Cherry Blossom Spring

Tidal Basin In Washington, we know it's spring when the cherry blossoms and the tourists come out. Both were in abundance this past weekend in Washington around the tidal basin. I haven't been to the area in years, and Palm Sunday seemed like an opportunity to trek into town on a warm sunny day. Blooming cherry trees can be seen here and there around town without tripping over the tourists, baby strollers, and stepping on dogs. But there is a unique feeling in experiencing so many trees (and people) in one spot along the water. This entry is basically just a photo souvenir for my journal. Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: Emperor tulips, ice follies daffodils,     korean rhododendron, lemon chiffon daffodils   • Seedlings progress: Purple basil germinated, 7 days   • Outdoor progress: Spinach, radish germinated, 6 days   • Outdoor benchmark: Broccoli seedlings transplanted

Tulip Library The National Park Service maintains a Tulip Library nearby. Well, 'maintains,' is a matter of opinion. The area consists of about 100 beds of different tulips. It helps gardeners get a good idea of what different varieties look like, as well as their bloom times. In the past, a photocopy sheet with a map listing the varieties was available from a nearby box. This year, only an empty box stood, presumably a victim of budget cuts. There are no tags or markers in the different beds, leaving one to guess what varieties are planted. I found a map online when I got home.

Smithsonian Garden Afterwards, my feet carried me to a few nearby Smithsonian museums. The courtyard around the Sackler Gallery was in full bloom with fritillaria, thousands of purple hyacinths, saucer magnolias, and a weeping cherry.

Maximum Maggie

The star of the yard in spring is Maggie, the Star Magonlia. This is not just any star magnolia, but a "Dr. Merrill" (Magnolia x loebneri). Maggie is big, husky, muscular, and not like most normal star magnolias.

As an inexperienced beginner gardener over 15 years ago, the desire for a star magnolia resulted in a pick from a garden catalog photo. Normal star magnolias in town look delicate, usually growing into a tall shrub of several trunks, like a lilac. This one turned out differently. It grew about 20-30 feet tall (6 m to 9 m) into a full blown tree.

But big can be good. The blossoms are larger than a normal star magnolia. They result in more sweet magnolia scent perfuming the neighborhood. Last year, the tree was covered in blossoms. This year, they are less numerous, but with no cold damage, why?

Maggie's deciduous leaves are large and thick (the brute), providing a solid shade canopy over anything below. Very little grows under it due to the lack of light as well as to its thick root system, often running along the top of the ground. In the fall, the leaves turn a luminous golden yellow, and then fall to smother anything below it, along with those nasty seed pods.

Some small white snow azaleas were planted below it, but one has since died. Now, as the tree really matures, the search is on to find plants that can be fill in below it. The loosestrife [6.26.2008] planted below has done well for the past two years. Since grass no longer grows beneath, vinca minor ground cover will be transplanted there from another part of the yard to take its place. Vinca grows in dry shade. After researching online for this post, I find that this ground cover is a non-native invasive plant. It is a slow dancer in my yard, though.

For The Record:   • Medium heavy soil   • Full sun   • No fertilizer, surface mulched once a year Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: Star magnolia   • Seedlings progress: broccoli, peppers, onions germinated       Broccoli germination, 10 days       Peppers germination, 18 days       Onions germination, 9 days