Ponytail palm in the sun

Adonis amurensis opening

These adonis have been wandering slowly around the Japanese Woodland at least since the early 1990's. They're dependable in early February; I like to thing they are harbingers of spring but truly, they'll flower under two feet of snow. Last year the volunteers, Julie and I can't remember who else, dug three clumps and transplanted them to a location close to Hickey Hill Road under the Acer henryi in the bed across the grass from the parking area. Anyone walking or driving along the road will be able to see them. I'd forgotten about them until today. I went in search of them and there they all were. This is the biggest one. Eventually, years from now, they'll produce a colony that'll be easily spotted. For now they're it's a kind of a subtle effect.

Evergreen epimedium in China Valley

We're pretty much on top of the epimediums in the collection but this one remains a puzzler. No label, no one remembers planting it. Carole corresponded a bit with Darrell Probst but we're still not sure. I hope I can come back some day and put a name in this post! It's beautiful anyway.

What a difference a week makes!

The blue sky and the Daphne odora 'Zuiko Nishiki' ready, any day, to explode into bloom is today. It was sunny and 48F. The dusting of snow and the bleakly monochromatic (almost) landscape including the Fern Valley Meadow and the Capitol Columns. That was last week. I'm feeling good about the prospects for an early spring. Phil did see not see his shadow and we're sort of in the neighborhood of western Pennsylvania. Sort of. Not really. It's supposed to warm up considerably beginning this weekend and we're right at normal now. This is going to be another one of those year, like last year, where February is March. Better than Snowmageddon.