The first full weekend of spring I travelled to the Pennsylvania area to speak at the Mid-Atlantic Hardy Plant Society’s event March into Spring. This society is a robust community of plant people that has dozens of events throughout the year to help educate and inspire horticulturists. People across the country join to participate in their virtual series and seed swaps. And, locally in the mid-Atlantic region they are well known for hosting tours, workshops, and more.
Along with the presentation I also had the chance to visit Winterthur and The Scott Arboretum for the first time in early spring. Enjoy the photos!
WINTERTHUR
At Winterthur the woods in the March Bank were coming to life with small bulbs. Eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite) had already finished, but Chionodoxa forbesii (glory-of-the-snow) were in full bloom.
A close up of Chionodoxa forbesii with good backlighting
I found myself stooping down to photograph these glory-of-the-snow every few steps.
I chuckled after spending time photographing a small patch of glory-of-the-snow only to find massive carpets of it in bloom like you see here under these Fagus (beech) trees.
I think this trip was my first time seeing Leucojum vernum (spring snowflake) in bloom. We have Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake) further south, and the corolla isn’t as hexagonal looking as Leucojum vernum.
Light streams across the March Bank and through a Cornus officinalis (Japanese cornelian cherry).
A lovely unknown variety of Narcissus (daffodil) provides pops of color on the March Bank.
What excellent placement for a Chimonanthus praecox (wintersweet)! The low sunlight made these flowers glow like twinkle lights.
In the parking lot, I couldn’t miss the largest Corylopsis pauciflora (buttercup winter hazel) I’ve ever seen.
Corylopsis pauciflora has these short, sweet chains of soft yellow flowers that hang downward.
THE SCOTT ARBORETUM
Before flying home the next morning, I got a special treat—a tour of The Scott Arboretum from the former curator Andrew Bunting. I interned at The Scott Arboretum back in 2008 where Andrew and I first met, and we’ve become good friends and kept in touch over the years.
Behind Andrew in the image above was Magnolia stellata ‘Rubra’, a lovely pink flowered form of star magnolia.
The gardens around the Cunningham House where arboretum staff are housed was well tended as usual. In the front garden Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ (blood-twig dogwood) and Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’ (daffodil) were providing early color.
By the Wister Greenhouse was a bowl of floating Helleborus (hellebore) flowers for passersby to enjoy.
In the Terry Shane Teaching Garden, Josh Coceano and crew always do a great job creating engaging plantings. White tree trunks echo the color of Parrish Hall in the distance.
I also liked how near the Cunningham House, tree trunks and stems were used as landscape ornaments, path edging, and habitat for creatures.
In the Terry Shane Teaching Garden, Edgeworthia chrysantha (paperbush) was in full bloom. With this taller specimen I could crouch down and photograph up into the flowers. My theory on why the flowers hang down is an adaptation to protect pollen from winter rains.
There were a number of Hamamelis to enjoy on campus. Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Chris’ (hybrid witch hazel) had these orange-zest-colored petals.
A close-up of the wine-colored flowers of Hamamelis japonica (Japanese witch hazel) ‘Tsukabana-kurenai’
Andrew and I both admired how the flowers of Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Westerstede’ pop with the Magnolia denudata behind.
Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Angelly’ was absolutely loaded with frilly soft yellow petals.
The Scott Arboretum also has a renowned collection of magnolias. Andrew and I both stood in awe looking up into this beautiful ‘Candy Cane’. What you don’t see is that the original tree trunk was cut down and regenerated as three trunks. That’s a testament to how tough magnolias are.
Even before we parked I saw this stunning Magnolia denudata ‘Swarthmore Sentinel’ (Yulan magnolia) from the road. Andrew told me that this plant originally came from J.C. Raulston as a seedling he sent to the arboretum.
Larry Langford of Tennessee selected this wonderful double form of Magnolia × loebneri (Loebner magnolia) and named it 'Wildcat'. I wish I had video of the tepals fluttering in the breeze.
In my late winter and early spring travels, I always delight in encountering Stachyurus praecox (stachyurus) in full bloom. Their flowers hang like a long strand of pearls.
This Cornus mas ‘Spring Glow’ (cornelian cherry) was one of the largest selections I’ve ever seen! And, in full bloom it was stunning. ‘Spring Glow’ has a lower chill requirement, which makes it a good selection for areas further south.
I was surprised to see Prunus mume ‘Fragrant Snow’ (flowering apricot) at the arboretum. I feel like I’ve seen them more in the south than the north.
Many trees were underplanted with Helleborus selections as a good groundcover. Note that the gardeners have already removed the tattered foliage of last year. You’ll also notice hellebores can be quite seedy from the picture above. Just be cautious where you place them.
Andrew and I paused to enjoy the simple beauty of these emerging Carex plantaginea (plantain-leaf sedge) flowers. They were planted behind a retaining wall, which made them easy to admire their intricate beauty and to photograph.
The woods near Crum Creek glowed with these little dots of gold from our native Lindera benzoin (northern spicebush). Soon the leaves will emerge and provide food for spicebush swallowtail.
I smiled after seeing these darling little Hepatica acutiloba (sharp-lobed hepatica). I had not seen one in maybe ten years. They would grow in the woods near Raleigh, and I would delight in finding them after a cold winter. (And, my word, the nomenclature on these is so confusing. I’m using World Flora Online for confirming the name is currently Hepatica acutiloba.)
One last shot of The Scott Arboretum before my flight home. The cherry border was underplanted with large swaths of Narcissus for spring color. The perfect place to sit and enjoy a beautiful day.