We’re visiting with frequent GPOD contributor Carla Z. Mudry in Malvern, Pennsylvannia today.

Daffodils are now everywhere! It is so worth it to plant different kinds of daffodils not only for color and cultivar but for time in the blooming season. I have early spring, midspring, and late spring. However, given the totally weird weather this year, my daffodils are a good two to three weeks ahead of schedule. The peonies are popping up all over, and the tree peonies are starting to bud. One of my redbud trees (Cercis canadensis, Zones 4–9) will be in bloom any day now. Scilla are up, and the English and Virginia bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta and Mertensia virginica, both Zones 3–8) have sent their leaves up. Hellebores (Helleborus hybrids, Zones 4–9) continue to bloom. Daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrids, Zones 4–10) and hostas (Hosta hybrids, Zones 3–9) have broken the surface of the ground, and now I have to put out red pepper flakes because the bunnies are nibbling on the new and tender leaves.

Daffodils come in so many different forms. This is a split-corona variety, which means that the central trumpet is split and so spreads out like normal petals rather than forming a tube.

This tree peony (Paeonia hybrid, Zones 3–8) is already pushing new growth with a flower bud showing.

The layers of extra petals make this double-flowered daffodil hardly look like a daffodil at all.

Daffodils aren’t just yellow, as these two both demonstrate with their white petals and their orange and soft pink trumpets.

Carla’s new sculpture made from the trunk of a dead tree. What a gorgeous addition to the garden!

Camellia (Camellia japonica, Zones 7–10) blooms from winter into spring.

This double daffodil looks like it might be the very old (to the 1800s) cultivar ‘Rip van Winkle’.

Willow catkins opening up are a beautiful sign of spring and a key early pollen source for insects.

A clump of totally classic yellow daffodils—the sunny epitome of spring

 

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