Saturday 5 February 2011

Where’d they come from?



First Croci (?) are in flower, I hadn’t noticed they were even about to flower and then, suddenly they were there. Last year the first photos I have of them in flower is 14th March… So we’re a good deal ahead.
It’s amazing how things can swing from one year to the next, even with our amazingly deep snow in December.

I hope more will surprise me soon, so I can go shutter happy again!

14 comments:

Cyndy said...

That's a lovely, happy surprise, more than a month ahead of schedule. Nice photo.

Cheryl said...

Hi Liz, it is good to see blooms getting ready to open. My dwarf iris have opened today, around ten of them, overnight....amazing.
Makes a lovely patch of blue under the apple tree....

I am surprised how early spring bulbs are this year. We have had an exceptionally cold winter in my part of Kent. It just goes to show you never can predict what will happen in a garden.....

Carolyn ♥ said...

Now that's a pleasant surprise!

ShySongbird said...

Hi Liz, it amazes me how much must have been going on under all that snow! It must have acted like a warm blanket, not sure how that could be but it is all I can think of to explain such early growth. Having said that there is no sign of Crocus/Croci? in my garden yet so maybe someone has sprinkled magic dust on your garden, a flying visit from one of Cheryl's fairies perhaps... ;)

debsgarden said...

No bulbs flowering here yet, though in many years past daffodils would be blooming. The little green tips of leaves are pushing up and being greeted with icy temps, so the poor things are shivering and wondering if they somehow got transplanted up North!

Liz said...

Hi Cyndy,

Last year was the opposite - the Crocuses were rather late, so I guess if you average out when they've planted over the past few years there's probably only a week or two early.

Liz said...

Hi Cheryl,

Nice to hear your Irises have opened, mine are still sitting, waiting to push their flowers up, I have two species - Pauline and Harmony. One is usually a couple of weeks later than the other so I get quite a nice continuation of Iris blooms (different shades of Purple though).

I think most of the UK has had a very cold winter to be fair, I'm just really pleased they seem to be coming up considering the very cold temps with no snow to protect them all. Every day I look there are more bulbs coming up, now is the turn of the front garden as the sun rises it's now getting more light and the Snowdrops are appearing on a daily basis.

More Croci have opened today, in a different pot this time, also these white and purple species, which I believe are Prins claus, they're a very small flowering variety.

Liz said...

Hi Carolyn,

Indeed! So happy to see they're out, I hadn't expected them for a good while yet! There are very few Crocus out in the actual garden though, they're all in the pots at the moment.

Liz said...

Hi Jan,

So far the only places the Crocuses have come up are in the pots around the house, there's no sign of them so far in the borders... Bit strange, but I do have lots of Snowdrops coming up in borders around the garden (none in pots).

I'm just hoping I get Lily of the Valley this year, I planted some last year and so no sign of them, then I noticed some growth where I planted them a few weeks ago but they turned out to be Snowdrops when I had a closer look. It might still be early for them though.

Here's hoping you get spring bulbs flowering soon! :D

Liz said...

Hi Deb,

Oooh, Daffodils would be nice! I still have so few around the garden and they all seem to be late flowerers so I don't get them for another month or so. I can't even see and sign of them pushing through the soil yet, also no sign of Anemone, Bluebells, Giant Snowflakes, and Alliums.

Kyna said...

Dude, same here. Chuck and I went to Raleigh for a concert on Wednesday, and when we came back my crocuses were all bloomed out. Awesome.

VW said...

Happy day when the crocuses first bloom! My yellows bloomed in February last year, but there's no sign of them so far. I keep hoping, though :-)

Lona said...

Hi Liz. What a wonderful early surprise. One needs surprises after this strange winter we are all having.Cannot wait to see the blooms.

Janet/Plantaliscious said...

Pretty! And yes, it is extremely strange how much flowering times vary. Fun though!