Plants I'm Growing: First Blooms--Nanking Cherry, Dwarf Nectarine (February 27, 2012)

More pink flowers in the garden today. Today the first blossom opened on the dwarf nectarine at the back of the house (above). Yesterday the Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa) started blooming. Warm weather in the past few days has coaxed out many flowers, but there was frost on the ground this morning and it's supposed to rain tomorrow. We need the rain, but I hope it doesn't cause the problems with fruit set again on the fruit trees....

The Nanking cherry bloomed on March 2 in 2009, on March 8 in 2010, and on March 5 in 2011, which makes it a bit early this year (February 26). The plant has calculated a year of only 357 days.

The dwarf nectarine, a slow grower, has nevertheless done well. The nectarines it produces are delicious--very intensely flavored. Every year I look forward to the ones the critters don't get. The nectarine bloomed on March 5 in 2009, February 27 in 2010, and March 2 in 2011. This year it's calculated a year of 361 days.

I note also that the golden currant (Ribes aureum) by the beehive is now in full bloom, having started to bloom quite suddenly on or about February 25.