African Garden + winter

Picture This: Green World

Earth Day is tomorrow, making Green World the perfect subject for this month's Gardening Gone Wild Picture This photo contest. The entry above is tulip foliage with a Sedum 'Bertram Anderson' peeking out. Raindrops on green leaves gives the feeling of spring, when all is fresh.
This past winter was extraordinarily kind to the Colchicum foliage. Colchicum 'The Giant' starts sprouting leaves in the fall and usually it gets zapped at the tips by freeze over the winter, but the consistent snow cover protected it.

I almost like the foliage better than the blooms.
When the rain stops, the sunlight makes a stained glass effect on the Sanguinaria foliage.

All the Hostas are sending up shoots now.

But let's back up and admire the expanding baby Oak leaves. The old lore is to plant corn when Oak leaves are the size of a mouse's ear.

This Quercus bebbiana is barely a sapling, but planting it shows my faith in the future. I wonder if I'll live long enough to see it in its towering glory?
Green isn't limited to leaves. How about some green flowers?

Just kidding, but the leaves of the mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) do remind me of those 60's Flower Power flowers.
Let's end with a real green flower, Helleborus x hybridus.

Every day should be Earth Day on our little green planet.
Happy Earth Day!