April 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere

[cohan]

So many beautiful and cool plants, everyone Here too spring is a roller coaster- near 20 one day, then near freezing the next, several snows in April (quite normal- the warmer, drier March is less typical). Nonetheless the flowers are rolling along, gradually picking up speed- pics soon.

[cohan]

It's interesting how every spring is different in terms of which plants come out of winter fastest, happiest or not so happy!
This year the first surprise was Galanthus- these are plants from bulbs from Poland, and usually they lag just a little behind the Crocus (in the sunny warm bed in front of house, woodland beds are later) This year they just beat the first Crocus with the first couple of flowers when the first Crocus were just leaves

1

-- though after a few more warm days, the Crocus were catching up!



Pseudomuscari azureum was actually the first flower  to open- and it is not even in the earliest to melt bed- need to have these in more places!



Draba aizoides as always the first non-bulb to flower-first few prob matching the Pseudomuscari, filling in more day by day.



The native Pulsatilla (patens) nuttalliana in the garden only a couple of days behind the front runners and well ahead of the Eurasian pulsas (which, in any case seem to have suffered serious vole predation this winter )

[cohan]

Then after that last sunny day- high teens- with flowers popping, a few cm of snow for Apr 18 (more than 10cm Apr 08, but no flowers yet then) and just a few degrees above freezing, nights as low as -10C for a few days. Spring flowers are tough though, nothing bothered.

Psuedomuscari azureum



Moose pruned Prunus tomentosum



Semp Bed Two -home of the Drabas seen earlier



Xeric/Native Bed complex- the rear beds closer to the trees never get much snow cover, just a few inches in winter' spring/fall snows like this quickly melt  on those parts!

[cohan]

Following days, business as usual, even with still cold nights, and lingering snow in the shady areas.
Crocus seem better this year than last, though the same can't be said for the Azorella in the first two shots! There are bits still fine, and I guess it will come back! Some other things, like Armerias- the smaller ones never seem long lived, a few patches die every year, lots of seedlings- also seemed not fond of this winter, which was milder than average much of the time, snow cover over a long period on most beds, but less than usual, one true cold spell ( -30C to -40C) in Feb. As I say, different every year, and different plants react differently!







The last Crocus has a visitor, which I think I shared in the wildlife thread- a Plume Moth. It wasn't shy at all. That flower is impossible for me to capture accurately, even with editing- it is a darker very rich red violet

[cohan]

Last for today, but more to come as these photos are already outdated!
Pulsatilla (patens) nuttalliana again with distinct inner and outer looks, these are some of the most elegant flowers! It isn't increasing much where it is, really need to get more plants started in other spots..

[Susann]

Susann, I was thinking in terms of protecting a few buds in muslin bags then hand-pollinating them, to see what variability the seedlings might show.

Oh, I see. Yes, it would work. I could take pollen from the first flowers that opens the pollen sacks and save it to pollinate the very last flowers to mature. It would, however,  produce very few seeds as Pulsatillas do all they can to avoid self pollinating. They are very good in aborting seeds, and unfortunally they often abort the seeds of the last flowers to flower. (Pulsatillas does not open a flower's pollen sacks until the pistills have closed for germination to protect from self pollination)

The seedlings will be 100% yellow flowering but the color of the hairs could be grey or white.

I am sure the first flowers will produce pollen in the next coming days. I will save it and pollinate the last flower for you. Please, send me some kind of contact information to to.samsbox@gmail.com

"Someone" mystically helped me correcting the snowy picture. I am quite sure I know who. Thank you!

[ashley]

Many thanks for the kind offer Susann.  I've sent you a PM.

[kris]

Spring is slowly coming back again after very cold few days (upto -12C) and the plants love it. Here are some pictures from the garden.
Astragalus lutosus.jpg
Eunomia oppositifolia.jpg
Draba dedeana.jpg
Pulmanaria altaica.jpg

[Diane Whitehead]

What beautiful leaves the astragalus has!

[Leena]

Pulmonaria altaica is new to me. Is it evergreen or does it come from root in the spring? It looks really nice.

Here Corydalis have joined Hellebores and Hepaticas. In the picture there is Corydalis solida x kuznetsovii 'Boyar' between Helleborus and Hepatica nobilis, it's colour is so dark it is difficult to photograph, but I think in this picture from yesterday it looks right how I see it.

[Carolyn]

Super colour of corydalis, Leena. A nice group of plants.

[Mariette]

Susann, Ashley is right - Your remarkable form of Pulsatilla multifida should be propagated! Unfortunately, I may not grow plants like this in my garden, there grow only weeds like Arisaema amurense.



Doronicum columnae doesn´t mind some shade.

[Mariette]

Pulmonaria altaica is new to me. Is it evergreen or does it come from root in the spring? It looks really nice.

Here Corydalis have joined Hellebores and Hepaticas. In the picture there is Corydalis solida x kuznetsovii 'Boyar' between Helleborus and Hepatica nobilis, it's colour is so dark it is difficult to photograph, but I think in this picture from yesterday it looks right how I see it.

Beautiful scenery and corydalis, Leena!

[Leena]

Thanks Carolyn and Mariette:).
Mariette, your spring is so much ahead of ours, you have very nice red and yellow corner there.

Here is a closer picture of 'Boyar'

[Gabriela]

For me everything looks spectacular in the spring, including the 'weed' A. amurense

Does the Pulmonaria altaica remains so small Kris?

Have been working recently around an small area where I try to keep Primula mistassinica and few other native species growing 'wild-like style', which implies removing others which may try to infiltrate, like V. jooi did.

Viola jooi


Viola langsdorffii spp. kamtschadalorum also likes a wet place; flowering for the first time.