Monday, December 21, 2009

What Inspires - part 8

Well the first day of winter is finally upon us and we are starting to feel it in the North East. December 21st is the Winter Solstice which signifies the official start of winter.

I was just talking with my Uncle in Florida last night and he told me it is cold there! In fact, he has stockpiled firewood in preparation for cold weather this winter. One tends to wonder about the effects of Global Warming when you need a wood burning stove in Florida to keep you warm!

Anyway, as we head into the Holiday season, I am wrapping up some old projects and starting on some new ones...I can't help but think about the Summer Solstice! It is six months away from now and it was six months ago!!! My one consolation that comes with the marking of this date is that the days will start getting longer by 2 minutes each day until June 21st...

The above photo was taken back in the summer of 2009 around the time of the Summer Solstice... this is the same place I wrote about in a previous article from 2 years ago. It will always continue to amaze me at how Nature can recover a landscape after it has been disturbed by man. It amazes me even more that it can do it in such a beautiful and graceful manner...

Friday, December 18, 2009

A unique looking bulb...

If you are into the spring bulb scene and are looking for something a bit more in the wow factor than planting various colors of tulips in your garden...try the Crown Imperial Lily! otherwise known as the Fritillaria imperalis Aurora.

I fist stumbled upon this stately looking plant while visiting someone's home last spring. In my years of gardening I had never seen this one before and wanted to find out more about it.

They will grow in climate zones 5 to 8 and reach a height of about 36" to 39" (inches). The bloom time is in spring just before everything leafs out...about the same time as the tulips come up. I have also seen this flower in a yellow color as well. So if you are looking for something to make people stop and enjoy your garden with a sense of wonder... try popping a few of these bulbs in the garden.