The current chill is exactly what
we needed to assure beautiful blooms on the Peonies this year. They need a good
dose of cold in order to produce bountiful flowers. Luckily, we lost only a few
mid-blooming Jonquils that were in the boot last week.
The fabulous Redbud, our state tree, has begun to bloom and can be seen dotting the landscape everywhere. The delicate lavender and fuchsia flowers dance along the bare branches before the heart-shaped leaves emerge, thus making it one of the earliest signs of spring. The Redbud is an ancient species common inNorth America ,
Europe , Japan , and Asia where it can grow as tall as 40 feet. A European species
is called the Judas tree because of the belief that Judas Iscariot, the
betrayer of Christ, hanged himself on a Redbud tree. This mistake in species
caused a heated debate over making it our State tree, with Oklahoma City resident John Y. Iskian, finally proving that although
related, the two trees remained different. Concrete success came on March 30, 1937 when Gov. Ernest W. Marland and the Sixteenth
Legislature signed Senate Joint Resolution Five, officially bestowing emblem
status and extolling the redbud's historical role of welcome to the
"sturdy and hardy pioneers." On June 24, 1971 the redbud became our official tree in a statute signed
by Gov. David Hall
The fabulous Redbud, our state tree, has begun to bloom and can be seen dotting the landscape everywhere. The delicate lavender and fuchsia flowers dance along the bare branches before the heart-shaped leaves emerge, thus making it one of the earliest signs of spring. The Redbud is an ancient species common in
It is not a well know fact that
the blooms are edible. Much like the honeysuckle, they contain one tiny drop of
sweetness. The lovely color makes adding them to a salad positively knock out...
a plus is the surprise so few know they may be eaten. Native Americans used
boiled bark to cure maladies, including leukemia and bows were made of the wood
as well.
The early tulips have begun to bloom as well. With over 3,000 varieties available at affordable prices, there are tulips for every taste. Gardeners can plan a continuous spring show by planting several varieties which bloom in successive intervals. The early pastel heirloom, the mid-blooming fragrant ruffled, and finally the late blooming sexy-scalloped parrot will provide continuous flowers for almost a month each spring.
Tulips make lively indoor
arrangements and it is delightful to be able to bring cut flowers inside this
early in the season. Do remember that tulip stems continue to grow several
inches after they have been cut. This is the reason that many tulip displays
tend to develop a droop over the edge of the vase after several days. This
effect is quite attractive but choose a vase that will allow for dramatic flow.