I went running today and it was stunning how many plants are already in bloom.  Daffodils and crocus are in full bloom, much earlier than I ever remember.  Vinca minor is in full bloom and the bedraggled bergenias are trying to bloom, but being severely outclassed by pink heathers and white iberis.  Many plum, cherry, ornamental pear and apricot trees are also boisterously flaunting their flowers.  I saw scotch broom, that weedy invader, starting to bloom.  The early flowering rhododendrons are also in flower.

Today was so very spring-like, and it is obvious that the plant life here believes that spring is here, as well.  The buds on the Santa Rosa plum I purchased from Raintree are plumping up and near to blooming.  All the fruit trees and shrubs have expanding buds already.  The winter hazel is about to be in full bloom next to the blazing forsythia, and Osmanthus fragrans is days away from sweetly scenting the driveway.

Any severe frost or cold from now on could be devastating to crops, flowers and the plants themselves.

There has been an especially sweet smell in the garden when I leave in the morning and when I come home at night. I wasn’t sure what could be smelling so sweetly and fairly strong, as the only obvious things in flower have no scent.  I recently read for the first time that Daphne laureola, the spurge laurel, can be fragrant.  This handsome plant, now considered a noxious weed in our area, has sprouted a few places in our yard and is currently in full bloom, with yellow-green flowers.  I always let it grow, but try to cut it back before it has a chance to form ripe berries to keep it from spreading.  I had always been told that this plant’s flowers do not smell, but there is no doubt that some of those in our yard have a wonderful fragrance, and the Wikipedia link confirms that these flowers can have a strong scent.

One notices so many things while running 16 miles through the neighborhood.  Probably the most obvious thing I notice is how few people even try to maintain any type of garden nowadays.  Most of them are content with lawn and a few shrubs or perennials, poorly placed and even more poorly maintained.  Among these plain-Jane yards, I do see some gems mixed in.  Many of these have obviously been designed by professionals, but some appear to just be garden-crazy individuals with their home-style charm applied liberally to a city lot.

I checked the seeds today and, while none of the seeds planted last week are poking through yet, the seeds from the prior planting are up and growing well.  Several of the mixed lathyrus seedlings are up, some myositis, hundreds of campanula and the sweet peas.  In an earlier post, I mentioned the possibility of mold in the greenhouse, and I realized today that one of the fans had died, so I ordered a new one to be delivered in 10 days or so.

By moving the flat of wallflowers outside (under a clear plastic cover), I was able to make room for one more flat of seeds without having to rearrange the entire greenhouse.  So, I planted mixed Andean rarities, a salvia mix, a verbascum cottage mix, roemeria hybrida, along with some primula japonica in a soft pink.

The best things blooming in the greenhouse are the forced spring bulbs, a species crocus and mixed dwarf iris.  They are so lovely and graceful (and short-lived), that I took a few pictures to remember them:

 

Shopping filled some of my time today, as I was too tired after the run to tackle much!  I ordered from Gardens Alive, who now carry plants–one dwarf mulberry, a new type of blackberry and a goji berry vine.  I also ordered some fruit fertilizer.  Their products have always worked well for me and are designed with the environment in mind.

From the Kelp4Less website, I ordered some rooting powder, some kelp meal (which I swear by), and some azomite powder, which is a natural mined substance that adds minerals to soil from A to Z (thus the name azomite).

We’ll be having a neighborhood studio tour in September and our house will be one of the stops.  I intend to have some plant stock saved up and ready to sell during the art sale.  I already have a bunch of cymbidiums and queen’s tears, and if any of the seeds I’m starting take off in any significant numbers, I should have some good-sized perennials to sell.  Also, I’ll take cuttings (once the rooting powder lands) of the clematis on the arbor in front (small, prolific, purple single flowers) as I cut it back for the season, and will also get cuttings of the Clematis alpine “Willy” on the back patio and the C. Montana rubens, as well.

Other plants that will be easy to divide are the campanula porscharskyana, and the big root geraniums are easy to root.  There are typically some Echinops in the veggie gardens seeded from the big parent plant nearby.  My goal would be to have plants in the $2.50 to $5.00 range ready to fly off the shelves.  That has never happened before, but I’m telling myself that if I have the RIGHT plants I can sell them.  Spring makes me optimistic!