Spring flowering in Kansas City

James Waddick jwaddick@kc.rr.com
Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:21:39 PST
Dear PBSers,
	Although we have had a long dreary winter with few days of 
sunshine and too many days of snow cover, some things are blooming. 
Actually we rarely have such extended snow cover and this may have 
encouraged some of this early growth. Here's a brief list:

	Crocus	C sieberi 'Firefly'  - A favorite pale lilac that 
clumps up and seems to move around the garden. We've never planted 
any in the path, but now clumps pop up each spring. Squirrels?

		C. ancyrensis - Tiny brilliant golden yellow. One of 
our smallest species, but the color has a big impact.

		C. siberi 'Bowles White' -just a couple flowers open.

		C. sieberi 'Tricolor - do you see a pattern here? The 
color with its bold deep purple, gold and white is great singly or in 
a clump.

		C. tommasinianus (sp?) - in a variety of shades 
including seed grown mixes. A large patch of 'Ruby Giant' just 
appearing and other wide spread plantings not yet up at all. These 
bloom in 'waves' in various parts of the garden, but all are 
excellent.

	Narcissus	'Cedric Morris' an N. minor cv that can bloom 
easily in late Jan, through Mar depending on the winter. We keep a 
plastic bell jar over it to protect it from rabbit and other critters 
eating the foliage and buds. It can take the full brunt of snow and 
cold. Just wish it multiplied more vigorously.

		RES	'Rynveld's Early Sensation'  just opening its 
first flowers. Reliably and a good sign of real spring.

	Galanthus	'Mighty Atom -NOT' an un-named vaguely 
similar to 'S. Arnott', but bigger, more vigorous and all round best 
snowdrop in the garden.  Single bulbs transplanted a few years ago 
are multi-flowered clumps in a very short time.  Time to spread more 
bulbs around. Our favorite by far.

		G. 'S. Arnott' - as above, but less so

		G. elwesii monostictus. Bold glaucous foliage and 
good size flowers. Newly confirmed ID (Thanks John). We've enjoyed it 
for years under 'no name'. like most of our Galanthus, alas.

		G. elwesii -typical is a wimp here. Not even vaguely 
garden worthy I suspect it does not like our edge-of-prairie 
conditions.

		G. nivalis -single and double -the latter barely open yet.

		G ?? Way too many without an ID. Frustratingly 
difficult to pinpoint names especially when so many seem to 
under-grow their potential in my harsher growing climate conditions.

	Eranthis - Winter Aconites. You gotta love these with bright 
gold flowers perched on top of a crown of green. Slowly self sowing 
here and we actively spread seed among Hellebores and such. We've 
tried a few variants, but  with slow success.

	Adonis amurensis- marginally 'bulbous', but pops up and open 
with the first  rays of bright sunshine. Two clumps a few feet apart, 
but one has multiplied well with over a dozen flowering stems, the 
other sits with one or two flowers per year.

	Hyacinths- no not blooming, but big pointed green 'noses' are 
an inch up including a couple different colors of Dutch hybrids and 
multiflora in a mix of colors, too. They do just fine, but are very 
slow to multiply.

	The list seems a bit long, but it will multiply in just a few 
short weeks as more genera and species are added to the 'bloom list'. 
Can spring be far behind?

			Enjy		Jim W.

-- 
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph.    816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
	Summer 100F +


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