Thursday, April 17, 2008

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2008


Hey! We've got blooms! Outside! And even better is the fact that we will have blooms for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day from now until Thanksgiving. Yay!

The little Tête à Tête daffodils are in their prime right now. To get an idea of the small size of them, the plant in the background is a small sedum.

I bought some more Tête à Têtes and planted them here and there so I'd have more color for the bridal shower that's being held here this weekend. Besides, spring is the time when I wish I'd planted more bulbs in the fall, and you can better see where they can effectively be placed. So I wait until they're done blooming in the stores and are marked down drastically, then pick them up. That way I can plant them where they need to go for more blooms the next year!


The 'Festival Blue' hyacinths are in much better shape than they were last year, when they got zapped by a late spring freeze. And I love to bury my nose in them and inhale their wonderful fragrance.


I don't remember which daffodils these are, but they're big.


Yesterday, I had an adorable six-year-old patient (who was an identical twin) and we got to talking about flowers because daffodils were blooming right outside the window. I asked her if she had any flowers blooming at her house. She promptly informed me that yes, she did, and they were the grape ones that looked like if you held them up and wiggled them, they would sound like jingle bells. I will always remember Ellie when I look at a Muscari from now on.


Striped Squill (Puschkinia libanotica), in front of Campanula 'Kelly's Gold.' I've got this Squill in lots of different places and it's even come up randomly in the yard, as has some Chionodoxa. I love that.



I planted several different types of crocus last fall and this tiny one is Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl'. It's cute, but really insignificant, unless you have a few thousand of them in a drift, which I don't.


I really like this smaller crocus because of its vibrant colors. It's Crocus sieberi 'Tricolor', a species-type crocus.




























The Hellebores are putting on a show right now. I don't have much foliage after cutting back the winter kill, but the blooms are pretty.

The white one is 'Ivory Prince' and the spotted one is 'Pine Knot' strain. I'm not sure what the plum-colored one is. I lost my 'Pacific Frost', a variegated-leaf cultivar, over the winter.










The 'Rip Van Winkle' Narcissus are usually much later, but one of them was in a hurry for spring, just as we were!















The Vinca minor is just beginning to present with little purple flowers. It grows rampant and wild in the woods and along river banks here and soon will be awash with color. This is one of those plants that's nearly impossible to kill. But guess what? I've killed it. Lots of it.



The Chionodoxa looks as if it were coated with a glaze, but it's just wet from a rain.


It's always delightful to have a surprise or two, and here's one in my garden. It's a hyacinth and I have no idea what cultivar it is. I have never planted a salmon-colored one. It's beautiful, and I wish I knew what it was because I'd like to have more of them!

That ugly thing that I don't like and I keep threatening to dig up and move to some hidden area of the property (Narcissus 'Replete') is very nearly in bloom. I'll spare you the visuals on that one.

So with that, spring is definitely in bloom here and the gardening season is off and running! Smiles all around!


16 comments:

A wildlife gardener said...

What a wonderful array of Spring blooms in your garden...especially loved the cobalt blue of the hyacinth...stunningly beautiful :)

Fancy a wee dance? A Hokey Cokey? you will need a wiggly tail... :)

Robin's Nesting Place said...

Kylee, I'm so glad spring has finally arrived for you. You have lots of lovely blooms. I love those 'Festive Blue' hyacinths.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I might have to steal your idea of buying the potted bulbs on discount after they're done blooming. I always forget what I've planted & where it is by the time Fall rolls around. I can never capture the colors of the Tricolor Crocus, & this year I had only 2. Sorry to hear about your losing that variegated Hellebore. I've been wondering about the hardiness of the variegateds. Your other Hellebores look great.

Aiyana said...

Love the blue and the salmon hyacinth colors. Also, the Scilla siberica is beautiful. Happy spring!
Aiyana

Frances, said...

Hooray for your blooms, Kylee. It is like watching winter come to an end all over again. Your blue hyacinth is so vivid, great shot of it. The salmon one looks like gypsy queen. Mine come up stunted like that some years, don't know why, but the color is glorious. I really like Rip Van Winkle also. You are smart to get the marked down bulbs and plant them now when you can see the open spaces that cry out for color. They'll be fine next year. Thanks for the show!

Anonymous said...

My personal favorite is your blue hyacinth. I didn't know they came in that color. Beautiful!
Brenda

growingagardenindavis said...

So many beautiful spring blooms and your photos of them are beautiful! Looks like spring is certainly showing up in your garden...I love the blue of that hyacinth!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Yipeeee...blooms blooms and more blooms. This is how we like it. Love seeing yours too.

Carol Michel said...

It looks like our gardens are the same timetable this year, though my crocus have all finished blooming.

Thanks for joining in for bloom day!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Unknown said...

I was about to send out an APB on you, Kylee... but glad to see that you just had so many blooms to photograph that it took a bit longer to make your bloom day post! :)

It's interesting to me how pure white your 'Ivory Prince' is compared to mine. Mine seem more streaked with pinnk (front and back) than yours are for some reason. I wonder if mine will "age" to pure white later?

By the way, I am drooling over that 'Kelly's Gold' campanula! And I potted you up some of my ajugas today--the 'Chocolate Chip' and 'Metallica Crispa' both, right? (Do you want a white-edged one whose name might be 'Ivory Queen' if I remember correctly, as well?)

Unknown said...

Yummy yummy bloms, Kylee...have you planted those blue poppies yet? You can now, since I know what you have blooming in your garden. You're sure miles ahead of us...

Shady Gardener said...

Hurrah, hurrah!! Spring has arrived and your flowers have begun to bloom! Enjoy! (As though I must tell you to do so!) ha. ;-)

Unknown said...

I love the color of the blue hyacinths. I don't have any here, but used to have them in Chicago and loved them.

Annie in Austin said...

Hi Kylee - glad your Friday morning was only a little more shook up than usual... it looks like your bloom day was more exciting than the earthquake ;-]
What a lovely bunch of flowers for April - besides the fine hellebores it's nice to see all the traditional bulbs that I miss here in Texas. It made me smile to read about the little daffs - planting the bloomed-out pots of Tete a Tete was something I used to do, too.
Good luck with the bridal shower!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Gardeness said...

The squill are sweet. I think I planted some of that a couple years ago. Great photos!

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

What!!!??? I didn't comment on your GBBD post? Hangs head in shame. :-( Sorry Kylee, of course I meant to comment as I'm so happy for you that you have blooms, wonderful blooms, in your garden right now. They look gorgeous and I am feeling rather envious of your Ivory Prince. I need my own Ivory Prince, with or without shining armour. ;-)

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