Kaseys Korner

still forcing hyacinths

In January I rescued a handful of hyacinth bulbs from the local nursery that were probably otherwise destined for the compost pile.  After chilling eight plus weeks, they were recently brought out to the kitchen windowsill for forcing.  The buds on one immediately started to open before they had risen above the bulb.  For some reason, the vision of the bulb with its tightly clutched cap of blooms prompted the photographer in me??

Is it as captivating to you, in this form, as it was to me?

Could be I'm just enamoured with the soft pink color???!!   I thought the bulbs were supposed to be white ~ so this was an unexpected but delightful twist that makes me even happier I salvaged the bulbs.  I never buy hyacinths with the intention of planting them in the garden but I end up having them there because after forcing, I can't bring myself to toss them.  Now, just as these are beginning to bloom inside, a few outside are almost ready to join them.  You can bet this pink one will be planted ~ I'd love a whole swath of this color!

Orchid rhapsody

During my blog absence, inspired by Joey, I decided to try photographing my orchid blooms more dramatically, as opposed to in the "greenhouse" as previously done.   While my results are not quite as spectacular as hers, I am pleased enough to share them with you.  

The white phal has been phenomenal:

Three stalks of blooms for well over a month now.  When I look at it, I always think it would make a wonderful bridal bouquet although I could never bring myself to cut them!

The pink phal I purchased for my Mom on Valentine's Day:

recently made the trip home with her but now, looking at this photo, I think I miss it!  Before it left, it had started putting out some new buds, I hope it continues doing well for her.

The yellow spotted phal, also purchased for my Mom:

liked my "greenhouse bathroom" so much it immediately sent up a second bloom stalk!  I was not a very good daughter, because after that happened, I couldn't part with it.  I tried replacing it by giving her another (non-blooming) phal and cattleya.  I think she was happy?  Sorry Mom...

The last orchid is the tiny cattleya 'Alvin Beggman Poem' that you've seen on the blog many times before:

It started blooming the first of March and has a number of these exquisite yellow blossoms on it now.

Lastly, and this is exciting, the phal orchid one of my neighbors gave me two years ago (that was almost dead) has recovered.   After a year of "babying" and growing some healthy roots & leaves look what it's doing now:

Sending up a bloom stalk that has divided into two!!!  I've never had that happen before although I honestly don't know how common an occurrence it is (being that I don't have very many years of orchid growing experience under my belt.)  I think she said the blooms were pink or purple when it was given to her?  I can't wait to see. 

The paph orchid my brother sent me from Hawaii last January is almost ready to bloom too.  You can imagine how long it takes me to get ready in the mornings with the distraction of all these gorgeous blooms!!

P.S.  The oncidium orchid whose blooms froze on my front porch this past winter was not a complete loss.  I cut the frozen bloom stalk off and put the plant with my other orchids.  I'm happy to say, two months later, it's rebounded ~ sending up a new "bulblet" (is that what you call it??)

Maybe I'll see some (unfrozen) blooms from it yet!

 

spring a ling

In the three long weeks since I last posted, spring officially arrived along with the first blooms of the season.  It's SO refreshing to see color spotting the garden once again.  Dwarf Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' suprised me by beating out everything but the snowdrops & winter aconites:

I added several packets of bulbs to the garden last fall and now they are blooming in mass, making it difficult to tell where one bloom ends and another begins.

Could be I crowded them too closely!!!  I'm wondering (like many people do with a new favorite) what took me so long ~ they are the sweetest, tiniest things.

Around the same time as the dwarf iris opened, the drumstick primulas (Primula denticulata) also began to bloom.  They open their first flowers while the bloom heads are still fairly tight to the ground:

As time passes, it's easier to see how they get the "drumstick" name:

Many of you realize (having read this blog for several years now) what a big primula fan I am.  It's probably not the most practical genus to fall for in our cold dry climate but the varieties I grow are certainly very hardy.  Primula 'veris' is another longtime favorite I can't wait to see. 

Opening later than usual, the 12th of March to be exact, were the first crocus:

White and solid purples have now joined the striped blooms (where are the yellow I swore I'd add last year??) 

I also noticed Pink Muscari blooms dotting the front garden on Wednesday ~ maybe they were even open before that??

I haven't been making my usual "rounds" so I can't be sure.

I do know that 'King Alfred' is the first of many daffodils to bloom ~ I just took this photo several hours ago!

I'm hoping for smooth sailing from here on out although I know we could still be in for a snowstorm (or two or three) before winter finally lets go ~ blatant disregarder of the calendar it is.  It's been so warm the past month, the lilacs are beginning to leaf out as well as catkins hanging on all the aspen.  Maybe all the activity will inspire me to be more active on the blog?  I can't remember when I was last as busy as I've been so far this year but I think things are finally calming down. Here's hoping I can do some blog hopping and regular posting in the near future...

 

"sunny day dreams" card

Three days of clouds and now (today) snow has me dreaming of sunshine.  I don't think I could make it in the PNW despite the great gardening climate.  There's just something so magically uplifting about sunshine and here in Colorado, we are usually spoiled with an abundance of it.

That makes it even more noticeable when it's absent.   Unfortunately for us, the sun is not forecasted to reappear until Wednesday....

Until then I'll have to busy myself indoors, like in my office, where I desperately need to be anyway

or doing some blog maintenance, which has been sorely neglected due to my hectic personal life (of late). 

btw, the photo in the card above features the dragonfly sundial I won two years ago from Anna's blog (flowergardengirl).  It's been such a beautiful addition to my garden and I think of (and thank) Anna every time I see it.  :-)

Hoping your Monday is starting off warmer than mine ~ and that you don't just have to dream of a sunny day...

P.S.  I'm so ready for spring I'm switching my blog header early.  Over & out winter!

Amaryllis 'Razzle Dazzle'

The last Amaryllis I expect to bloom this season, unless 'Papillio' surprises me.  'Razzle Dazzle' is also the Amaryllis featured on my winter blog header (in case you've ever wondered).

Even tho I'm happy to see these blooms again, I'm sort of glad the Amaryllis are finishing up.  I'm ready to move my gardening efforts outdoors.

A feeling reinforced by the several days of 60 degree weather that has enabled me to do some spring clean up.  So many bulbs and emerging perennials were uncovered that I'm beyond excited to move into a new season and leave the winter bloomers behind.

I bet I'm not alone in that feeling?  I know we probably have a few snowstorms in store yet but at least March brings some warm weather which means any white stuff won't stick around long now.  Spring is officially less than three weeks away ~ Woo hoo! 

Sorry 'Razzle Dazzle' ~ when you bloom this late, you sort of miss out on the glory...