Archive for the 'Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day' Category

Tree Peony detail

Well it is Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day again and the general question is what’s blooming on our hillside.  The answer is almost everything!  We look around and see flowers everywhere.  There are still straggling daffodils showing up, even virginia bluebells still remain in the woods, and the first bearded Iris and roses are to be found.  But the focus in the yard right now is Peonies.  A smattering of species types have shown up however the Tree Peonies are dominant right now.  They are so gorgeous and artistic it takes the breath away.

White Tree Peony in the rain

Dark Red Tree Peony in the rain

The Itoh intersectional hybrid peonies are still a day or two from flowering but the first herbaceous is now in bloom.

Paeonia ‘Scarlet O’Hara’

Of course there are azaleas everywhere, but one would have to be half-blind not to notice the Exbury hybrid azaleas with their vivid colors.

Exbury Azalea ‘Gibraltar’

Exbury Hybrid Azalea ‘Klondyke’

A special favorite is always the Azalea visco sepala which has a powerful fragrance which covers a wide area.

Azalea visco sepala

One of the unexpected pleasures this May is a single Russell Hybrid Lupine that I planted last year.  It didn’t flower last year and often doesn’t really succeed in our muggy summer, but this extended cool spring has been perfect for the Lupine.

Lupine ‘Russell Hybrid’

Lupine ‘Russell Hybrid’

Lupine detail

Our Japanese roof Iris has put in an appearance.

Japanese Roof Iris (Iris tectorum)

and the Clematis at the front door is doing a good job in shielding the electricity meter.

Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’

At this point let me share some the more unusual flowers in our May garden.

Moraea ramossisima

This one came from Annies Annuals last January and it will not be hardy in our zone.  But it should be worth carrying over in the greenhouse.

We first grew the Lamium orvala last year but it remains a very unusual plant with exotic flowers.

Lamium orvala

This Mexican Shell Flower was the surprise in the greenhouse today.  I’ll have to move it outside tomorrow.

Tigridia chiapensis

This one can be grown like gladiolus.  The bulb should be dug at the end of the season.

On the other hand the following three exotics could winter over in our climate.

Glaucium grandiflorum

Calochortus clavatus var. clavatus

Dactylorhiza fuchsii ‘Bressingham Bonus’

It’s getting late to be technically publishing on Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day so let me close with this lovely little rock jasmine which is flowering at the full right now.

Androsace sarmentosa ‘Chumbyi’

Chaenomeles japonica ‘Toyo-Nishiki’

One of the features of posting regularly on Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day is that you can look back and see what was happening on other years.  I was surprised to see that despite 3 days in the 80′s-90′s a week ago we are still behind most years and way behind last year.  That sounds good to me as I would like Spring to stick around a while.

As usual there are so many things flowering right now that one can afford to be choosy and I’ll ignore the hundreds of daffodils pouring in right now

Daffodil cluster

and the many Hellebores that continue their display both inside and outside.

Hellebores in a bowl

Instead I’ll focus on some of the more unusual gems to be found around the yard and greenhouse.

First up is a Kalmiopsis leachiana.  This is a rarity that I received as a gift this Christmas.  It’s a small relative of the Mountain Laurel that was not discovered until 1930 in a remote part of Oregon.  It’s now the centerpiece for the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in southwestern Oregon.

Kalmiopsis leachiana

We will do our best to keep it happy in Maryland, but I suspect it will not appreciate our hot, humid summers.

Another small delightful evergreen his the Dahphne ‘Lawrence Crocker’.  It flowered last fall but seems quite happy to flower again for springtime.

Daphne ‘Lawrence Crocker’

Another small gem showing the last of its flowers is the dark blue Hepatica.  This was obtain from Seneca Hill Perennials (now closed) and for a time was carried by Plant Delights but I’ve no idea how to find it now.

Hepatica nobilis ‘Lithuanian Blue’

The standard trout lilies (Erythronium americana) are just about finished but the more unusual ones are just coming into bloom.

Erythronium revolutum ‘White Beauty’

Erythronium ‘Pagoda’

The Erythronium Pagodas are mixed with a few Trillium luteum which flower at exactly the same time with their matching yellow petals.

Trillium luteum detail

One of the flowers that I associate with the trout lilies is the bloodroot which always flowers at just about the same time.  Just afterward comes the multiflowered bloodroot which is more spectacular and also lasts longer.

A reliable yellow flower, reflecting the sunshine, is the Tulip tarda.  Those are flowering in the front rock garden at the moment.

Tulipa dasystemon

I was quite taken by the leaves and flowers of the corydalis last year and so we have quite a number of them that are new to us this spring.  One is Corydalis ‘Abant Wine’, another of the solida hybrids.

Corydalis wendelboi ‘Abant Wine’

Our Camellias are mostly flowering now.  Especially nice is Nuccio’s Gem which was added last year.

Camellia ‘Nuccio’s Gem’

The epimedia are all beginning to flower now.  One of our first was gift from the kids and it has masses of flowers at the moment.

Epimedium Grandiflorum ‘Lilac Seedling’ cluster

I need to give some praise to the little Primula kisoana.  Despite the fact that I’ve discovered it’s a bit of a thug in the garden and I had to evict to one of the more diffcult garden areas under the neighbor’s pine tree, when it actually comes into flower it is startlingly colorful.

Primula kisoana

I’ve moved some out to the woods and it’s flowering in a spot where many a previous plant has failed.

I need to share also of couple of shots from the greenhouse where some early forcing of bulbs has been going on.

Dutch Iris ‘Symphony’

Ixia hybrid ‘Buttercup’

The Adonis continues it’s remarkable season of flowering…

Adonis amurensis ‘Sandansaki’

And I will close with the scene that greets me on the way to pick up the paper from the mailbox in the morning.

Magnolia stellata at dawn

Draba aizoides

Well it’s Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day for one of the best month’s of the year.  In addition to the daffodils that are starting to appear, there are some really choice additions that are making themselves known on our hillside.  The little Draba shown above has to be sought out but it rewards careful inspection.  It’s among other little plants that claim my attention right now.

The Hepaticas are starting to bloom including one that I got from Seneca Hills when that nursery was still active.

Hepatica nobles blue shade (from Seneca Hills)

And one of the Hepatica japonica seedlings is just beginning to open with what looks like double flowers.

Hepatica japonica seedling

The Adonis continue their flowering with the standard Adonis amurensis.

Adonis amurensis

As well as another bud on the Adonis amurensis ‘Sandansaki’ that is actually an underground runner from the original so I’m pleased to see they are propagating.

Adonis amurensis ‘Sandansaki’

The little Scillas are getting into the act too with the Tubergeniana coming into bloom with their lovely blue veins.

Scilla mischtschenkoana ‘Tubergeniana’

Scilla mischtschenkoana ‘Tubergeniana’

The first of the Anemones is also showing color.

Anemone blanda

And of course crocus are everywhere, including these Ruby Giants.

Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’

It’s late so I’m just going to share a few more flowers and then hit the sack…

Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’

Pulmonaria officinalis (Liverwort)

Fritillaria raddeana

Helleborus x hybridus Goldfinch

Helleborus x hybridus ‘WD Elegance White’

And then finally an illustration of the daffodils that represent spring for so many people.

Narcissus ‘Little Gem’

What’s blooming in your garden?

Crocus chrysanthus ‘Ard Shenk’

Well, I’m one day late on celebrating Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day.  But the flowers were there in any case.  Let us begin by celebrating the little white crocus that are splashed about the lawn.  I normally take February 21 as my first crocus date and also when catchers and pitchers report for baseball’s spring training in Florida.  But the baseball is beginning early this year and so are the crocus.  It’s appropriate that this very early crocus is the first of the year.  It’s namesake was one of Holland’s great speed skaters.

I really have to return to one of the standards for this time of year in citing the Witch Hazels.  It seems to me that they are having a great spring.  The long straps seem to be impervious to cold snaps and shine yellow against the blue sky on sunny day.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) from below

Witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis)

Witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) close-up

There’s also the spectacular strong red in Diane, a Witch Hazel hybrid.  This is a small shrub at the moment but it’s growing strongly and I think it will qualify as a tree before long…

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’

Out in the front yard our winter aconite continues to thrive.  Since I’ve observed they have spread to the other side of the yard I think I’m going to grab some seeds this year and see if I can aid the process.  Everyone should grow these little droplets of sunshine.

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

I was pleased to see that even the Primrose is getting into the act.  The first blossom has come forth from our collection of common English Primrose.

First Primrose (Primrose vulgaris)

And of course snowdrops are popping up everywhere.  What’s not to like about a plant that can flower for more than a month at this most unseasonable of times.

Galanthus nivalis ‘Floro Pleno’

Oh, and it multiplies too…

Finally the Adonis continue in bloom.  Think of Buttercups on steroids with much prettier foliage to boot…

Many flower buds on Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’

And then there are the Hellebores, but they are worthy of a post all by themselves.  Now what’s blooming in your garden?

Helleborus multifidus

It’s hard to get beyond the usual suspects as we look around the garden for flowering objects in mid-January for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day.  Let’s face it — this is just not the time when most plants want to be frolicking.  That being said there are always a few things that surprise and delight if you take the time to go looking on a cold dreary winter day.

The Hellebores are all budding up nicely and the species example above, Helleborus multifidus, is fully in flower.  A green flower is always unusual and like all Hellebores the flowers will change color as they hang on for a long time.

Many of the flowers I’ve shared before, like the Red Fall Camellia and the Double pink Spring Camellia are still flowering strongly.

Red Camellia Sasanqua month after month

Double-Pink Camellia japonica

And the Red Flowering Quince pops into bloom whenever the temperature rises to the fifties, which it did briefly last week.

Red Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles)

The Witch Hazel is ready to take it’s turn on the stage.  The first straps appeared this week.

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollie) first straps showing

And besides the snowdrops (which are a little ratty for the early ones, and still tight in bud for the later ones) there are a number of plants which are right on the verge.  The Winter Aconite and Adonis are popping up and a Salvia and Rose that are fully budded ready to burst forth.

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) just starting up

Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’ poking through

Knockout Rose bud

Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’ in bud

But I guess my real surprise for the day was a flower on one of the Rosemarys.  Not quite like the brilliant blue they get in California, but not to shabby either if you get up close and look at the flower in detail.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

So that was my surprise for the day, What’s yours?

Helleborus niger ‘HGC Jacob’ flower

It’s GBBD again!  Time to seek out the flowers around Ball Rd and see what we can share with others.  Probably the standout right now are two Christmas roses, ‘HGC Jacob’.  Both plants are fully in flower and have lots of buds coming.

Helleborus niger ‘HGC Jacob’

They don’t seem to mind the cold — we’ve had frost the last few nights — but the flowers do look a little shopworn if you examine them closely.

What I find still remarkable is the double pink Camellia that is so far ahead of its Camellia japonica brethren.

Double Pink Camellia

It just keeps on putting out flowers that we bring into the house and leave on the table in small bowls.

At the same time, across the yard our red Camellia sasanqua just never stops flowering at all and they have less of a tendency to get frosted off than the japonica.

Red Camellia sasanqua bud

In the Camellia bed we also have a little patch of Primula kisoanna that is putting up flowers already.

Primula kisoana

This is a rather pretty little thug and I have to decide what to do with its spreading habit this year.

Over near the driveway one of the Creeping Phlox got the wrong memo about springtime.

Creeping Phlox ‘Candy Stripe’ (Phlox subulata)

Another plant pushing the boundaries of lust for springtime is the red Flowering Quince.

Red Flowering Quince (Chaemoneles)

This is not so surprising since two warm days in a row usually brings the quince into flower.

Not so many flowers otherwise in the yard, but in the greenhouse…

Well a few anyway, since we’re just getting started.

White-Pink Bougainvillea

The two Bougainvillea are both flowering and budding up a storm at the same time.

Another tropical in bloom is the Mandevilla which Beth bought as large potted plant this year.

Mandevilla

It is loving the California weather in the greenhouse.  I’m basically keeping the greenhouse at about 40 degrees minimum with an artificial rainstorm every 4 days.  Seems to be working out fine so far.

Greenhouse panorama

I wish the greenhouse were as big as this distorted iPhone view implies but it gives you some idea of what’s going on. More seedlings started every day…

Corydalis ‘Blackberry Wine’

I went out at lunch today to see what flowers might be worthy of recognition on this month’s GBBD.  It turns out it was not hard at all to find flowers still in bloom or even some that are already anticipating the springtime to come.  The Corydalis shown above is particularly worthy of note for its long lasting, exquisite flowers and lovely foliage.  I’ve really come to admire the Corydalis family.  As a group they have ferny foliage, many different flower colors, hardiness, and love the shade.  They fit right in with Epimediums and Hellebores as multi-season, rugged shade plants for the mid-Atlantic.  I’ve planted several more this fall (there’s a choice set of possibilities at Odyssey Bulbs).

An equally stunning purple is the Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’.

Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’

For a plant that sometimes doesn’t get full recognition because it’s so easy to grow, a late season Salvia really stands out amid the grasses that it is surrounded by now.

It’s probably not fair to call the Allium thunbergii flowers at this point.  They are more like seed heads but very pretty nonetheless.

Allium thunbergii ‘Ozawa’ seed heads

And the one of the David Austin Roses persists with beautiful well-formed flowers.

David Austin’s ‘Crocus Rose’

Snapdragons are another plant that persists into late fall, often returning in the spring for us.

Seedling snapdragon

A reliable performer in every month of the fall for us is the Red Camellia sansanqua.

Red Fall-blooming Camellia sasanqua flower

Red Fall-blooming Camellia sasanqua bush

Besides the flowers that are extending into late fall, there are also a few that are really anticipating spring.  The double-flowered pink Camellia japonica persists in flowering ahead of time.

Double Pink Camellia Japonica flowering way too early

As does the Rhododendron up front.

Rhododendron carolinianum in November

Also the Japanese Quince is putting forth its bright red flowers, but this is less surprising since it usually needs only the slightest excuse to start flowering.

Red Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles)

So there we have it for the outside flowerings this month.  I need to close by looking at the Androsace in the small rock garden I have on the hillside.  While not exactly a flower the leaves form a wonderful pattern worth sharing…

Androsace sarmentosa ‘Rock Jasmine’ in winter clothing

Allium thunbergii

Well another Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day rolls around.  I find myself looking at various construction activities so the flowers have not really gotten their fair share of attention.  Besides the Allium illustrated above the combination of Impatiens and Euphorbia is currently an eye grabber.  Neither requires much attention but they work together very well.

Impatiens ‘Fusion’ and Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’

The various Toad Lilies are doing well this time of year.  One that is distinctively different is the Trycyrtis perfoliata.

Tricyrtis perfoliata

A flower that is new for us is the terrestrial orchid Spiranthes.

Spiranthes ‘Lady’s Tresses’

We saw it growing wild in Cape May last week as well.

Since this is fall, the mushrooms have been exploding all over the grounds here.

Mushrooms that I don’t eat

In addition to the many mushroom that I don’t want to risk picking the puffballs are appearing too.  Those I am willing to identify and eat.

Puffballs in the grass

Puffballs sliced

grilled puffballs

I don’t advise eating these unless you have someone to help you with the ID.  That said, it is very easy to pick these out and you should be able to readily find a local expert.

Finally, I should mention that we continue to make good progress on the greenhouse.

Progress on the Greenhouse

It’s due to get electricity tomorrow.