Sunday, April 18, 2010

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.



8 comments:

Kari Lønning said...

I love seeing what's blooming in other parts of the country! We've got an akebia which has so over run the woods that it's formed a carpet and is strangling the trees. The form of your Magnolia 'Jane' is exquisite.

Kylee Baumle said...

Kari ~ I like seeing the progression of blooms from the south, northwards. It lets me see what we've got to look forward to in a few weeks!
What color of bloom does your akebia have? I can believe that it could run rampant in some areas. I've got mine on a trellis and I whack it off about midsummer, when it starts to vine back over itself.

Linda said...

What a lovely array of blooms! I have an Akebia quinata too but it's never bloomed for me; I'm guessing it needs more sun than it's getting. I absolutely love your Epimedium rubrum. That's going on my wishlist...

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I enjoy seeing what is abloom in your garden Kylee. This spring seems to be the same in most places with things blooming way before they should be or all together. I just ripped out our Chocolate akebia vine. It was too vigorous. I didn't think that early spring bloom was worth fighting to keep it in bounds. You might be happy you don't have it.
I bought a epimedium that was marked the arubrum but it obviously isn't. It has a sweet delicate looking yellow bloom. I won't complain because it is a good grower and is so pretty.

Unknown said...

The photos are incredible! I love that first tulip ... time to research where I can get one. We are about a month ahead of schedule here in NJ as well in terms of bloom time and I too keep waiting for the big freeze to ruin it all.

Ann Flower said...

You have posted amazing picture of flowers. i admire those lenses you are having. They are so vivid and charming.

Unknown said...

Between the 'Touren Red' and the gorgeous color on that quince... I'm feeling like my spring colors here pale in comparison! Lovely. (And those magnolias... *sighing with envy*)

Song, Korean said...

Thanks for your lovely flowers. I'm Korean and I have some species of yours such as Akebia, Aceriphyllum, and Daffodils in my wildflower garden here in Kor. My blog is http://blog.daum.net/songjs105. Sorry, You can see just photoes, because It was written by Korean. I want to link your blog if possble.

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