The Gardens on Spring Creek

  Clematis and pasque flowers blooming in the Rock Garden What’s Blooming: The Rock Garden by Bryan Fischer, Horticulturist, Gardens on Spring Creek Heralding the opener for a slow, cool spring, the Rock Garden is finally coming into bloom. Wet, cool snows and frigid temperature plunges this spring have kept many plants from breaking dormancy and have slowed the bud development of others.  In fact, many plants on our grounds are almost two weeks behind their normal bloom times.  This aside, the spring is shaping up to be a great one for the diversity of blooming plants on our grounds. Members of the Ranunculaceae seem to have particularly enjoyed the chilly weather, with pasque flowers ( Pulsatilla spp.) of several species reveling in the weather conditions more reminiscent of their mountain origins than our occasional jumps to 80 degrees or higher the way our last few springs have been.  Pulsatilla vulgaris, or common pasque flowers in bloom Pulsatilla vulgaris, or common pasque, is