Thursday, March 29, 2012

Forsythia

Or, in French, forsythia. Yup. Same word. Just a slightly different pronunciation [for-seece-YAH]. The French don't have our th sound in their language. Now is the forsythia's flowering season. We have two bushes in our garden. One is larger than the other; the smaller one seems to be dying. A friend noticed a fungus growing on the lower stems last year. And in the past couple of years it hasn't bloomed as profusely as it's larger brother.

I love the contrast between the bright yellow flowers and the blue sky.

I'm sad to say that we're probably going to take it out sometime this year. Oh well. It will be an opportunity to put something new in. What I don't know is if I'll have to worry about that fungus remaining in the ground and attacking whatever we put in. I'll have to do some research.

A close up. Both of these photos are from the healthy tree.

Our month of March is going out like a lamb. Sunny, pleasant, and dry days have been the characteristics of the last week or so. We've been working in the garden, sitting out in the sun, and yesterday we got the grill out for hamburgers (turkey burgers, actually). We're expecting a little cool down over the weekend, but there's no significant precipitation in sight. The news is full of stories of the deepening drought.

10 comments:

  1. Your forsythia has honey fungus I think, so, yes, I think you will have to worry about it for whatever you plant next. Here is a link that may help: http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=180

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  2. When you dig it up, check for long black, leathery "bootlaces" in the upper surface of the soil... these are the tell-tale of Honey Fungus. And I would recommend removing it the moment the flowers have turned brown... Honey Fungus spreads by the rhizominous "bootlaces"... if they are there, keep an eye on all the nearby woody plants... and don't plant anything other than annuals there for the next good few years.

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  3. Yuck, I hope you can take care of that fungus issue.
    I, too, love the blue/yellow contrast. Looooovely!

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  4. Hope you can get the fungus under control. Didn't know about Honey fungus so learnt something new. I love the contrast in colour; it really shouts spring :-)

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  5. When I see that color combination, I think "IKEA!" I shouldn't, but I do.

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  6. How I love (and miss) forsythia. We used to force it in Connecticut, by lopping off huge brunches and soaking them in the tub to get the buds to pop. Fascinating info (and advice) provided about honey fungus. I hope you can get that under control.

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  7. I love forsythia, it's such a glorious and cheery colour.

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  8. There is nothing subtle about forsythia. Give me a primrose every time...

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  9. I associate them with April time in the midwest. This is why April is 'yellow' for me - tulips and forsythia.
    Lovely yellows.

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  10. susan, thanks for the link. I'll follow the instructions to try and confirm that it's indeed honey fungus. Ugh!

    tim, the closest thing to the shrub is the larger forsythia pictured here. I'd sure hate to lose it.

    judy, as you know, there's always something with a house and garden!

    n&a, by the time the yellow fades, we may have apple blossoms!

    carolyn, should I make meatballs?

    mitch, So do I. I've never tried forcing it; something to think about next winter!

    jean, that and the plum blossoms really say "spring is here!"

    john-san, we got those, too!

    michael, I think the winter is harsher in the midwest than here. We have tulips and forsythia a couple of weeks earlier.

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