March 2018 Northern Hemisphere

[Robert]

Some weeks ahead of my garden Robert.

Hi David,

Our garden is still a bit bare, partly because there is still plenty of room to plant  , partly because the weather has been so extreme in both directions. At least we are getting some much needed rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Severe drought conditions still exist, but hopefully we will get a "March Miracle". 

[Robert]

A few flowers that have survived our recent stormy weather.



The first of the Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii to open.



Erysimum concinnum



Heliophila coronopifolia. Slowly this easy-to-grow South African annual is getting established in our garden.



A nice Geranium macrorrhizum seedling from the El Dorado County farm. It is a nice deep pink and may be a hybrid. The plant grew from a chance seedling in one of the garden beds. There were plenty of other Geraniums in the area for it to cross with.

[Hoy]

Robert,

You have some really nice spring flowers!

We still have very cold nights here and the soil is frozen solid but nice sun during daytime (it is not getting hot though!) bring forth the first flowers.

[Leena]

You have spring already in Norway.

Today was sunny day with temperature just above zero, so spring is on it's way to also here, but very slowly. It is going to be colder again next week, but sun helps already so much that it can't be as cold as it was earlier.
This is one of my woodlandbeds today.
In the second picture the first sighting of a snowdrop this year! 'Richard Ayres', planted last August, is coming up through snow.

[Hoy]

You have spring already in Norway.
...

Leena, it is only here at the coast. Just a few km inland they have more than 2m of snow!

[Robert]

Trond,

The temperatures today were over 10 F below average. Despite the relative cold (we are having winter weather now - it was frosty last night) spring is progressing here in Northern California.

How deeply is the ground frozen? In the lower elevations of California, if it freezes deeply there is much plant damage, especially to many container grown plants.

Despite the cold, your early spring flowers look nice. Thank you for sharing. Spring is coming. 

Leena,

I find the scenes of your late winter/early spring most delightful. Snow, in its many forms, can be very beautiful. I guess you could get tired of looking at the snow all winter, just like I get tired of the 40 C temperatures and bone dry weather at the end of our summertime.

There is much snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains now. It is a delight to visit the Sierra during the winter. I'll be checking on conditions soon.

[Leena]

Robert, it is beautiful with snow  , and right now it is snowing more  . I'm sure I couldn't cope with temperatures as high as 40C, even 30 C feels too hot.

[Robert]

Leena,

We did get a bit of snow at the Sierra Nevada Foothill farm a few weeks ago. As you say, it is indeed very beautiful. 

Today, we are having clear, but seasonally cold weather. More snow is forecast to arrive in the Sierra Nevada Mountains starting tomorrow. I'll be leaving behind the blooming plants in our Sacramento garden for a few days for the snow covered mountains. It is for work, not pleasure, but then I like what I do, so the time spent working outside in the snow will be quite pleasant.

[zephirine]

With a warm "Thank You!!!" to Johnny-SE, here is Hacquetia epipactis 'Thor' in the garden these days...

[Gerdk]

This is Forsythia ovata - always 1 to 2 weeks earlier than the common cultivars

Gerd

[David Nicholson]

Very nice Gerd, what size does it grow to please?

[ikizzeki]

Today from Antalya, Turkey..
Almost whole plants as early bird for blooming.
For  Aristolachia lovers..
A.parvifolia
A.lycica

[Maggi Young]

I like aristolochia - I think they look as plants from outer space!

[ikizzeki]

If Maggi said that liked it,  means 'This is an order' to me
Here is more pictures..

[Robert]

ikizzeki,

Thank you for sharing the exquisite Aristolochia photographs! The two species are quite interesting. In California, the larva of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies, Battus philenor, feed on Aristolochia californica our only California native Aristolochia species. Is there a similar situation in Turkey with your Aristolochia species?