would have bent over again and needed to be cut and brought inand they last longer when I can leave them out in the yard!

    Here are some pics of this storm! The first two taken during the storm yesterday about 6:30 as it was starting to get dark, tho actually, it seemed pretty dark all day yesterday! I got close to a foot, and it was great, wet snownow "watering" the grass and everything else! More than half of it is gone already, and most of the rest should be gone tomorrow.

    Across the street!

    Morning after the nite before!

    The neighbors shoveled my walks and drive before I even got up!

    Expecting more snow on Saturday, and the TV stations are making it sound like it could be measurable again, but NOAA makes it sound like a passing whimsy! Supposed to be 70 by next Tuesday, and I hope theyre right so itll dry out enough to get the spring veggies planted.

    Skybird

  • sunshine_27
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We got about 4 to 6 inches of snow here yesterday - and today, although still overcast, all my geraniums spent the day outside in the snowy yard. It was such an awesight sight, I got my camera and took pictures. I also took some photos of the geraniums and other flowers in the sunroom before I took them outdoors. If anyone would care to see the photos, check out the new garden and greenhouse 2010 folder, and new sunroom folder at the link.

    Dorothy

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for sharing your pictures with us, Dorothy! It's nice to see all those blooms, even if they are surrounded by piles of snow. Nice greenhouse too!

    Bonnie

  • digit
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My neck of the woods has no snow like this, of course.

    But it also doesn't have daffodils in bloom, yet.

    . . . an unpleasant amount of wind at the moment.

    digitS'

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here are a couple more pics of my spring bulbs. I think Id be lost this time of the year if I didnt have the early bulbs to tide me over till the perennials start to bloom!

    The pink hyacinths always bloom later than the blue and yellow ones! Theyll be along soon!

    My Aquilegia chrysantha, that very fragrant yellow columbine, are coming up beautifully by the side of my deck and I expect to be "bathed in sweetness" when Im out on the deck this summer! The small ones on the left right next to the walk are second year seedlings that Im planning to dig up for the swap.

    And heres a current pic of that Pasque Flower Mark has growing by the acre down there near Durango. I only have one in my yard, but Im always happy for the early flowers when it blooms. His look a little bit different than mine, but I think its the same thing and the difference is because his are growing naturally out in "the wild!" My one little plant is hovered over and carefully tended! If I get out there and get it deadheaded soon, itll produce another whole flush of flowers. The first flush sorta got all smooshed down by the snowthis is the second flush.

    And, in conclusion, here is my Acanthus on 03.17.10 before the first snow storm:

    Here it is on 03.29.10 after TWO snow stormsbut the first one is the one that actually knocked it down:

    And here it is after I finally cut it down last weekdidnt have time to bring it in that day and had to weight it down with a brick to keep it from blowing away in the WIND! The new growth for this years plant is coming up behind the white plant tag in the pic!

    Im SO glad were back on daylight saving time and its light out until almost 8 already!

    Happy, happy spring,
    Skybird

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What's the specific epithet on that Acanthus, Skybird?

    Dan

  • markmahlum
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Skybird,

    Your pasque flower looks the same as ours. The color is a bit deeper than than the ones at Vallecito but in some other areas here in the San Juans the color is similar to yours. Is it possible that ph could do that?

    The soils near Ouray, where the color is deeper, is volcanic in origin and more acidic. The soils at Vallecito are downstream from the metamorphosed rocks of the East Needles Uplift and presumably, less acidic. My water comes from Vallecito and it tests nearly ph neutral.

    I've read that soil nutrients and ph affect the colors of columbines.

    I've seen pasque flowers by now in some previous years. This year, however those slopes are still snow covered.

    Mark

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ive always referred to it as Acanthus hungaricus (a/k/a A. balcanicus), Dan, but I wasnt positive what the most recent and/or "correct" taxonomy might be, so while I was just eating lunch I was googling stuff! This is probably way more info than you want, but I found all kinds of interesting stuff!

    Jellito, a wonderful, wonderful seed company that has seed for things you never even knew existed, has this to say about it!

    They list it this way: ACANTHUS hungaricus (balcanicus, longifolius). I had never heard of it being called longifolius, but, hey, why not complicate it even more than it (and most of the Acanthus) already are?

    And then they say this:
    Family: Acanthaceae
    Origin: Balkans, Romania and Greece
    History: The leaves of Bear's Breeches were said to have been the model for the ornamental on Corinthian columns

    I think that history information is really interesting. Kind of off the gardening topic, but Ive always been interested in the different types of architectural columns and their origins! But I dont understand why, if it originated in the Balkans, the species was changed from balcanicus to hungaricus! (But I really dont know much about geography, so maybe if I had time to do some researching about that Id figure it out!)

    On the Plant Delights site I found this:

    I think Ive seen it listed that way before too, so if youre ever looking for it, look for any combination of balcanicus and hungaricus and youll generally be looking at the "same" plant! But then on the Plant Delights site it says this: ~~~ Although some taxonomists have lumped Acanthus hungaricus into Acanthus balcanicus, we find plants in the wild do indeed look different to us horticulturists...thanks for the tip, Panayoti! Alright, leave it to Panayoti to decide theyre two DIFFERENT species! Now, I can see him finding enough differences to call them two different things, but Im gonna guess that theyre going to look absolutely identical to anybody else whos looking at them! So at this point Im going to keep labeling it the way I always have, and, Panayoti notwithstanding, will continue to consider both names/species/epithets to be the same thing! One other thing about Acanthusin general! Its always sold as a shade or part\-sun plant, but the first time I ever saw one bloomingwhen I decided I HAD to have onein the "pond garden" over at Paulinos, it was in full sun, and mine is planted in mostly sun, and it does really well. I do tend to water it more than some of my other stuff! Another thing I learned on one of the sites I checked out is that it can apparently be propagated from root cuttings, and since people are always anxious to have the few seedlings I dig up to take to the swap, maybe Ill need to dig up a couple pieces of root to see if I can propagate a few more for the Fall Swap! Itll be an interesting experiment! For anybody who decides to check out Jelitto, by the way, it IS a wonderful, wonderful seed company, but its also a German seed company. Everything is sold in Euros (used to be in Deutschmarks!), so if youre looking something up and want to know the price, you have to convert the Euros to USD. Something listed as 2.50 Euros would be a little over $3. At least now they do have a U.S. office you could call with questions, but I dont know if the seeds are actually shipped from the U.S. or Germany! But if youre ever looking for something you "cant find anywhere," Id lay odds on Jelitto having it! Their catalog is also a GREAT reference for germination and other info! I copied their Acanthus germination info to save, tho it looks like germinating Acanthus anywhere other than "out in nature" might be as difficult as germinating Callirhoe is! Ive posted these before, but here are a couple pics of it when its actually blooming! [
    ](http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z_8arJa_qXNiU1S4YL8bsg?authkey=Gv1sRgCNb-kpjh7rzM5AE&feat=embedwebsite) [
    ](http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/a3ymej_KovFcz9jnLL0FMw?authkey=Gv1sRgCNb-kpjh7rzM5AE&feat=embedwebsite) Mark, I never thought about the ph being the reason why the pasque flowers look different, but I bet thats WAY right! Acidity/alkalinity can definitely make a difference in the color of the flowers, especially blue and lavender. Im virtually certain that its Pulsatilla patens that you have growing out there! And the stems on yours look longer than mine, but I really think thats just the soil/light/moisture differencesand the fact that mine is hovered over! ;\-) Gotta go! When I was starting seed yesterday I discovered that I dont have any cucumber seed left for this year, and I forgot to order some when I did my Pinetree order! Yikes! Gotta get my bum in gear! Think Im gonna do a Parks order. Was looking in their catalog last nite after I discovered my brain glitch, and they have Diva, the one I REALLY want, and some others that sound good to try. Skybird
  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you sb. I had Acanthus mollis at the house in CA, very common there, 5-6 ft spikes on the fls. Fls are similar, lvs different. I see the winecups and Agastache nearby - so not much water?

    So the forecast was for strong wind today, up until ~1:15 or so nothing, then 5 minutes later its gusting to 40. Sigh...luckily it was a tailwind for the first-grader to ride her bike home uphill and I had everything battened down so the seedlings won't blow away or wither.

    Dan

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A. hungaricus is usually considered z6 (I worried about mine the first winter when it was TINY, but have never had a problem), and I think mollis is usually considered z7 or warmer, so Im not sure if it would be easily grown here in Denver. Im also under the impression that mollis is or can be considerably more invasive than hungaricus, but since Ive never grown mollis, I dont know that for sure either! Out of curiosity, did you ever have a problem? Ive never had a problem with the hungaricusit gets slightly bigger each year, but if you can propagate it from root cuttings I am kind of wondering if Ill ever be able to get rid of it if I decide I want to! Are the flowers on mollis poky? Since the leaves on hungaricus are so soft, Im always surprised at how sharp the thorns on the flowers are when I run into them! Theyd be much nicer for dried arrangements if they werent so dangerous!

    My perennials are so mixed up that there is no actual xeric area! Because I have things that need quite a bit of water right next to the xeric thingsIberis, Aubrieta, Lupine, and until last spring, lots of mumsthe xeric things often get too much! But I also have a problem with the overhanging cottonwood trees, so theres not really enough sun for the "full sun" things I want to have, so they get straggly and floppyand the extra water doesnt help at all. If I can ever find somebody to come shovel up all the (AWFUL) rock mulch in the one corner of my front yardfaces southIm gonna fill that area with perennials and will probably go with all xeric things. So no xeric bed yet, but I LOVE Agastache, Perovskia, Penstemon, Cactiwell, the flowers at least (I have a cactus in the backyard that doesnt get enough sun to bloom too!), and a bunch of other xeric things. Desert four-oclock, Mirabilis multiflora is another one of those things "Ive always wanted" but havent had anywhere to put it. Actually bought one a couple times, thinking Id be able to get rid of the ROCK, but then they died in the pots eventually when I didnt have anywhere to put them in the ground! Cottonwood roots and rock are my two nemeses! Not gonna buy another one till the rock is gone!

    The Callirhoe is a kind of interesting story! I was gonna post this pic when I took it last year, but never got around to doing it! When I was rearranging mulch around the Callirhoe last spring I noticed the top of the root sticking out so I started pushing the mulch back to see what I could see! What I could see was HUGE, so I dug a little bit of the soil out around it! This is what I found!

    The top of that root was at least 8" across! I knew they were tap rooted, but now THATS a tap root! I pushed the soil back around it, burying it slightly deeper than it was, just barely covering the root entirely, and then pushed some mulch back around itand it promptly died! I never figured it out! Possibly I damaged the root when I was digging around it and moisture got thru the "skin" and it rotted. It definitely rotted, but I dont really know why! The pic was taken May 7, and you can see how well it was growing at that point. Anywayit was right next to the edge of the railroad ties, and it always flopped over onto the grassand everything elsetoo much anyway, so it was no big deal that it died, but I never ever, ever would have expected that you could so easily kill something with that big a root! It was WAY interesting! And now I have more space to plant some new things in! (I suspect the Acanthus wont be gotten rid of that easily if I ever want to!) There is a seedling Callirhoe coming up near where the old one was, and Im sure I could still dig it up to move it at this point, but since the rock is still out front in whats gonna be the xeric garden, I dont have anywhere to move it to! They cover SO much space Im just not sure I want to leave it where it is! I really cant decide what to do with it, but Im gonna have to decide soon since I probably wont be able to successfully dig it up anymore in a couple months.

    This is the Acanthus area last year, May 17, when the Callirhoe (left, front) was still alive! The Agastache isnt visible behind the Acanthus, and the Russian Sage is right next to the Agastache, behind the rock (now, those kinds of rocks I like!) And thats a Campanula glomerata (definitely not xeric!) just left of the Acanthus, which now gets so much covered up by the Acanthus foliage that its dying out and if I dont get the remaining pieces moved soon, its gonna die the rest of the way this year! Egad! So much out there that needs to be done!

    From things youve said, I think you must usually get more wind there in Aurora than I do up here in Thornton. Ive had a light breeze all day, and its gotten a little bit stronger every now and then, but it never got really windy up here today.

    Back to the cuke order!
    Skybird

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wouldn't do the A. mollis here, and the Z6 plants I've tried usu. don't last long here either. We've been gusting over 30 mph since early afternoon, last hour Buckley AFB reported G 39.

    Dan