After a cold, wet spring, we were blessed with a gloriously perfect day last Saturday. Sunshine. Blue skies. Warmer temps. A super day for volunteers who turned out with shovels and bags of compost to plant a dozen woody shrubs in a new community ornamental garden. Red twig dogwood, hydrangea, rhododendron, viburnum and more are forming the bones of a new public native plant garden with a generous grant from the Exeter Area Garden Club. Not just for the public’s enjoyment, our goal is to attract pollinators and wildlife to the garden.
Following that glorious solo spring day, we have been plunged back into cold, wet weather. Mother’s Day was brisk yet warm with flowers, good wishes, phone calls, and a lovely brunch.
What plants seem to be happy in this weather?
Parsley is enjoying the cold. The ferns are
twice as large as they usually are.
Hostas are reaching for
the sky!
Epimedium seems thrilled…
⬇︎
Rhododendron is unfazed…
Pansies are in their glory….
What seems to be struggling or slow to adapt?
The iris! They will eventually
bloom but I see signs
of fungus on
the blades.
Tulips are fine but rarely open on these cold overcast days.
Azalea blossoms are uncooperative…
Crabapple blooms are struggling to open…
‘Carol Mackie’ daphne should bloom in May,
but this year it will be late.
What to do when the calendar
says spring but the weather
says winter?
As long as there are no s-words… snow, sleet, or slush, nothing stops the people of New England if they have a good supply of fleecewear, wool socks, muck boots, and a rain hat. Gardening in the rain is still gardening.
The photos are beautiful. The cold weather was not welcome this weekend, I’m hoping we get back to the warmth and sun, soon.
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I have it from a higher authority…. Accuweather… that we will have another glorious Saturday in three days. 68° and sunny!
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That sounds good!
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I enjoyed your photos and your comments. Such a beautiful post to remind all of us that Spring still tries to appear despite the weather.
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Yes, it may be late but it seems to find a way to burst forth in spite of conditions.
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What a lovely garden you and your fellow volunteers are planting for all to enjoy. Your blooms are beautiful. Without gardening in the rain this year, there wouldn’t be much gardening. 🙂 Here’s hoping we both see a ‘little’ warmer weather soon. 🙂
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I promise warmer weather is coming and should be here for your huge master gardener plant sale this weekend. You certainly picked the right day.
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Those roses are gorgeous! Gosh I hear you about the spring – it’s been cool, cloudy, and rainy even in LA!
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Yes, it’s gorgeous. It’s the one plant I don’t grow but I love receiving them as a gift in an arrangement.
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I think Richmond, Virginia had its showiest spring ever. Now most floral elegance come & gone, excepting we have yet to see any bearded iris, perhaps from very moist soil. We have an abundance of Asian iris in blue and yellow
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It was a very moist spring for you. I’m sure the azaleas were very happy. We have our first Iris in bloom today. Our crabapple is covered in blooms today. If they all turn into crabapples, I worry the weight of the fruit will break limbs.
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Is redtwig dogwood a cultivar of a native species? I it Cornus sericea?
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Yes, Cornus sericea ‘Baileyi’ is a cultivar of red twig dogwood. Should have nice bright red stems against our snowy winters.
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That is what I figured. I am told that our native Cornus stolonifera is actually the same species, but I sort of doubt it.
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I’m sure that grows here as well. I wonder what the difference is.
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I do not believe that there are garden cultivars of Cornus stolonifera, or whatever it is. Those in the wild have nice reddish brown bark if copicced, but are not as colorful as the Cornus sericea.
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Beautiful pictures of all of the flowers and plants….such lush green. Weird weather across the country…summer will come….you live in a very beautiful part of the country!!
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