The Speaking Stone

Today was the first time that I have seriously paid mind to the garden. Usually it was always a fleeting greeting in passing on the way out the door to work, with temperatures hovering near or below zero. I have fingers crossed that the extended forecast holds true, as it shows continued rising temperatures and rain in the forecast for the next week! [Already I have been out watering the ever growing number of ‘kids’ as they burst through the soil and begin stretching with luscious, crisp new growth!

Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Raven’s Wing’ is always the first to make an appearance, with its gorgeous fern like foliage of green and deep purple. Indeed it does look like the wing of a raven laying atop the bare ground in Spring. Rambunctious? Hell yes, but I wouldn’t be without it as the season progresses!

This is where ‘Raven’s Wing’ resides, in a narrow border [aren’t they all?] along the west side of the house. You can also see the palmate foliage of Aconitum in the lower left corner, and central in this photo is Larix decidua ‘Horstmann’s Recurva’ which came through the winter intact. I need only get a bag of compost to top dress the border and it will be set for the coming season [edging is also in dire need!]

Look closely and you can see the tight flower buds on the horizontal branching of Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Mariesii’, commonly referred to as the doublefile Viburnum. It remains a top selection for flowering shrubs in my book!

 Fingers and all other appendages are crossed that Cercis canadensis takes to his new home! I have always been in awe of the fact that Guelph residents are able to successfully cultivate this sublime tree, whereas twenty minutes north here in Fergus, most gardeners struggle!

Of the Helleborus, only H. nigercors ‘Northern Beauty’, H x ballardiae ‘Pink Frost’ and the ubiquitous H. walhelivor ‘Ivory Prince’ seem to have come through the recent cold spell unscathed. My recent ‘Winter Jewel’ series are doing well, but begged that I focus my lens on the latest bloomers instead.

I refer to this as my ‘caged beauty!’ I love the newly emerging foliage of Clematis recta ‘Purpurea’ with its green and wine infused foliage. A leaner by nature, the somewhat obtrusive obelisk will eventually be covered with masses of tiny white flowers!

     Speaking of white flowers, none are as lovely as our provincial flower Trillium grandiflorum, the first of which is gently unfurling her luminous petals towards the sunlight that filters in along the Shaded Walk.

And I thought I would save the most exciting photos until last! How absolutely exquisite is this! The diminutive three coloured new growth of Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ causes the heart to sing most joyously! And so does this…..

One need only say the words, ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’ for woodland connoisseur’s ears to prick up and take notice! Indeed Paeonia mlokosewitschii, affectionately referred to as ‘Molly The Witch’ has six shoots, only one of which is showing signs of unfurling its mesmerizing teardrop shaped foliage – and what an intoxicating hue the new growth has! I have been placing boughs of Noble Fir around her when temperatures are slated to drop into the single digits, which reminds me, must go tuck her in for the night as soon as I am finished here, which I think I am!

Now I sit back and wait for this…..

to transform itself into this…..

and even this!