A Late Frost

Trillium grandiflorum

A late frost in May is not uncommon, but we’re always happy when we skirt the possibility. For many of the plants that are blooming and at their peak ( Magnolia, Rhododendrum dauricum, primula, and the species peonies, to name a few), a frost can destroy the flowers and damage their foliage. Luckily, as I write this at 5:00 this morning and after being up several times through the night to check on the temperature, the greenhouse, and to be certain that any plants we’ve covered are still in fact covered, the deep cold has missed us by a couple of degrees. Yeah!

Mertensia virginica

On a different note, here are a few photos of what’s blooming at the moment. Blessed treasures, they are. Happy Mother’s day to all! And, a poem by e.e. cummings for this fine spring day ( just sent to me this morning by a dear friend…thank you, Joanne!)

Trillium erectum

“o Sweet Spontaneous”
sweet spontaneous
earth how often have
the
doting

fingers of
prurient philosophers pinched
and
poked

thee
, has the naughty thumb
of science prodded
thy

beauty, how
often have religions taken
thee upon their scraggy knees
squeezing and

buffeting thee that thou mightest conceive
gods
(but
true

to the incomparable
couch of death thy
rhythmic
lover

thou answerest

them only with

spring

Azalea ‘Candy Pink’ and Magnolia stellata in one of the woodland gardens

Anemonella ‘Schoaf’s Double’

Love this time of year! Everyday a new surprise in the gardens. The spring plants that are already blooming…delightful. And do we ever tire of seeing them, have less anticipation, when a new season arrives? Never.

Anemonella thalictroides
( Fernwood seedling)

Omphaloides verna

The hellebore, the hepaticas, the anemonellas and uvularia, are all in bloom. Trilliums are everywhere. This season we are actually offering a few double trilliums for sale. Come soon if you have your heart set on one, I think we have only five left. Some of the woodland peonies are ready to burst open. Always spectacular when they do. This past weekend with the nursery opening we were able to chat with customers, both new and old, discussing gardens and plants, and yes, the long winter was also a topic of conversation. I think gardeners have been just itching to tend their beds, look for new choice plants to add to the landscape, and to just dig in the dirt!

Rhododendron ‘Candy Pink’

Paeonia veitchii

Tomatoes to be planted in the hoop house

This will be another busy week here at the nursery. The vegetable gardens are getting planted, and soon we will be harvesting the very first greens and spinach ( kale also, of course). The tomatoes will be planted in the hoop house. Up in the sales area we continue to divide and pot plants. The display beds need attention on a regular basis now, so this chore gets put into the daily mix. The sheep will move to their summer pasture by mid week. Wait til they see the lush grass that awaits them, I’m sure it’s been on their minds. The three sheep I board for Sally will go home, along with her eclectic flock of (mostly) roosters. Can you believe that no one called me about adopting Rooster Rod? Yes, that’s right, Mr. Fancy Pants is still here strutting his stuff amongst the hens. He’s a bit ridiculous. I really expect to go out there one day to find him wearing bell bottoms. Tomorrow, I will go to the bus station to collect up our WWOOFER for the season ( to find out about the wwoof program , check out this site). Cristina is coming from Italy to spend a little over two weeks with us helping out here on the farm. Italy! Imagine that! Once she arrives and settles in, we’ll introduce her to the blog. We are really looking forward to her coming.
Well, that’s where we’re at here at Fernwood these days. We hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather, the bird song, the gardens, and everything else that spring brings to us.

trillium erectum

trillium grandiflorum ‘George Young’

Hobblebush