This Week at the Gardens: March 5th

Cyclamen alpinum

So much to see this week—spring bulbs are popping up everywhere, as well as some of the early-blooming perennials. This time of year—tenuous March—always makes me think of one of my favorite stories, The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The joy and wonder of seeing a “dead”, brown, and melancholy garden come back to life never ceases to delight and amaze.

Between a Rock…
Now is a good time to start poking around in the Rock Alpine Garden.
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Is it Spring Yet? Early bulbs and other Harbingers of spring starting in Rock Alpine Garden

While the official solar start of spring is still eight days away on March 20th, I think it is safe to say that spring has sprung in the Rock Alpine Garden. True, there may be many more snow storms and still plenty of mornings to scrape ice off of windshields, but the true harbingers of spring are in full glory now. Other gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens are showing signs of spring as well, but  few do it with such diversity as the Rock Alpine Garden (RAG).  Three species of Galanthus, at least five species of Crocus, three species of  Helleborus, Erica carnea, Draba aizoides,  Jasminum nudiflorum, Cyclamen, Scilla and Iris reticulata are just part of the parade that will change almost daily now that it is March.

Crocus are one of the most famous flowers of spring but most of us think about or photograph them open in the sun, Monday’s cloudy skies allowed me to photograph them closed up revealing the often highly patterned  or colorful reverse.  

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