A "Mash-Up" of Seasons

Hyacinthoides hispanica

I think this year in the garden will be filled with many unexpected events and surprises.  Just a few weeks ago, we had unseasonably warm temps in the area nearly reaching 90 degrees.  Now it's blustery and cool.  Some plants look a bit stunted while others are fully leafed out.  If you watch the TV show Glee, you may be familiar with their "mash-up" of songs. A mash-up is when the vocals and instrumentals of two or more songs are seamlessly blended together. Maybe we should use the term mash-up to describe the seamless blending of garden seasons.

Just yesterday, I noticed roses blooming in the back garden while Spanish hyacinths were just hitting their prime along the side of the house. Redbuds trees (Cercis canadensis) have yet to drop their blossoms and the doublefile viburnums (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum) are ready to flower about a month early.

As a seasoned gardener, you learn to take all these changes (good and bad) into stride and realize that while you may be the stage manager, Mother Nature is the director of your garden show. And this year she's experimenting with some new seasonal mash-ups.

Rosa 'Purezza'

Early Riser

Breaking ground in late January

My daffodils seem to be popping up a little too early this year. Already about three inches high with flower buds forming.  I suspect that the mild winter is spurring their early development.  The high temp tomorrow, the first day of February, is expected to reach 52℉ in East Hampton.  

The Farmers' Almanac 2012 did predict above normal temperatures in the Northeast this winter.  This almanac was right on the mark last winter, accurately forecasting our heavy snowfall. So I guess we might as well get ready for an earlier gardening season this year.

I'll admit I'm ready for a little spring color even if spring is two months away.  In fact, I plant mostly early-blooming daffodils to help liven things up before everything else greens up in the spring.  However,  I never expected the cheerful trumpets this early.

I also like the early bloomers because they can be cleaned up before the summer garden gets under way.  Since photosynthesis still occurs in the daffodil leaves and spent stems after blooming (feeding the bulbs for next year),  you're not supposed to deadhead the declining foliage until it turns brown.  This year, they should be long gone before the rest of my garden wakes up.

Maybe I have the proper timing all wrong for these Narcissus.  The most conspicuous daffodils right now in the Hamptons Garden are named 'February Gold'.  And February does begin tomorrow.  It's probable that they were actually tardy in the past, stunted by cold and heavy snow.  Oh well, ready or not, here they come.

'February Gold' Narcissus blooming last April