Hey GPODers!
20.05.2024 - 08:21 / finegardening.com / GPOD Contributor
Hello and happy Monday, GPODers!
When I checked the GPOD inbox last week I was excited to see another person who had recently gone “plant watching” and shared some photos from a walk through nature:
Hello, this is Sheila Abair from Vermont. I had to share these wildflower pictures from a walk this morning. I can identify the trilliums and I think ostrich ferns. It was a beautiful experience. Hope you enjoy them.
From the pictures Sheila sent over, it’s clear that spring wildflowers are in full affect in Vermont, with flowering trees giving them some color competition. With plenty of plants still sprouting and putting out new foliage, I can only imagine how lush this spot is in peak season. But now that we’ve seen some spring landscapes from the Northeast, I would love to see what’s blooming in other parts of the country! If you’re enjoying the sights and sounds of nature near you, take some photos and let us know what you’re seeing.
Sheila was spot on with her identification of trilliums. Here, tons of the iconic great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum, Zones 4–8) are sprinkled across the forest floor.
And trilliums are just as stunning in a close-up. Trilliums are one of those natives that desperately deserve more love. Like many natives, trilliums have suffered from the impact humans have had on their natural growing environments, which has caused the population of several species to decline dramatically. While I’m happy to see these great white trilliums thriving near Sheila, there are still several species that are considered endangered. Learn more about rare, endangered trilliums from the U.S. Forest Service.
On a lighter, brighter note, these yellow marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris, Zones 3–7) are always a
Happy Monday, GPODers!
Hey GPODers!
Yesterday we explored the wild side of Vermont with Sheila, today she’s sharing what spring looks like in her garden.
If you buy your garden border plants from the people who grow them, you’ll benefit from their expert advice and knowledge.
It’s always a treat when award-winning landscape designer Jay Sifford sends in photos of his fabulous home garden in the mountains of North Carolina. Today, we have an extra-special treat:
Putting plants together is the most creative and joyful part of making a garden. With colour, shape and texture, you can conjure up a living work of art, something that not only gives you sensory pleasure but also benefits wildlife and the environment. But with so many options available to us, where do we start? I always think back to the plantswoman Beth Chatto and her mantra ‘right plant, right place’ when conceiving a plan, because there is no point in rushing to place your favourite sun-loving flowers in a shady spot at the back of a north-facing house. ‘Plants, like people, have their preferences and don’t like being thrust into the nearest available hole,’ she observed.
Left: WWD / Getty Images; Right: CARSON DOWNING
Many of you may be familiar with our native fringetree, Chionanthus virginicus, often called Grancy graybeard, granddaddy graybeard or old man’s beard. It is a wonderful small tree that grows throughout the state but is certainly not a common site. It begins blooming in late March with airy, off-white flowers.