This has been a long cold winter, with snow hounding us as recently as last week, so many of the earliest spring-flowering plants are late. The heirloom hyacinths (donated by Old House Gardens of Ann Arbor, MI) should be in bloom, but they’re still green as can be. However, Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica is still in bloom on the terrace walk, and has been blooming, even under the snow, since November. The first clematis to bloom outside boils down to a race between Clematis ‘Hendersonii Rubra’ (in the Armandii group), which would already be in bloom were this a normal year, and Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba, our eldest plant of which is working on some nice buds. On the sunny Front Bank, Narcissus ‘Rip Van Winkle’, notoriously early, has just started opening its shaggy blossoms.

Inside the greenhouse is another story, and if anything, it would be nice of the large-flowered hybrids would slow down! All of the Armandii group are blooming, with ‘Apple Blossom’ putting on the best show. Young plants of ‘Constance’ and ‘Blue Dancer’ (in the Atragene group), too small to spend the winter out yet, have just opened this week.

By this time next month, we should be able to provide a blooming list as long as your arm!

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