Sprouting Flowers
Feb. 19th, 2024 08:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithToday I took some pictures of the sprouting flowers in my yard.
The rain garden lies under the downspout near the patio. It has many crocuses sprouting along with heuchera and columbine.
This is the goddess garden, currently sans goddess statue. It's just east of the house at the northeast corner. In front you can see winter aconite, crocus, and hens-and-chicks. The back is a tangle of various thymes. A little snow is caught in the hole where the statue sits in warm weather.
Winter aconite is blooming. This is the only one I've seen though. I should probably plant more.
Crocus is budding beside hens-and-chicks. I thought that the snow might kill off emerging flower buds, but these seem to be fine -- and it got down to 17°F one night.
Puddles catch the light at the end of the driveway. This is the view looking west in the afternoon. Those ephemeral pools are super popular with wildlife. Birds drink and splash there. I see tracks of squirrels, possums, and other critters too. In warm weather, butterflies puddle there. I've tried putting out birdbaths with traits they are "suppose" to prefer. Nope. Mine want the puddles in the driveway and the deep dish under the drain hose from the basement. It's like they know I'm a fellow freak and won't care if they do weird things in my yard.
This is part of the parking lot just east of the flowerbeds. The carnage -- because some folks asked to see where I'd been cutting brush! Behold the butchered, splintered remains of volunteer bushes and the pile of cut sticks underneath. I haven't picked up the mess because I don't have anywhere to put it right now, since the firepit is full. Eventually those sticks will become either firewood for a bonfire or wildlife habitat for the brushpiles.
These are the daffodil (south) and tulip (north) beds, looking north while standing by the driveway. They are between the parking lot (east) and Midwinter Grove (west).
This is the daffodil bed. You can see all the sprouts poking up through their blanket of leaf mulch. Some of those are as high as my hand.
Here is a closeup of sprouts in the daffodil bed poking through leaves.
This is a wide view of the tulip bed with leaves on it. Again, the sprouts are poking up but they're not as tall as the daffodils. Also sprouting are peonies along the back (east) edge of the tulip bed, but you can't really see the tiny pink shoots at this angle.
Tulips are sprouting through the leaves in the tulip bed. Most are 1-3 inches tall right now, some are just peeking up.
Snowdrops are sprouting in the tulip bed. These things are volunteering everywhere. They are all over the east end of the savanna. :D I love it when bulbs naturalize because that reduces my need to buy more. I do still plant occasional new snowdrops for genetic freshness. Yep, that's what my gengineering is in this life: making sure my plants have a happy hippie sex life. \o/
These snowdrops are at the north end of the flowerbed and already blooming. This is one of two or so places I have actually planted beds of them. Another is the white garden at the end of the driveway.
This is the tulip bed after raking the leaves off most of it. The left (north) edge had already been raked clear several days ago, the middle is most of what I just did, and the right (south) edge is what I finished up later in the afternoon. That big mess of leaves in front of the log edge has all been raked up and moved to the oak seedlings, who like leaf mulch.
This is what I mean when I say that permaculture isn't all about the fruit. It's about obtaining a yield, whatever that means to you. I use fallen leaves to protect flowerbeds through winter and pile around trees. Then in ... well, it used to be spring, but now late winter, whenever the bulbs wake up, I rake off their blanket of leaves and move it to the trees. Granted I have to move the leaves around a bit, but I don't have to pay for them. Same with the sticks, which are useful as firewood, wildlife habitat, or occasionally craft materials. My yard is full of things I can use.
Yes, it frequently looks like a mess from a typical human perspective. I don't care. I do care that bald eagles found it a romantic carpet for their courtship dance last spring. :D And hey, the flowers will be pretty when the rest of them bloom.
The rain garden lies under the downspout near the patio. It has many crocuses sprouting along with heuchera and columbine.
This is the goddess garden, currently sans goddess statue. It's just east of the house at the northeast corner. In front you can see winter aconite, crocus, and hens-and-chicks. The back is a tangle of various thymes. A little snow is caught in the hole where the statue sits in warm weather.
Winter aconite is blooming. This is the only one I've seen though. I should probably plant more.
Crocus is budding beside hens-and-chicks. I thought that the snow might kill off emerging flower buds, but these seem to be fine -- and it got down to 17°F one night.
Puddles catch the light at the end of the driveway. This is the view looking west in the afternoon. Those ephemeral pools are super popular with wildlife. Birds drink and splash there. I see tracks of squirrels, possums, and other critters too. In warm weather, butterflies puddle there. I've tried putting out birdbaths with traits they are "suppose" to prefer. Nope. Mine want the puddles in the driveway and the deep dish under the drain hose from the basement. It's like they know I'm a fellow freak and won't care if they do weird things in my yard.
This is part of the parking lot just east of the flowerbeds. The carnage -- because some folks asked to see where I'd been cutting brush! Behold the butchered, splintered remains of volunteer bushes and the pile of cut sticks underneath. I haven't picked up the mess because I don't have anywhere to put it right now, since the firepit is full. Eventually those sticks will become either firewood for a bonfire or wildlife habitat for the brushpiles.
These are the daffodil (south) and tulip (north) beds, looking north while standing by the driveway. They are between the parking lot (east) and Midwinter Grove (west).
This is the daffodil bed. You can see all the sprouts poking up through their blanket of leaf mulch. Some of those are as high as my hand.
Here is a closeup of sprouts in the daffodil bed poking through leaves.
This is a wide view of the tulip bed with leaves on it. Again, the sprouts are poking up but they're not as tall as the daffodils. Also sprouting are peonies along the back (east) edge of the tulip bed, but you can't really see the tiny pink shoots at this angle.
Tulips are sprouting through the leaves in the tulip bed. Most are 1-3 inches tall right now, some are just peeking up.
Snowdrops are sprouting in the tulip bed. These things are volunteering everywhere. They are all over the east end of the savanna. :D I love it when bulbs naturalize because that reduces my need to buy more. I do still plant occasional new snowdrops for genetic freshness. Yep, that's what my gengineering is in this life: making sure my plants have a happy hippie sex life. \o/
These snowdrops are at the north end of the flowerbed and already blooming. This is one of two or so places I have actually planted beds of them. Another is the white garden at the end of the driveway.
This is the tulip bed after raking the leaves off most of it. The left (north) edge had already been raked clear several days ago, the middle is most of what I just did, and the right (south) edge is what I finished up later in the afternoon. That big mess of leaves in front of the log edge has all been raked up and moved to the oak seedlings, who like leaf mulch.
This is what I mean when I say that permaculture isn't all about the fruit. It's about obtaining a yield, whatever that means to you. I use fallen leaves to protect flowerbeds through winter and pile around trees. Then in ... well, it used to be spring, but now late winter, whenever the bulbs wake up, I rake off their blanket of leaves and move it to the trees. Granted I have to move the leaves around a bit, but I don't have to pay for them. Same with the sticks, which are useful as firewood, wildlife habitat, or occasionally craft materials. My yard is full of things I can use.
Yes, it frequently looks like a mess from a typical human perspective. I don't care. I do care that bald eagles found it a romantic carpet for their courtship dance last spring. :D And hey, the flowers will be pretty when the rest of them bloom.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-02-20 06:54 am (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2024-02-20 07:11 am (UTC)You're welcome! I'm glad you liked them.
>> References stated that petunias would die after frosts, yet the pretties in my window box bloomed all throughout the bleakest nights, not that this area receives anything like 17 degrees. The lowest is about 25.<<
It depends on the variety. I've had chocolate mint that survived, and it's supposed to be very tender. Bear in mind that recommendations are often based on fancy cultivars, and classics may be tougher -- though some newer ones are bred for hardiness. You never really know what will happen.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-02-20 01:49 pm (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2024-02-21 08:19 pm (UTC)It would be awesome. I hope you can some day.
>> The suburbs are so boring.<<
People can and have turned a suburban yard into a wildlife oasis and/or food forest. They've even done it in a patio or balcony garden!
http://www.suburban-wild.org/
https://www.permaculturenews.org/2011/04/13/lessons-from-an-urban-back-yard-food-forest-experiment/
https://wwf.ca/stories/how-to-create-wildlife-habitat-on-your-balcony-patio-or-porch-with-container-gardening/
https://www.livewildly.co/blog/permaculture-balcony-gardening/
If this interests you, then you could:
* Check your locale for relevant programs. Some places give out free trees or bushes, others have a program for rain gardens or lawn removal. These can give you free resources, discounts on supplies, tax deductions, etc.
* Start with a small project that fits into whatever you already have. Does your yard have a soggy spot? Put in a rain garden. Do you like watching wildlife? Plant native species. A front-yard wildflower garden is usually well received by people too. Do you have some raised beds? Consider a polyculture of vegetables, herbs, and/or edible flowers. Do you have any native trees or bushes already in your yard? Use that as the core to start building a guild around. If you want to maintain something that looks suburban but is more useful, consider guilds as planting beds with lawn between them. They'll get more light that way anyhow.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2024-02-21 11:15 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2024-02-21 11:39 pm (UTC)However, you don't have to fight them alone. Get their list of rules. Highlight every rule that is Earth-hostile. Take that list to your local wilderness organizations, climate change fighters, whatever state or country office is trying to promote native plantings to save endangered species, etc. Tell them you want to help but these people are preventing you from doing so. They're much more likely to take on HOAs where a member is willing to complain and to fight alongside them.
Another option is to talk with others in your neighborhood and see if they would also like more freedom to plant natives and engage in Earth-friendly practices. If you want to get really heavy, bring in the studies that show how more diverse birdsong improves human health, then point out that barren suburbs discourage birds and therefore undermine human health. It will make the HOA look very bad, especially to anyone with a mental issue in their household.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-02-20 04:23 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2024-02-20 05:37 pm (UTC)Yeah, me too.
>> and this was a great peek! <<
Yay! I'm glad you liked it.
>> All your wee winter flowers coming up and opening -- lovely! <<
It's fun to see them developing. :D
Those Who Cannot Run
Date: 2024-02-20 06:08 pm (UTC)You're not shoving 30 blue agaves into 40 square feet, you're not planting in a space that gets 10 minutes of direct sunlight a day.
Furthermore, you understand what needs to be close to each other, for their best overlapping selves. Thank you for showing this, it is very beautiful.
(my parents are both horticulturalists by training, and tell me to remember, plants cannot run from predators, so they must do all their defense while in place)
(no subject)
Date: 2024-02-20 09:27 pm (UTC)You're welcome!
Date: 2024-02-21 03:58 am (UTC)But the first crocus opened today, so I'd like to shoot the flowers as they emerge.