blooming

In the last week or so things have really been blooming at the arboretum and one of the earliest is the magnolias. I still have a hard time believing they are hardy here in Minnesota, it seems like such a southern tree. It always looks like paper stuck in the bare branches as the flowers come out before the leaves. They have such a variety at the arboretum-one of my favorites is an "anise" magnolia. The flowers have the typical perfumey scent, but if you crush the twigs it smells like licorice!Two bangs for the buck!
Everyone has been out to see the tulips and other bulbs blooming. It has been such an early and unusually warm spring- if we're not careful we could get spoiled. At least it doesn't look like we will get our typical late smack of snow.



One of the first plant to really pop in my garden is the 'Gold heart Dicentra', my favorite bleeding heart. The picture below is from my garden. The limey green, yellowish foliage is one of my favorite colors. As much as I adore flowers, in my own garden I lean towards texture and beautiful foliage- so serene.
But, of course, another of my favorites are the flowering crabapple trees and other fruit trees. There is a plum tree that is just incredible and the crabapples below are just starting to open. By next week the hillside should be gorgeous!
I will post more photos when they are all in full flower.

Early Spring At the Arboretum

We are so glad to have become members of our Landscape Arboretum. What a great resource to have so close at hand. With all our snow gone now the bulbs are emerging. First to bloom are the dwarf iris pictured above. Such a beautiful color! The snowdrops are also in bloom. I am going to be doing quite a bit of planting this year; mainly digging up an old perennial bed and replacing it with all fruit and vegetables. I want raspberries, blueberries,strawberries and blackberries for jam making and cucumbers for pickles. I am researching the blackberries for one that will be hardy for our zone 4. I am also going to help put in a large fruit garden at my mother's way north of here and she's a zone 3. I know I won't have problems with most of it except for the blackberries. This is where the Arboretum will be invaluable. I will do my tomatoes, peppers, etc. in pots, this always works best for me.

This is the only spot out there that still has a bit of snow as of last week- the woodland area near a babbling creek. We take the 3 mile walk first every time we go and then get off on some of the other walking paths- the Forest walk, Bog walk, Woodland walk- and then take a look at all the demonstration gardens. I am amazed at the variety of plant material there.

In addition to my fruit and veggie garden I have plenty of other areas that need attention. I am planting shrubs along the street front for more privacy and would like to add this tree to the front yard- a Prunus Maackii or Amur Cherry. It is the bark that I just love, it shines in the sun as though it were wrapped in copper. Apparently it has creamy white flowers in the spring and fruit for the birds that I can also use for jam! I will keep taking photos out there and post them- the hillside of crabapple trees should be spectacular!