Ipheion uniflorum 'Rolf Fiedler' is a wonderful spring surprise. We all long for blue in the garden. Photo by Doug Oster

Two days of warm temperatures brought a surprise to the garden.

Ipheion uniflorum 'Rolf Fiedler' is an early spring bloomer with star shaped leaves and the most beautiful blue color.

The plants are tiny, only four inches tall and the blooms are sweetly scented. The foliage smells like garlic when crushed.

The bulbs were planted two seasons ago during the fall.

So why are they a surprise?

At the end of the planting season, in December, I'll buy what bulbs are left at the nurseries at a deep discount. This is how I can justify experimenting with something like 'Rolf Fiedler.'

Since it's something I've never grown before, when it does sprout I have to go back to my garden journal and figure out what I planted. There are hundreds of bulbs put in the ground at the end of the season in my garden. It's always a race to get them in before the ground freezes solid.

The ipheion will expand to create a colony in a few years, mine are already multiplying. I've got them planted in a narrow bed right next to the house. The soil is a little warmer there and bulbs like the space as it dries out in the summer.

I hate to keep harping on this point, but this is the time of the year to begin planning for fall bulb planting. Seeing where more early bulbs need to be planted when the time is right.

If you make your plans now, maybe you'll be surprised next spring too.

 

The field is set.

Quinnipiac, St. Cloud State, Yale and UMass-Lowell are headed to Pittsburgh for the Frozen Four April 11 and 13.

Was really quite a weekend, as three of those four have never been to the Frozen Four, and the only one with any experience – Yale – did it during the Harry S. Truman administration back in 1952.

That means it will be a wide open weekend of college hockey in Pittsburgh.

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Schedule for April 11 at Consol Energy Center

Semifinal 1: Yale vs. UMass-Lowell, 4:30 p.m.

Semifinal 2: Quinnipiac vs. St. Cloud State, 8 p.m.

***

The teams

Quinnipiac: The Bobcats are the No. 1 overall seed, and have Hobey Baker finalist Eric Hartzell in goal. Sunday’s 5-1 rout of Union came via an NCAA record hat trick in just over three minutes by Matthew Peca in the East Regional final.

The team is not loaded with stars, but put together an incredible 21-game win streak this season under Coach Rand Pecknold.

***

St. Cloud State

St. Cloud State got a pair of goals from two third line players on Sunday, and then clamped down for a 4-1 win against Miami (of Ohio) to advance as the No. 4 seed in the region.

The game-winner came off a slap shot by Joey Benik just five minutes into the game to give St. Cloud a lead, and they never looked back.

***

Yale University

This was the last team to earn an at-large bid to the field, and got through the weekend with a pair of game-winning goals by Pittsburgh native Jesse Root.

His first came in OT on Friday against Minnesota. He then scored the eventual winner Saturday in a 4-1 win over longtime power North Dakota with 4:56 left to play.

***

UMass-Lowell

The Riverhawks have a hot young goalie in net and are just a solid team that seems to be peaking at the right time.

Connor Hellebuyck, who towers in net at 6-4, 200 pounds, had 28 saves in Saturday’s win and has allowed just four goals in six postseason games.

They downed Hockey East rival New Hampshire 2-0 on 28 saves by Hellebuyck.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has asked active members of county boards and authorities to give him pre-signed letters of resignation. He wants to make it clear that he is the one calling the shots. That means he gets all the blame too, right?

 

Penguins

-Sidney Crosby (above) will be sidelined indefintely following surgery for a broken jaw.

-Dave Molinari's recap from yesterday's game. Sidney Crosby suffered a mouth injury, the Penguins and Tomas Vokoun established some shutout records, the team won its 15th consecutive game .... oh yeah.... and Jarome Iginla made his debut. That's all.

-Newsday's recap. "When you don't score five-on-three, you usually lose the game." - Islanders captain/defenseman Mark Streit.

-The Associated Press' recap. ''The shutout is nice, but preserving the winning streak is even better.''- Vokoun.

-Highlights:

-Mike Lange's goal calls.

-If you didn't see Crosby getting struck with the puck:

-Chris Kunitz's hit on New York's Josh Bailey:

-Jarome Iginla. Pittsburgh Penguin:

-Pittsburgh welcomes Iginla:

-Happy times for the Penguins:

-Brandon Sutter having a chuckle with Iginla:

-That's where "Pierre" usually stands. Don't sit near there:

-Better times for Crosby:

-New York's Evgeni Nabokov gloved this puck:

-Marc-Andre Fleury just hanging out:

-Iginla meets the press (and some creep over his left shoulder:

-Dan Byslma speaks:

-Iginla speaks:

-Vokoun speaks:

-Matt Cooke speaks:

-Iginla also spoke to Hockey Night in Canada and revealed the Penguins arranged a flight for him from Chicago after he missed his connection from Calgary:

-A long winning streak in the regular season hardly guarantees success in the postseason. Just ask the 1992-93 Penguins.

-"I was a little lost as far as left wing and trying to adjust to different stuff. He was trying to make it easier on me." - Iginla on James Neal offering to switch from right wing to left wing with Iginla.

-Paul Martin will be sidelined six weeks due to a broken bone in what is believed to be a wrist injury. (PG+)

-Shootout goals by Chad Kolarik, Riley Holzapfel and Trevor Smith gave the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a 3-2 road win against the Binghamton Senators. Kolarik had a regulation goal and an assist while teammate Jeff Zatkoff made 27 saves.

-Scott Darling made 41 saves for the Wheeling Nailers who finished their season with a 4-3 shootout loss to the Trenton Titans. Paul Crowder had a regulation goal and an assist for Wheeling while teammate Zack Torquato added two assists. The Nailers failed to qualify for the postseason and finished in 10th place of the Eastern Conference with a 31-29-3-9 record and 74 points.

-Today would've been the 75th birthday of former Penguins forward Bill Hicke. Acquired prior to the 1971-72 season from the California Golden Seals in exchange for cash, Hicke's Penguins' career amounted to 12 games and two goals that season. In November of 1971, he was traded to the Red Wings in exchange for for cash. He passed away, July 18, 2005.

-Happy 48th birthday to the best goaltender in Penguins history (for the time being):