Do you become absolutely insufferable through the last dregs of winter? Do you cry, bitch, and moan that spring will never come and you will not make it out alive, not this time? Well then you and I are in the same boat my friend, and this post is for you.
Last April I spoke at the Drawn and Quarterly bookstore in Montreal to promote my book, Grow Great Grub. While there, I took the opportunity to visit my favourite botanical garden, the Montreal Botanical Gardens. If you’d like to see images of the gardens and greenhouse at different times of the year, I have an archive of images from past trips. You can not visit Montreal without visiting the garden!
Magnolia trees in bloom. Enough said.
I love the way the hardy sedum trails over the hard edges of the concrete border, and the little muscari flowers that are popping up within it.
Grecian Thistle (Ptilostemon afer). My love for thistles is expanding.
Fritillaria persica. This is a flowering bulb that I really want in my garden. The bulbs are not cheap to buy so we passed this year. Someday.
Rhodiola ishidae.
Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum). The first time I saw these in person was only two springs ago on a speaking trip to Pennsylvania. Since then I have seen them on several occasions. I even bought some in a bag of foraged greens from a market stand while in Montreal, but I had a hard time convincing myself they were okay to eat. I really don’t even want to eat them. They’re too pretty and special to sacrifice for that purpose.
Two types of pasque flower (Pulsatilla), a spring favourite.
These tulips smelled like cardamom! The variety is called ‘Akebono’. Worth growing for that, don’t you think? Although, if I were in a warmer climate I would just grow cardamom and call it a day.
We are most definitely in the same boat! All of the snow was finally melted, and then the night before last we were hit with another foot of it. Sigh.
That Fritillaria persica is stunning. Wow.
Thank you. I needed that.
To answer your first 2 questions, yes and yes! Here in DC we have been teased with spring. Last Friday it was near 70! Then last night we got sleet and snow. Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures. I can’t wait for spring!
I’m always torn at this time of the year; I’m eager for spring, but I don’t want to say goodbye to the ski season (I’m in Salt Lake). That said, at the beginning of April, we have both out here (60 degrees in the valley, dumping snow and 35 degrees in the mountains 30 minutes away).
Love the photos!!
Thank you for the lovely photos, and yes, I’m done with winter too. Here in Saskatchewan, it’s been bitterly cold, and we just received another dump of snow. Spring really can’t some soon enough for me. Love your site!
OOOPS! I meant it cant’ COME soon enough!
I LOVE the Botanical Gardens! That’s actually where I took the picture that is now the header on my blog. Being from NH, Montreal is the Canadian city I most often visit. Although it is now occurring to me that I’ve only ever been in winter– what kind of crazy person heads north in the winter?
But yes– I am indeed experiencing those homicidal feelings that February stirs in a New Englander’s soul. Posts like this help to calm the beast.
Beautiful photographs and delightful words. Thank you for this shot of spring.
No fresh snow on the ground here in Vancouver (yet) but it’s mighty chilly. I’m not so worried about me making it to spring but I’m concerned about some of the early cherry blossom buds that look ready to pop. I want to say “hold on, it’s going down to minus 7 Celsius this weekend.”
I really like that tulip at the end. What kind is it?
I especially like the sedums with grape hyacinths. I never would think to put those together. Do you think this was intentional, or a happy accident?
Daedre: Oops. I meant to include the name, but forgot. It’s ‘Akebono.’
I think the sedum/muscari combo was a happy accident that was probably left intentionally.
I was just thinking about muscari the other day…I cannot wait to see them bloom this spring.
I really enjoy your books. I’m eager for spring here in the midwest, but we had a tease last week with weather in the 60’s. Now we have cold weather here again! I ‘m so eager to get outside and start my spring salads. Last summer I did have lettuce salads by the end of april…it needs to warm up here very soon. I”m hungry!
I’m from the caribbean and live near the beach.I need to know whatkinds of crops I could grow because I was told the salt water could damage the crops depending on what kind that is grown.
Thank you! I so needed that.