Garden Diary - March

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March

Flowers Around Town, in March
various dates

It started in the days of covid-19. Everyone was told to sequester at home. For me, a difficult part of the restrictions meant I could no longer go to visit gardens. Very sad. To make me feel better, Paul would drive me around town to look for flowers in people's yards. I did my best to photograph out the car's window, with an occasional escape out the door for an image while huddled against the car. Now vaccinated (multiple times, in the years since) I am still watching for flowers in other gardens. But now I can comfortably get out of the car and even cross the street.

Friday, 29 March 2024

There have been one or two days with chilly nights. The buds on saucer magnolias are, alas,
brown with damage. Other flowering trees have been slowed down but are not damaged.

Such as this majestic weeping flowering cherry tree on Ridge Road, close to Route 519.

Many of its flower buds are opening and showing pink, but not yet the full frothy display.

Friday, 22 March 2024

This once was, if not exactly a garden at least it was a place where daffodils had been planted.
Then somehow over time it became overgrown with artemisia and wisteria and other such junk.

I drove by and even from the road it was easy to see the sunny color of forsythia and daffodils.

It is easy to understand a shrub successfully competing with the weeds. Apparently daffodils too

can surge into growth, coming up green and lusty, budding and blooming before the weeds overwhelm

and strangle them. For the daffodils are actually multiplying by offsets. Indeed, flowers around town.

Someone must have planted these daffodils on Ridge Road to brighten the day for people passing by.

Most, I expect, will be drivers rather than pedestrians. Even so the number of bright daffodils,

sunny yellow petals and orange trumpets would be difficult to ignore.
They practically shout, "Look at us!" even on a cloudy day.

Just about a week later, the daffodils in front of the purple house
on Route 12 in Frenchtown are like a golden river wedged between
the sidewalk and retaining wall. They probably like the warmth that
the masonry soaks up on sunny days, then returns to their narrow bed.

And the neighbors next door to the purple house joined in. They too, planted daffodils,
with a backdrop of a charming fence which was recently installed. Love the gentle curve of
fence, flowers, and sidewalk, adding rhythm to the scene where straight lines would stale.

Sunday, 17 March 2024

There's a very purple house on Route 12 in Frenchtown. It appeals to en plein air painters.

Here's an artist I noticed, several years ago in April. I also notice the house when I drive by

especially when the bright yellow daffodils line the sidewalk, and some also spread into the lawn.

Thursday, 14 March 2024

It's somewhat early for most of the flowering cherry trees. Except, that is, for Prunus 'Okame'

a hybrid of Prunus campanulata and Prunus incisa, with rosy pink flowers appearing
earlier than most and lasting longer than other flowering cherries. 'Okame' was
developed by Captain Collingwood Ingram of England. He was so knowledgeable
about, and fond of, flowering cherries that he was nicknamed "Cherry" Ingram.

This lovely specimen is growing on Route 519 close to the intersection with Ridge Road

Monday, 11 March 2024

It is important at this time of year that I do not leave home without my camera.

Why? Because I never know when flowers will appear before me, like these lovely Dutch crocus

on Milford Road in Frenchtown. All I was doing was heading home after a grocery shopping trip
at the IGA. When what to my wondering eyes should appear but a plethora of crocus (what is
their plural? Crocuses? Croci? No idea.) obviously thriving and wide open with stamens showing.
Nothing to do but pull over, turn on the car's flashers, grab camera and dash across the street.