Pieces of April

The calender is screwy this year. The gardening calendar anyway.  We are clearly ahead of schedule compared to most springs in terms of breaking dormancy and bloom times.  I've been walking on eggshells sort of, wondering if all the wonderful blooms will be zapped by a freeze, which could come at any time.

Our average last frost date here is May 15th and the general rule for planting annuals and warm season vegetables is that you wait until Mother's Day. I'm not sure I can wait that long. The flowers sure haven't!

Blooming now:

Species Tulip

Tulipa humilis 'Alba Coerulea Oculata'

If I had to pick one tulip to grow, it would be any of the species tulips. They're unique and charming and reliable.

Siberian Bugloss

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

I like the veined variegation on these leaves. I've also got 'Emerald Mist' but it's being slower to emerge and hasn't bloomed quite yet.  The straight species Brunnera is loaded with blooms.

Tulipa 'Margarita'

My first peony-flowering tulip!

Flowering Quince

Chaenomeles x superba 'Crimson and Gold'

Gorgeous red color, and they produce fruit, too. It looks like there may be enough this year to make something with them.

Labrador Violet

Viola labradorica

It's a good thing I like these violets. They pop up everywhere.

Donkey Tail Spurge

Euphorbia myrsinites

I think these blooms look like satellite dishes.

Unknown Daffodils

Loebner Magnolia

Magnolia x loebneri 'Leonard Messel'

This is my favorite magnolia. Very frilly and feminine.

Magnolia

Magnolia 'Jane'

This year, 'Leonard Messel' was almost done blooming when 'Jane' was just beginning. Usually, they're blooming more at the same time. But this year isn't usual.

Unknown Tulips

Ornamental Strawberry

Fragaria x ananassa 'Lipstick'

I've got 'Pink Panda', too. Not only do they have beautiful blooms, they taste good, too - like wild strawberries, packed with flavor!

Candytuft 

 Iberis sempervirens 'Purity'

This isn't in full bloom yet.  When it is, it's a solid mass of white.

Checkered Lily

 (Fritillaria meleagris)

This is the third time I've planted these bulbs and the first time any have come up. Several put up foliage, but only one bloomed. I'm hoping the others will bloom next year and that they'll be the purple ones.

Crimson Fans

(Aceriphyllum rossii)

One of my very favorite foliage plants. I like the shape of the leaves and in the fall, they turn a gorgeous shade of burgundy red. (Hence, their common name.)

Lungwort

Pulmonaria 'Opal'

I rescued this one from Lowe's several years ago. It battled powdery mildew that first year, but has done just fine in the years since.

Spring Starflower

Ipheion uniflorum 'White Star'

I planted these several years ago, along with some blue ones ('Wisley Blue').  The white ones are the only ones that bloom though. The blue ones put up foliage, but no flowers. :-(

Barrenwort

Epimedium x rubrum

I love Epimediums. I've got three different ones and I'll talk more about them in another post, when 'Lilafee' blooms. (Soon!)

Five-Leaf Akebia Vine

Akebia quinata

I would love to have the purple form, known as Chocolate Vine, but this white one is beautiful, too.  I really like its leaflets and its 'wild hair' vining habit. It only blooms in the spring.

Rockfoil

Saxifraga arendsii 'Touran Red'

This is definitely a rock garden plant. Give it too much water and it will quickly die. The foliage is like moss on steroids, forming a loose mat.

Dwarf Witch Alder

Fothergilla gardenii

This small shrub flowers before it leafs out. It has a beautiful fall color of reddish-orange and yellow.

Daffodils

Narcissus 'Thalia', 'Pipit', and 'Lemon Beauty'

While I've got early, mid, and late season daffodils, they all seem to be blooming at the same time this year, with one exception ('New Baby').  In this photo, the graceful white 'Thalia' are in the background, with yellow 'Pipit' in the midground and 'Lemon Beauty' in the foreground.