Periwinkle - Vinca

Posted by WiseAcre on Apr 13th, 2008
2008
Apr 13

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My first spring bloom of 2008 appeared right after the snow melt in April.

Vinca Flowers

I’ve just returned from Long Island where I found the first signs of spring. When I first arrived I noticed a hint of yellow on the Forsythia. It took nearly two weeks but before I left it was in full bloom along with the Daffodils. By the time I left most of the perennials were sprouting. It was perfect timing. I had the chance to clean and mulch the beds before tender shoots made the clean up difficult and had the opportunity to see the plants beginning to emerge before leaving.

Daffodils

Forsythia

I grabbed the season by the throat and dragged it back.  It’s putting up a fight but it should settle down in a couple of days.  Todays threat of snow flurries was a false alarm. By Thursday the temps promise to be in the 60s F.   My play/work season has arrived.

WHOOT!

7 Responses

  1. Mr. McGregor's Daughter Says:
    April 13th, 2008 at 10:05 am

    Wahoo! So glad you finally have something blooming. Welcome to Spring.

    Mr. McGregor’s Daughter,
    You can say that again! Wahoo! Spring has arrived. Every muscle in my body hurts but my mind is doing it’s best to ignore the pain. It’s a good thing it still gets dark fairly early since I have a hard timee dragging myself indoors while it’s still light outside.

  2. Joy Says:
    April 13th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

    Hey !! Did you have a nice holiday ? (there is a song in there some where I’m sure) .. and you are claiming that you brang ?(is that a word ?) BROUGHT ? .. Spring back for us ? .. hum .. I think you and Mother Nature are due for a “talk” haha
    Gorgeous pictures ! .. I had periwinkle .. I’m not sure if i do any more .. but I will keep checking. I have some mini Daffs that are too sweet to look at when they bloom .. almost toothache time they are so cute !
    So … have you been scheming about astilbe ? … nahhh .. you wouldn’t try to out do me yet .. would you ? …
    Nice NOT to have snow ! .. and it is going to get better as the week progresses ! YIPPPEEEEE !
    Joy
    PS .. I just noticed that “I dare you” thing down here … jeez ! you are so naughty !

    Joy,
    It was no vacation- It was the Grand Opening of my work season :) When I left Long Island all the Astilbe were sprouting nicely. Now I’m waithing for mine at home to show some life.

  3. Bamapat Says:
    April 13th, 2008 at 2:33 pm

    Welcome back Wiseacre, ya we missed you, awww were so sick!

    Florida was wonderful but they too got some chilly weather and I hit it big time. Hey, chilly there is sick, sinks right into your bones and does not leave.

    Also caught myself a lovely cold which again, I did not want nor need. However, it’s nice to be home and much to my own delight my tulips are sprouting up — man are they ever. Cant’ wait to see them bloom — too funny.

    Later My friends, hey, mother nature and ole man winter just had to have this little toss up to mess with us, a few flakes this morning but soon, back to the April showers so we can get May flowers…hurrah.

    Bamapat,
    Sorry to hear you caught a cold. Lets hope the deer and wabbits don’t find your Tulips before they bloom. I’m a bit slow responding so you should have a great day today - temps going into the 60s and plenty of sunshine.

  4. CJ Says:
    April 13th, 2008 at 7:32 pm

    Welcome Back! And aren’t you glad to be home just in time to welcome spring to your garden? I know I’ve been out there as often as I can.

    CJ,
    It almost hurt to look at the yard when I returned. I didn’t have a chance to rake up the last of the leaves last fall. Early snow pasted them in place and now they’re a wet messy mat laying over everything. The deer have returned and eaten all the daylilies. But after those minor distractions - everything is looking great. The heavy snow was a blessing, providing a nice protective blanket against the extreme cold.

  5. Carol Says:
    April 14th, 2008 at 8:05 am

    Hey! Welcome back! Hope your trip went well. I love that forsythia. I wish this “new” house of mine had one. I miss my ones at the “old’ house. Hey, did you see my new garden tool (aka truck)? It is pictured in my 4/5 post. Now to find some good rocks!! Where’s tat river you mentioned anyway??

    Carol,
    I had a good trip. I’m stiff and sore but that will go away soon enough as I get back in shape. I brought back some Forsythia since my wife loves the early yellow blooms. Trouble is with the cold up here the flower buds are usually suffer winter kill. We can usually mark the snow height by the flowers that do bloom near the ground.

    Glad to see you got a new “Garden Tool”. I imagine you’ll start to drive it all the time now. You never know when you might pass something that just screams “Take me Home”. I’ll have to stop by and demonstrate how to move 1000 Lb rocks now :)

  6. Beckie Says:
    April 15th, 2008 at 10:02 am

    Isn’t it wondeful when that first tiny bloom appears?! Glad you came back to spring. Your forsythia is gorgeous.

    Beckie,
    I passed up the Crocrus blooms since I was so surprised at the Vinca. It was under an inverted huge pot from a tree I had planted and the ‘protection’ it provided was just the ticket to get the plants a healthy head start :)

    I wish the Forsythia was ‘mine’. That is a photo from the day I left Long Island. I did bring home some but don’t expect them to ever look like that in my yard. The winter cold kills off the flower buts this far north.

  7. kate Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 10:15 pm

    Glad to see you are back! That is an incredible Forsythia. I don’t think I’ve seen one quite so loaded with blooms before. The ones here are usually pretty stingy with blooms.

    kate,
    That Forsythia is probably older than my kids. Since using ‘composted’ horse bedding as mulch it has responded nicely. Unfortunately at home I hardly ever see blooms on Forsythia. When we do it usually marks the snow height. Any buds above the snow are usually killed off by the winter cold.

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