Each spring I look forward to the flowering of the snowdrops (Galanthus spp.) and also to the task of dividing some of the larger clumps. There are a couple schools of thought of when the best time is to divide them, some say “in the green” just after flowering and others prefer to wait until the leaves start to die back. For the past ten years I have been doing it “in the green” and now have thousands of bulbs.

The images above show the process from flowering in-ground to digging to separating to the individual bulbs. Every year when I first see the tangle of roots I wonder “how am I going to get these apart”. I start off with gently removing as much soil as possible and then slowly but firmly pull sections apart. Yes, you will tear some roots but the bulbs survive. Once I have the smaller sections I use my fingers to gently tease the roots apart. This is where fingernails come in handy.

I prefer to do this work on cool days and out of the sun. I also immediately replant the bulbs and water them. The leaves, without the support of the clump, will most likely lie flat on the ground. That’s okay. They will be fine for next year.

Those words were written by H.F. du Pont in 1916.    That blue sheet of the March Bank is predominately Glory-of-the-snow or Chionodoxa forbesii (above), formerly known as Chionodoxa luciliae. Its blossoms are upward facing and star-shaped. The petals are joined at the base, unlike those of the squill.   The Siberian squill, Scilla siberica (below),  has nodding star-like flowers. Note that their petals are separate.  Both are easy to grow and available in the nursery trade.

Quercus, our elf friend who helped create Enchanted Woods, has been busy at work preparing the new Upside-down Tree for the garden. In February, starting at the top of the tree, he removed the bark and the dead wood, notice the color differences.

By mid-March he had removed all the bark. This week Quercus has been chiseling a texture into the surface. See close-up photo. Glimmer, our magician fairy, is working on the design for the door that will go in the long cavity and the window that will be in the circular one.

Join us on June 20th for Enchanted Summer Day when the tree will be officially unveiled.

Building on this excitement, the team developed a plan to install the tree in Enchanted Woods. After several planning sessions and meetings with an engineer, the tree has been lowered and moved to a temporary shelter. Our former arborist, Randy Fisher will be removing the old bark and any dead wood to prepare it for Enchanted Woods (Randy was the creative talent behind the mushrooms in Enchanted Woods). We are pleased to be collaborating with Construct Con, Inc, our original contractors for Enchanted Woods, to prepare a home for the tree in the garden among the azaleas. When the project is done, the upside down tree will look as though it just appeared in Enchanted Woods and will, we hope, delight the children (and parents) who discover it. Look for the tree to appear in the garden late this spring.

An unusual tree that is catching our visitor’s notice is Idesia polycarpa, sometimes called the iigiri tree.  Winterthur has two young plants near the White Gates in the Pinetum. Our plants are currently bearing  clusters of bright orange berries. The berries will ripen to red and turn black as they age. Each tree will bear either male or female flowers so both are needed for fruit production.

This small tree comes from China and Japan and is rarely found in American gardens. Mr. du Pont was planting Idesia at Winterthur in the 1960’s. As part of the restoration of the Pinetum, four young iigiri trees were replanted 2003.

Fruits add to the late summer color in the Winterthur garden. One of the more uncommon fruits is that of the Sapphireberry, Symplocos paniculata.  This small tree from China and Japan is covered in late summer with bright, sapphire-colored berries. There are three small specimens near the Winter-hazel Walk and a few in Enchanted Woods. In spring Symplocos is clothed in small white flowers. These flowers ripen into the unusually-colored, blue fruit. While the fruit are beautiful, be careful where you plant Sapphireberry, as it propagates readily from seed. Birds love the nutritious berries and quickly strip the trees bare – so enjoy the display while it lasts.

After many months of planning and research, work has started in the March Bank to repave the paths. Before work could begin, a team of Horticulture staff members worked with our Garden Committee to plan the re-paving and un-paving of areas throughout the garden, reviewed a special asphalt mix that was created specifically for Winterthur, and relocated and cut back plants to minimize construction damage. We hope that this care is evident as the new asphalt - a unique mix using larger stone particles to create a rough, more textured appearance – and recovering plants settle in after construction. The careful execution of this project is critical if we want to maintain Mr. du Pont’s aesthetic and have the paths recede from view as guests walk the garden. Please pardon our appearance during this construction. We appreciate your patience and hope you will be pleased with the results.

Now is the time to enjoy the fragrance and color of Winterthur’s lilacs in full flower in the Sundial Garden. This garden area was developed in the mid 1950s to create an April display of lilacs, quince, spiraea, and magnolia. The lilacs in flower now are hybrids of the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris.  Their colors range from light yellow and pink through many shades of lavender and blue, all with a delightful fragrance.