“The snowdrop and primrose our woodlands adorn, and violets bathe in the wet o' the morn.” — from the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796)

 

 

How fitting that quote is to welcome in 2012. The mild December weather has given way to some unusual sightings in local gardens. The common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) put forth its buds in Jan Lord’s south suburban garden on New Year’s Day. Snowdrops are known to bloom from January through March, depending on the weather, but this could be a first. The common snowdrop grows naturally in a wide area across Europe and is found from the Pyrenees mountains to the Ukraine. It is extremely cold hardy and can withstand temperatures up to -30 F.

 

Also in Jan’s garden is the common primrose, (a.k.a. polyanthus primrose; grocery store primrose), which also decided to bloom during the very mild weather last week. In their native habitat, these little beauties are found in marshy areas in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the Himalaya mountains. Primroses bloom indoors for several weeks from late winter through early spring. Bright, eye-popping flowers in red, orange, yellow, magenta, white, purple or pink cover a rosette of crinkled leaves on plants about 4 to 6 inches wide and tall. Indoors, they tolerate indirect, bright light and cool temperatures. What they don’t tolerate is hot, dry air, dry soil or standing water around the roots.

 

“In some climates, these plants do well outdoors in a shady, moist spot,” says Judith Sellers, vice president of the American Primrose Society.

 

Once they’re planted in the garden, primroses will bloom for a few weeks — typically in May, not January — while the weather is cool. If the spot is shady and moist, they may return for several springs.

 

And, to round out Robert Burns quote above, Carolyn Ulrich, Chicagoland Gardening’s editor, reports that violas are blooming in a neighbor’s garden. We’d like to hear from you. What, if anything, is blooming or flitting through your gardens? If we have a few more mild days this month, you may even spot a butterfly or two. A few butterflies — the mourning cloak, eastern comma and Milbert’s tortoiseshell — become adults in the fall and hibernate during winter under loose bark, in leaves or in hollow logs. They may emerge on warm days and while it would be rare to see them in January, it’s possible if these mild spells continue.

 

We’d like to hear from you. What’s happening in your garden right now?  Happy New Year and Great Gardening in 2012.

 

— Nina Koziol

www.thisgardencooks.com