Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - March 2016

It's been some time since I've participated in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, started and hosted by Carol Michel of May Dreams Gardens. But with us having one of the earliest springs I can ever remember, with so many lovely things blooming in the garden already, I just had to share them this month.

Our Little Acre is situated in USDA Zone 5b, surrounded by 6a, here in Northwest Ohio. Why we're in this little cold pocket, I haven't a clue, but my gardening experience has taught me that we can't reliably grow plants that are rated for Zone 6a, even if those around us can.

Now, on with the show!

Crocus, with an early pollinator!

Crocus

Crocus
Crocus sieboldii 'Tricolor'

Crocus
Crocus chrysanthus 'Prins Claus'

Crocus
Crocus tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant'

Hellebore
Helleborus x hybridus 'Red Lady'

Hellebore
Helleborus x hybridus 'Red Lady'

Hellebore
Helleborus x hybridus 'Pippa's Purple'

Hellebore
Helleborus 'Ivory Prince'

Hellebore
Helleborus xericsmithii 'Winter's Bliss'

Reticulated iris
Iris reticulata 'Harmony'

Reticulated iris
Iris reticulata 'Spring Time'

Japanese Andromeda or Japanese Lily-of-the-Valley
Pieris japonica 'Passion Frost'

Winter Aconite
Eranthis hyemalis

Winter Aconite
Eranthis hyemalis

Cornelian cherry
Cornus mas

Cornelian cherry
Cornus mas

Crocus
Crocus chrysanthus var. fuscotinctus

Snowdrops
Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno'

It will be just a few days before a few other things are also blooming, including the first daffodil...

Daffodil
Narcissus 'Jetfire'

 

 . . . and one of the lungworts . . .

Lungwort
Pulmonaria longifolia 'Raspberry Splash'

These unusually early warm days have caused plants to emerge so fast you could probably grab a chair and plop yourself down in it and watch them grow. We always long for these days, when winter has worn out its welcome, but now that they're here, we wish they'd slow down a bit. These joyous first days when spring begins to show color just zip by too fast.

The weather has taken a toll on the maple syrup season. Just when I was excited that it had started early, it came to a screeching halt over the weekend, as the maples broke bud. All the sap we collected was boiled over a two-day time period and yielded just a quart-and-a-half of syrup. That's far less than we got last year.

What's Blooming For January 2011 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day?

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day once again, and in the middle of January, outside blooms are non-existent. In some cases, I can't even find the plants because they're under a drift. I have no doubt my hellebores are putting on some flower buds, but they're one of the ones that are buried under the snow.

But inside, things are a different matter altogether. Though in past years, I've overwintered a large amount of plants in the basement and rest of the house, this year I've got a conservatory where they can continue to grow as if it were already spring out there.

Hippeastrum 'Desire'

Hippeastrum 'Bolero'

I cut the Streptocarpella 'Concord Blue' way back and it's
blooming a lot more now, out in the conservatory.

Rosmarinus officinalis 'Mrs. Howard's' is blooming up a storm,
also in the greenhouse.

Back in the house, but soon to go to the conservatory, the
poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is hanging on to most of its bracts,
but the lower green leaves are pretty well gone.

Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' has put out a new flush of blooms
in the conservatory.

The first bloom since September, when Romie rescued this
Osteospermum I had destined for the compost heap and planted it
in a pot. It has more buds coming on, too. We now know who
really has the green thumb in the family, don't we?

A simple white Phalaenopsis orchid has been blooming for
two months now.

The Impatiens are just as impatient for spring as I am!

These tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), from Costa Farms,
have been taking turns blooming all winter.

These geraniums (Pelargonium sp.) like it just fine in the
conservatory.

Pelargonium 'Vancouver Centennial' began blooming a week ago
and has even more blooms coming on. It's my very favorite geranium.

The Echeveria blooms last a long time.

I love the color of this Bromeliad from Costa Farms.

I bought this Bougainvillea last year at the Ft. Wayne Home and
Garden Show in February. It's beginning to show some color on its
bracts and I see buds!

This is one of the African Violets (Saintpaulia) I brought home from
the GWA annual symposium in Dallas, TX, in September.

In the house, a parlor maple standard (Abutilon) is in bloom,
which contrasts nicely with the Croton you can see in the background.

For more January blooms, visit May Dreams Gardens, where Carol hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day every month.

October in Bloom - Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

I actually thought there would be more things blooming in the middle of October than there are. The hot dry weather has taken its toll on the fall garden, most noticeably on the asters. Remember how I had them blooming in July? Those aren't blooming now, when they should be and even the ones that weren't blooming then aren't blooming now either. I miss their brilliant purple and pink show.

Some of the mums aren't performing up to their usual standards either, but others are outstanding, such as these dark reds:

All the same, there are a few things blooming, including my beloved toad lilies (Tricyrtis sp.). Their foliage is a bit crispy around the edges, no doubt due to the lack of rain. I'm glad I've been watering, trying to keep things from dying. I'd hate to see how the gardens might look if I hadn't.

Tricyrtis sp. was labeled 'Amethystina' but looking at other photos of
that cultivar leads me to believe it was mislabeled. In any case, it's pretty!

The offspring of last year's pink Wave petunias continue to bloom like crazy, unfazed by much of anything.

Other things in bloom are:

Those amazing delphiniums are still blooming! They're one of the first in
the spring and apparently are going to be one of the last in the fall. Gotta
love that!

This Echinops ritro (Globe Thistle) is a surprise. It's been blooming for a
few weeks now.

Dianthus 'First Love' blooms all summer, no matter what.

 

This Coreopsis 'Cosmic Eye' is a new one this year. I picked it up at the
Royal Oak Farmers' Market when I visited my Soil Sister Jan in August.

Annual Xeranthemum in the foreground echo the color of
fellow annual Cosmos 'Rose Bon Bon'. Both were grown from
seed - the Xeranthemum from saved seed from last year's blooms
and the Cosmos from new seed from Renee's Garden Seeds.

Dendranthema  'Bolero'

The Miscanthus sinensis is in full plumey bloom.

Called October Daphne, this Hylotelephium sieboldii (used to be Sedum) is in full
bloom and looking its best. It's pretty all spring and summer, too, even when it
isn't blooming. I love how each stem grows out from the center and
they splay out in a circle.

This wasn't a very good year for my roses, but the best one was this
'Cinco de Mayo', which is still pushing out blooms and has been largely
unaffected by pests or disease.

Thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day each month.  Visit her site to see more fabulous blooms from other garden bloggers!