April Fools! Chilly Blossoms on the Greenway

April Fools! You thought the cold weather was finished?

While I am ready to get my winter gear out of the closet again, and have been pulling my hat low over my ears, the trees, shrubs and plants on the Greenway are not so fooled. They are pressing ahead – emerging from the ground, swelling their flower buds, and enticing the bees to share the pollen.  The bloom cycle is clearly a few weeks behind last year’s, which was a decidedly extra warm spring. Even so, you can start counting on a great show of bulbs and early flowering trees as you visit the Greenway over the next two months.

Last autumn we planted an additional 23,100, yes, that’s thousand, bulbs throughout the Greenway parks. The popular Narcissus and Daffodils, Crocus, and Tulips along with smaller, less common bulbs including Galanthus, Scilla, Chionadoxa were planted with the generous help of many volunteers.  Showy, large and unusual bulbs including Alliums, Camassia, Fritillaria and Dracunculus will be seen later, blooming from May through July.

Narcissus ‘Topolino’

Now, in this cool spring, you will see the Crocus popping up in lawns and under trees. The Galanthus, known as Snowdrops, are halfway through already. And the early varieties of Narcissus are shooting up, budded and ready to open for a great sunny display.

Crocus ‘Majestic Lavendar Mix’

Crocus ‘Majestic Lavendar Mix’

Don’t forget to look up – you don’t want to miss the first cherry blossoms of the year. The two Prunus incamp ‘Okame’, in the Urban Arboretum between Rowes Wharf and Oliver Street, are just now starting to bloom.  The best thing about the cooler days is that it should prolong the blooming time of the cherries, many of the other spring flowers.

Prunus x incamp ‘Okame’