There is much ado about lions and lambs this time of year. It seems those species are confused about who will win the ‘First of March’ contest. I don’t dare bet on either one.
I can guarantee, however, that leopard’s bane, Doronicum caucasicum, (though of the genus Panthera, but not of the species Panthera leo,) will grace your early spring garden with its yellow daisy-like mane around its yellow-gold disk. Leopard’s bane grows in full sun, part shade and even shady locations where it is a hardy perennial.
Another member of the Panthera genus is the tiger. Tiger lily, Lliiumlongifolium, shows off its traits of orange flowers with a deep throat, sometimes with dark veins or black spots. The tiger lily is often a heritage plant found growing near abandoned farmhouses. The large flowers bloom for a day then another on the stalk blooms until the plant is finished flowering. Then it begins to go into dormancy and the leaves wither away during the fall.
Lambs-ear, Stachys byzantine, soft fuzzy leaves and silver color is appealing in most gardens. The magenta flowers on tall stalks are often cut back to the ground to help promote new growth. I leave them because the bees love them. Lambs-ear isn’t fussy about soil types and is drought tolerant. This tough lamb can challenge any lion.
Indeed these last few days of February Panthera leo has been chasing the lambs.
It could take weeks for the frost to be released from the soil, so you may as well put off further spring cleanup until the ground is not soggy. This helps with house cleaning too.
While on the subject of garden inspection, you may have noticed the droopy, curled and often distorted leaves of evergreen Rhododendrons and azaleas. The condition is the result of desiccation. After about 32 degrees F. leaves begin to curl. As the soil temperature decreases the plant is no longer able to transport water to the leaves. Desiccation injury is usually weather related, including summer drought.
In the spring, when the plant begins to recover, dark brown edges on leaves, appearing to have suffered burn, become brittle. Most often the plant recovers but sometimes flowers for that season are affected.
Measures that can protect your prized Rhodys against the frigid temperatures and dry winds of winter are ample watering in late fall and an application of anti-desiccation spray to the leaves and stems. Varieties such as PJM Rhododendron recover faster from desiccation than other varieties. For optimum Rhododendron appreciation your best bet is to go west of the Cascades where it grows as a native.
Lion’s winter roar is but a few days past. We, like sheep, are still huddled in our warm covers.
Every ray of sunshine, every spot of green gives us reason to dream of days to come in the garden.
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