New Growth

One of the advantages of a long cool spring like we have had this year is the slow-motion growth of new foliage.  Only seeing the garden on weekends, whole stages of growth have passed and gone away between my leaving on Sunday and returning on Friday.  But not this year. 

For example, on the left are the new tops of the Purple Milkweed, Asclepias purpurascens.  My mental image of milkweed is a lanky stem with large coarse leaves.  I have set them in a place where those awkward features get hidden by everything growing up around them.  But at this stage, these are the only plants showing above ground, and they are delightful.  The stems are flushed with maroon,the leaves held up at an angle, showing the short fuzz on the bottom side. 

Soon the nearby hardy hibiscus will grow up, and out shine these more humble, native species. 

But not yet.

Then there is the dwarf smoke bush, Cotinus coggygria 'Young Lady' which has made remarkable improvement after being moved only 20 feet.  I was ready to throw it away because it was so disappointing.  It was front and center, and looked bad most of the year.

In the new location, the flower buds are already showing at the top, all a bright, clean green.  You can see there will be actual flowers, long before the long thin threads that will soon cover the bush, creating that smoke effect. 

But not yet.

Finally, here are the emerging tips of Pheasant Berry,  Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lanterns.'  The overly dramatic red frosting on the acid yellow-green leaves is so energizing after a long, cold, dreary winter.  Later in the season it will fade back, tone down a bit, against all of the other color.  But not yet.