Saturday, April 12, 2008

Mini Tulips are on the Rise

Thank the spring sun! These mini tulips (Tulipa humilis) are showing their red-tinged leaves. Ironically, I bought these early spring risers in Kelowna, British Columbia last September. I'm sure the mini tulips in Kelowna are going to seed by now.

Crocuses and mini irises poking up out of snow:

There's a decent crop of snow mold under the snow. I could pull out my university-days microscope and try to take digital pictures of the hyphae and spores, but that might involve some digging in the basement junk.

Want to sail your canoe across our yard? Behold this tributary to Lac La Ronge meandering across our front lawn:

The wildlife sanctuary (aka "the backyard") is looking less arctic. In the meantime, moose/deer/cow leg bones are appearing everywhere and the resident wildlife (aka "Kona, the weekend sled dog") is pleased.

The yellowish-red plant on the right is a Delosperma, a rock garden plant sold at John's Garden Center in Prince Albert. They usually sell only hardy stuff for our climate, so I ignored what I read on the internet about this plant and wished it luck. It looks pretty healthy.

The snow has melted where rain has washed it away, or on sun-warmed slopes. I'm hoping we'll be snow-free in another week!

7 comments:

kate smudges said...

It's a good thing you posted the photo of the mini-tulips (now I know what the mystery shoots are in my garden).

Your garden is more advanced than mine, although there isn't any snow left here. It really only started warming up yesterday - we've got a few warm days ahead so I imagine the garden will take off.

It does look like a perfect canoe route right to the lake across your lawn. Kona must be pleased with his finds ... I'm glad to know Delosperma does okay there. I've always been hesitant to plant it here.

breannep said...

I like the mini-tulips - I may have to get some myself - and I had no idea about snow mould until I saw your picture - we have it in our yard as well - mostly where the snow melted in shady places...I didn't know it had a name - thanks!

Amy said...

I can't wait to see more of your garden as the snow melts and things being to grow.

Yes, you'd be right about tulips going to seed by now in Kelowna, lol! I think they usually bloom in February. I remember going there for Thanksgiving weekend a few years ago to visit my grandparents. We were living in Prince George and were already getting good frosts. All the leaves were long gone from the trees. In Kelowna it still looked like summertime. Green trees, green lawns, and my grandparent's garden was bursting with flowers!

Ottawa Gardener said...

Are they species tulips? Local bunnies/squirrels are enjoying the tops off of some of the tulip sprouts. Your canoe route looks a bit like I might have to do some portaging and I may be in the mood what with spring fever raging.

Gardenista said...

Yes, those are species/botanical tulips. I love them because they multiply and do better every year, unlike the big fancy tulips (which I have as well, of course). Thankfully we have no deer or bunnies! If we did, I think they'd be eaten by dogs or shot long ago for food.

kate smudges said...

I wanted to ask you - do your long-stemmed tulips last for more than a few years there?

Botanical ones do fine here, but not the tall ones.

Gardenista said...

Kate - so far, I've dug up the Triumph tulips that are older than 3 years, and the Single lates are going onto their 3rd season this year. Probably 4 or 5 years is the max for the big tulips. I did dig up one patch of them and threw out the small bulbs, leaving only the big ones. I fertilized them well and replanted them. We'll see if that helps.