Saturday, March 27, 2021

Daffodils that take the debris of March with beauty

Shakespeare mangled, but oh well. High winds yesterday brought down wires and trees, but it was just foliage debris that flattened these daffodils on the patio. 

So, though I don't like picking flowers, I rescued them and they smell wonderful, like fruit and almonds.



Here posed in front of the prunings from the indoor begonia which is again taller than I, and looking a bit ragged. These leaves will root in water then maybe I'll start a new plant.


And outside again, here's henbit, one of my favorite spring wildflowers. People call them weeds, despite their medicinal value, but I will bet dollars to donuts that if they saw them potted up at the nursery they'd seize them for borders.


And here's that container of pansies, now starting with a second flush of bloom, outside in the ground cover.

No flowering cherry yet, and I hope the recent wild rain and wind haven't knocked the blossoms off. Dogwood soon.

Trees budding now too. The local Indian lore is that when the oak leaf is the size of a squirrel's ear, it's time to plant, I think, corn, not sure. 

It sounds like an easy rule. But it does assume you know which tree is an oak and what size is a squirrel's ear. And what to plant then. Some knowledge needed for old established planting traditions. 

Like knowing the phases of the moon for planting, when it's waxing and waning. And remembering which is the right planting phase.

Interested but not always knowledgeable, that would be this plantswoman.

14 comments:

  1. Thank you. I will check out the oak tree buds. I'm good on squirrel ear size, and there's oak trees down the street.

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    1. Let us know if you find out what to plant when they're equal in size.

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  2. What beautiful flowers and greenery you have! It's too early for flowers here but there is a little green in the grass and the trees are just starting to bud. I've not heard the Indian lore about the squirrel's ear and the oak leaf but it does make sense and the Indians knew this earth very well. Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. Well, those unfortunate daffodils will get a day or two more of beautifying life!

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    1. Yes, that's what I thought. Better than lying flat and invisible outside.

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  4. Leaves here are two months behind your area.

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    1. The greenery you see is evergreen pachysandra. We don't have leaves yet. The forsythia is just starting to show yellow tips though.

      I imagine since you're considerably further north, that will make a difference, but I wonder if the ocean has a warming effect, too?

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    2. I mean leaves on trees. The small wildflowers and creepers are starting to green up.

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    3. Our trees will leaf in late May.

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  5. We have the hen bit too. The flowers look like miniature orchids to me. I love them.
    I'm trying to think what a squirrel's ear looks like. Okay. I googled. Not like I haven't seen a trillion squirrels in my life. I am NOT a visual person though.
    Our saying here about planting is to wait until the pecans have leafed. They are the first to drop their leaves in fall and the last to open them in spring. In this way they make good shade trees.

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    1. Before climate change we used to plant peas and potatoes on St Patrick's day. Nowadays it's usually deep in snow. And turnips planted in July, changed too. Better to use nature's signs than the human calendar.

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  6. our henbit is a darker pink. yesterday was very warm and humid and a front blew in early this morning with a rainstorm and now it's considerable cooler outside and I'm wishing I hadn't put my flannel shirt in the laundry.

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    1. After a few very warm days, I'm back in warmer clothes today. About 20° cooler.

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  7. Reading about plans to plant is so much fun. Here, I have so many problems with ground squirrels, I've given up, but I really feel inspired to do soemthing this spring. I may get some help to secure my plants.

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