No need to dig, just pull away mulch and soil until you can see the crowns. I am happy you showed the pic so that it could be corrected. I will tell you one of the best and you can tell me if it is too big. Blue Angel is blue and has among the best flowers going. Mine is over 81/2 ft. across after decades. Too big? You say an ideal size and we can help. You can look up Blue Angel & others here at Hosta Library

Very cute to see your new babies coming up! My (not first-years for the most part) perennials are still buried in snow, a record year here! But you got me out looking at a few protected areas close to my house - so, along with peonies and bleeding heart, I see meconopsis (might not work in your area, they wouldn't want a hot summer) and (Rocky mountain) columbine! And I know oriental poppies would be coming up by now for me if they weren't under snow. One more I have already coming up is not for everybody but I really enjoy the herb Sweet cecily, Myrrhis odorata. It grows profusely and I chop and drop it to mulch in place before it goes to seed and then it flourishes again; it smells amazing to me and has tall, fluffy white flowers.

Editing to add, primula!

I'm zone 4 here in Anchorage, AK but we have such cool summers especially lately and that stymies many plants.

Here's my meconopsis:

There are well over 10,000 to choose from so here is another resource to help Don Rawson's Hosta List

It was a low cost plant in a small container. After reading through the thread Bill linked to, I'm not at all optimistic about it. It's a seedling, so maybe that will improve its chances. On the other hand, besides our cold winters, I've got sharply drained soil that dries out quickly. It probably has one root in the grave. We'll see how it does and I'll hopefull remember to update the results.

Pennlake, that setting is pretty as a postcard.

I thought I had posted this earlier. Other than a special cultivar of crocosmia and several lilies, this trillium is the only bulbous plant to make the move to my new, still-in-the-creation-process garden.

Trillium chloropetalum giganteum 'Volcano'

It has been in bloom for at least a month.

Other than tulips, spring bulb season is pretty much over here.

SandySlopes, yours are beauties! I love them on the slope there. I have 'Ceylon' as well. I planted them in 2005 and they are still going strong. I've lifted and divided them a couple of times to increase them. I think I have enough now, so I only lift when they stop blooming well.

I also have Puschkinia and Scilla. I only added Pushkinia a couple of years ago and I'm waiting for that to spread.

Rouge I love your Anemone, very pretty! I always mean to add that it but I don't. I ordered a named variety once and it died out the first winter. But apparently yours is hardy. What kind of soil and sun exposure do they have?

So nice to see everyone’s bulbs! My year in bulbs continues with Ixia ”Buttercup,” Tulipa clusiana, Dutch iris (a little past their prime), Leucocoryne and (I think) Watsonia humilis

4-10-2024:

First yard peeps for spring 2024:

Paeonia Lactiflora x Paeonia Officinalis (Red Charm peony). ;-)

10-11-2024:

We're not out of the woods yet. After a coming weekend in the 70's, its forecast for mid to high 20'sdf coming by the 4-19th and 20th. The frost is almost out of the ground except for some shady/sheltered spots, but even that's on its last leg.

Took some pictures of what is showing life around the yard doesn't look like any losses.

Betla papyrifera catkins:

Taxus canadensis strobilus:

Pinus ponderosa var scopulorum buds expanding:

Rosa Blanda chomping at the bit:

Larix Laricina budding green:

;-)

Looking like spring will be earlier than normal. One more cold night Tuesday into Wednesday although it's possible for Mother nature to press a sneak attack in May. ;-)

Highs in the 50's next week. That means it was warmer last February and March.

Is that rain in the forecast? I hope the forecast holds true. We need some 'catch-up' rain.

No shortage of examples. This is a common sight in my area. The attitude is that the shrubbery has been "taken care of". This CM had the beginnings of a beautiul shrub. How do we reverse the murder rate?

It might be a horticultural crime, but if it’s still alive how can it be murder? A few years ago I ran across this allée at Chandor Gardens in Weatherford, TX. I was surprised this tree could get so tall.

When I replace the snowblower with the lawn mower near the front of my garage.

tj

Many of the plants & animals already mentioned would be included in my list of spring harbingers. Spring definitely arrived early this year, the witch-hazel was in full bloom and the chorus frogs were singing almost 2 months ago. Grackles and redwings started arriving about the same time. Egrets have returned to the lakes and ponds. I noticed the "trill" of toads just the other day (before the current cold front moved in). Trilliums in the backyard are in full bloom at the moment (4/20/24). The new growth on my Homestead buckeye also tells me spring is here.

Gee, I'm still raking leaves and cleaning out the beds lol. Haven't even thought about planting anything yet. Guess I better get a move on!

:)

Dee

We are in 5b zone in NoCo. planted a Royal Star in a protected spot. morning sun, afternoon shade, protected. rock mulch at the base. almost every spring a late frost hits the blooms. within days of these pictures late frost scorced them. the remaining buds did open. with a bit of effort Mags work here. we need a bit later bloom time :)

I'll split the difference: a foot or two further away from the fence would be better, but its habit is so narrow that it should be okay where it is.

Garden not essential! On the canal this morning.

Another species tulip - Tulipa sylvestris.

Heres why I’ll post photos from last summer, this is my garden as of yesterday:

last summer tulips

If the soil isn't frozen, and the tree is dormant, should be OK, in fact, these are the best conditions.

big city name.. arent you in z5 ...

move 4 to 6 weeks BEFORE new growth.. which in my z5 is usually right now.. but this spring we seem to be ahead... but t doesnt matter..

it doesnt matter much.. because no matter the day heat.. nights are still cold.. and the soil is cold.. so roots can settle in.. and start pumping.. before the hear of july and august hit..

in our zone...fall would be the same.. warm days.. cool nights cooling soil ...

the rules really shouldnt matter as to the name of the plant in 99% of cases ...

ken

In a perfect world, dicentra would generally be moved in autumn (vague rule of thumb - plants which bloom before midsummer's day, move in autumn, plants which bloom after midsummer are best moved in spring). However, dicentra has a nice vigorous root system so give it a good watering to get the plant nicely turgid and moisten the soil, lift the largest rootball you can and place in a pre-prepared hole. Water again to settle the soil around the roots and firm in well. Maintain a regular irrigation regime for this season and I think you can certainly go ahead and move it now, PM. I have seen all sorts of nefarious transplanting practices...as long as moisture is present, plants are a lot more resilient than we might imagine.