The backyard trilliums finally started to emerge this week though a local nature blog I follow reported trilliums blooming earlier in the month.
My backyard must be a microclimate. The daffodils are blooming in our neighbors’ yards for a week or two before the flowers show themselves in our yard. I’ve been watching the fig tree I planted last summer closely for the past few weeks for any signs of growth. A few days ago it produced a tiny fig and the start of a leaf.
I’m still keeping an eye on this dwarf buttonbush that’s been playing it very cool. Looking closer, it seems like these small brown bits jutting off the stems might be the beginning of leaves?
What do you think?
This is another installment of Rootbound Clippings, a monthly feature where I share short anecdotes and links to other planty things. This kind of post is normally only for paid subscribers but this month I’m sharing a sneak peek with everyone. Welcome everyone!
The Rat is Back
A few weeks back I revealed that a rat’s been hanging out in our backyard and building some sort of subterranean bunker.
My wife
wrote/drew a little more about our rat friend/foe in her Substack, . Here’s peek at that:You can read Brooke’s whole post here.
Feel the Fern
There’s something so magical about watching a fern unfurl its fiddleheads this time of year. I’m always skeptical that the cinnamon fern that lives in a container on our front porch will survive another winter but here they are opening up shop for the season.
For the Love of Dahlias
My colleague at KDKA, Scott Danka, produced and shot this beautiful piece about Tom Werner, a local man who loves dahlias:
Is it Really Spring?
We had a few warm days this past week and as I sat in the backyard with Brooke and Kip I realized that we finally crossed the threshold – there was more green than greyish/brown back there. Now it really feels like spring.
How are your gardens looking these days? I’d love to hear from you.
And one more thing: There’s a house in our neighborhood that’s been for sale for a while. This month they “upgraded” their landscaping with some new blooms.
The fabric petals are beginning to fray and some of them still have price tags attached but they do add some color.