Hepaticas
“At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled mirth…”
Shakespeare
It took many decades for me to have snow on my April birthday. And it was not just a light dusting of snow but two inches of heavy wet snow. Dead trees fell with the weight of the snow and the tops snapped off some of the plantation pines. What a lot of weather drama in a month when we’re usually done with all of that.
The snowdrops definitely got snowed on this year. As did the aptly named snow crocus. I planted a beautiful little white species crocus, Snowbunting, from Vesey’s. These each had several flowers and they did well planted in the lawn. I wasn’t sure how many of my naturalized crocus had been excavated by the squirrels so always a good idea to plant more.
The cool weather meant that the Iris reticulata lasted longer than they usually do. If it turns hot they last just a few days but this year they bloomed for at least a week or more. I planted a mixture from Vesey’s which turned out to be mostly purple with a few yellow. All appreciated no matter the colour.
I always look forward to the spring ephemeral blood roots and hepaticas. The blood roots have planted themselves near the house where I can easily see them. The hepaticas, in beautiful shades of pale pink and purple, bloom in the wild garden.
I read recently that hepaticas have been hybridized to produce doubles and darker colours. There is also apparently a double blood root as well as a pale pink one. I have no idea why anyone would try to improve on two flowers that are already spring perfection.
When the blood roots start to fade they’re replaced by jewelweed seedlings. I weed out most of these and just leave a few. Nature is good at filling in any available space.
The forsythia is a bit insipid this year. I’m guessing that it didn’t like the extreme cold of the past winter. It has been glorious every spring for decades so it’s allowed to have an off year.
I was relieved to see that my stored glads were in good shape when I recently retrieved them from the basement. In past years I have managed to freeze them or have found them moldy and unusable. So of course I ordered more and now I have lots and lots.
I’m still cleaning up the remains of the ash trees that were cut here last fall. That is a mess that seems to go on forever. Some of the tops were on the daffodil hillside so those got cleaned up first.
Somehow in the midst of the tree chaos last fall I managed to plant a few more daffodils. I’m so glad I did. Who isn’t happy to see them dancing in the breeze after a long winter and cold spring?
Along with the resident beavers, this year the pond is home to a pair of wood ducks. I looked out one day and saw them wandering around on the lawn. A male wood duck is a spectacular creature. I had to look twice to make sure I was really seeing them.
The McMahons called this farm Duck Hollow back in the day. I had never seen a wood duck here until this year. So how appropriate that the ducks have returned to Duck Hollow.
By Jill Williams
