Early April – april 5 & 11
By Tovah Martin
At this time of year, you can watch the drama unfold on an hourly basis. Literally, if you check the Seasonal Border at The New York Botanical Garden several times during the day, new performers will be making their debut on stage as you watch. But hands down, the star of the show during this first week of April is Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Pink Giant’, blooming in droves and taking over where the crocus left off. Planted 750 bulbs thick, each bulb throws up multiple spikes of porcelain pink color – soft, but easily seen from a distance.
So the chionodoxa steals the show, although Scilla siberica ‘Alba’ (planted in the same quantity) is also beginning to make its presence felt. Helping the chionodoxa pop and serving as a complement is Narcissus ‘Little Gem’ coming in at about the same height – under six inches. And above it all, a flowering cherry tree echoes the prevailing pink motif of the chionodoxa, as a testimony to the savvy of the carefully wrought planting plan. Meanwhile, the first electric blue rustlings of Muscari azureum are beginning to show promise. And a few precocious Anemone blanda ‘White Splendour’ are opening up. But clearly, the tulips will take over the starring role next, judging from their plump flower buds.
Meanwhile, the perennials are all breaking ground on the sunny side of the border. The astilbes, salvias, origanums, papavers, sesleria (in tassel), and phlox are forming their buns, carpeting the ground with a textural tapestry below the bulbs, supporting their performance, gathering momentum to step into the limelight later in the season.
But the beauty of this particular border is the progression. If you missed the crocus, no problem, you can still catch them on the shady side of the display. Early in the season, there’s a wave effect as the sun/shade warms the soil along the length of the beds. As you enter the walkway, the chionodoxa/narcissus combination is going particularly strong in the sunniest segment. When you walk farther along, crocus and Iris reticulata are still holding forth and the glory-of-the-snow is just gearing up. Meanwhile, in the opposite bed – in heavier shade – the bulbs are 2-3 weeks behind, but still poised to perform. It’s a three-part thriller. So the plot unfolds – with a preview on one end, and the pep rally working its way down the line.