One of the biggest advantages of gardening for a number of years is that you learn to recognize plants as they emerge. The ground can be covered with sodden leaves and winter debris but an experienced eye will notice something that stands out from the background.
Last year I found a couple of very tiny Paeonia obvata 'alba' seedlings growing adjacent to the parent plant. I decided I would move them and see if they would make it through the winter and ultimately reward me with full size Peony plants. I knew the general area where I put the two babies but I did not mark them. Can you spy them?
One appears to be pushing a stem with a leaf in the upper right corner while leaves identify the 2nd baby plant in the lower left corner. We'll see if they continue to grow. I planted them at the edge of a path opposite a double flowered Trillium after seeing that combo on the Far Reaches Farm website (below), thought my Trillium is on the left. I think the Far Reaches' Peony is actually P. japonica but obvata will do nicely. Of course, it will be quite a while before I have anything approaching the size of Far Reaches' mature plants.
I spied them before you said where they were. I think it is great fun to see these little signs of life. It is one of the things that lure me out into the garden day after day. I keep staring at blank places knowing one day there will be a sign of life.
Posted by: Lisa at Greenbow | Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 06:47 AM
I keep looking at a couple of spots that i redid last fall, trying to remember what's there. Nothing to see yet but I am sure it is packed with plants. I have to remind myself that this is early for Wisconsin to be seeing too many things popping up.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 07:25 AM
Very exciting to see your babies doing well! I'm predicting that they'll flourish for you and bloom gloriously in a year or two!
Posted by: Peter/Outlaw | Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 09:05 AM
Yes, that special joy of seeing the little plant babies emerge (I know: I'm a plant nerd, and my neighbors probably wonder what I'm doing out there looking at the soil in the garden. Oh well.) Congrats on your new baby Peonies. I like that combination with the Trilliums!
Posted by: Beth @ PlantPostings | Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 10:11 PM