Hi, this is Joseph in Indiana. I moved into my house about a year and a half ago, and the yard was a completely taken over by masses of invasive weeds: honeysuckle and knotweed. So I cleared all that out, and now that they are gone, I’m finding all kinds of treasures. Sometime since the 1940s when the house was built, a gardener must have lived on and loved this little urban lot, because all kinds of long-lived treasures are popping up and enriching my spring.
These hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis, Zones 4–8) somehow survived years of being smothered by weeds. Last spring they were just foliage, but they’re bouncing back now wonderfully and are covered with fragrant blooms. I have no idea what the variety is, of course, but I’m thrilled with how vigorous they are. I can’t wait to start dividing them and spreading them over the garden so I can enjoy their fragrance.
Peonies are survivors. There were a few peonies on the property when I moved in, but the shade of weeds had reduced them to just a few wisps of foliage. But now, with a little love and more sun, they’re coming back, and this one even has a flower bud! I can’t wait to see what it looks like and to watch it really start bulking up in the years to come.
Last year I had just one or two blooms of long-suffering glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii, Zones 3–8). But free from weeds, they’ve transformed into a carpet of bloom this year.
I’ve been adding my own plants, of course, like these primroses (Primula hybrids, Zones 3–8) I grew from seed.
I grew a LOT of primroses from seed. I wish I had planted them closer together so they’d make a solid carpet, but maybe next year.
These little hoop-petticoat daffodils (Narcissus ‘White Petticoat’, Zones 5–8) are tiny and delicate. I love how they look, but maybe they aren’t in the right place, as they’re a bit easy to overlook.
Narcissus ‘Trena’ is in the bed between my sidewalk and the street. I love the nodding flowers held up over the foliage.
Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris, Zones 4–8) is a favorite. I love the early blooms and the way the silky hairs on it glow in the sun.
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