Picking basket
It seems sometimes that Springtime comes all at once and this is one of those occasions. We wait through much of the winter looking for a crocus or a snowdrop to peek through and then when temperatures come like they have this month we have an explosion of flowers for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many daffodils, hellebores, and camellias all asking for a place at our dinner table.
The camellias have been amazing this year where they have somehow avoided the usual cold spells that often brown the blossom edges.
Camellia japonica white
Camellia japonica double pink
Camellia japonica double pink
This particular double pink is absolutely huge for this local area, probably twelve feet in height now.
And the hellebores bloomed up a storm this year. For the first time I did not cut back the old leaves and I have to say I didn’t really notice a problem. The flowers poked right up through the leaves and they’ve been wonderful. I guess that’s what happens in nature when gardeners aren’t busy cutting off last year’s leaves.
Helleborus x hybridus ‘Peppermint Ice’
It also a banner year for our daffodils. I can remember reading years ago that I would have dig old clumps of daffodils and spread them if I wanted to keep them happy. I have to conclude that such is not the case. Everywhere I look the daffodils are both thickening their clumps and voluntarily spreading to surrounding spaces.
Narcissus ‘Edinburgh’ on Sunset Hill
Narcissus ‘Chromacolor’ in the woods
A new one for this year is from Quaffs
Narcissus ‘A Million Kisses’
This is one of the largest daffodils I’ve ever seen.
The trees are also coming into bloom. I’ve seen the first apricot and peach blossoms. And the Star Magnolia is doing its thing.
Magnolia stellata
One of the nice things about the star magnolia is that it almost never gets burnt off like some of the other magnolias. So once again I’m pretty confident that spring is actually here.
Last year I cut away an old lilac that had been overshadowing a thirty year-old bush cherry. And now the little bush cherry is a delight.
Scarlet Gem Bush Cherry
Along the fence in the front yard the Edgeworthia is fully in flower.
Edgeworthia by front fence
And the little Anemone blanda are popping everywhere in the yard and the woods
Anemone blanda
The alpine bed has a little nest of Ornithogalum amidst other things.
Ornithogalum fimbriatum in alpine bed
Right next to the Ornithogalum is a lovely little Armeria doing what sea thrifts do well.
Armeria juniperifolia
If we go back into the woods (which is a pleasure right now) the path has many pleasures.
Corydalis solida ‘Beth Evans’ on woodland path
The bluebells are budding up and there are many daffodils but the Corydalis are enjoying their moment.
Corydalis solida ‘Beth Evans’
Nearby is one of the nicer Podyphyllums that we have (courtesy of Far Reaches)
Podophyllum aff. hemsleyi x versipelle
Finally if we go into the greenhouse we find an unusual Gladiolus that came to us ten years ago via the Pacific Bulb Society.
Gladiolus tristis
And lastly here is a yellow Clivia which is so carefree and always a delight to see.
Yellow Clivia
Happy Spring to All!
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day February 2024
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
As usual for a February GBBD the Adonis is the most striking flower in our garden. They always begin even when snow may be falling and they shake off the cold days. Good luck finding any because nurseries seldom carry Adonis any more. If you find them scoop them up in a hurry.
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
Elsewhere there a lot of winter aconite, hellebores, and snowdrops. The snowdrops are showing an increasing ability to propagate into the lawn and are multiplying every year.
Galanthus nivalis ‘Blewbury Tart’
And the winter aconite are everywhere, both where I’ve put them and where they are now spreading.
Winter Aconite happily spreading
There are even a couple of unusual cultivars that are spreading as well.
Eranthis hyemalis ‘Schwefelglanz’
Eranthis hyemalis ‘Orange Glow’
The Hellebores are just getting started but their flowers are always arresting and we usually cut some for display in the house.
Helleborus x nigercors ‘HGC Green Corsican’
Helleborus x hybridus PDN Yellow
Helleborus x hybridus PDN double bicolor
Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Winter Sunshine’
Helleborus x hybridus ‘Cotton Candy’
And out in the woods the Helleborus foetidus has continued to put out its flowers.
Helleborus foetidus
Of course it’s also worth noting that the early daffodils are just finishing. Many more to come.
Narcissus ‘Rinjveldt’s Early Sensation’
And the first of the Camellia japonicas putting out their wonderful flowers.
Camellia japonica red
Of course in the midst of everything the crocus are doing their usual springtime thing.
Crocus tommasinianus
Sometimes when you walk about the yard you go just to inspect the things that you expect to be blooming. I almost missed the first ot the small Iris sticking up its little flag.
Iris histroides ‘George’
And over in the alpine bed I found this little polygala putting it’s first flowers out.
Polygala chamaebuxus
It’s worth pointing out the greenhouse also has flowers to share with us.
Cyrtanthus breviflorus
Cyrtanthus hybrid
Geissorhiza inaequalis
There’s also a tiny thalictrum that needs to be planted outside
Thalictrum urbanii
We recently returned from California with its flowers galore so I was very pleased to see how many things were in flower here in Maryland. I put together a little SLIDE SHOW to share the general effect of my first walk around the yard last weekend.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day January 2024
Amazon Lily
Well it’s getting cold for this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. Coldest temps of the winter expected this week. So I thought I would start with the Amazon Lily pictured above. This plant is about 30 years old and has never been repotted. It flowers twice a year with these orchid like flowers and survives with minimal care. We put it outside once the frost has passed us by and it will flower again in July. Highly recommended.
On the outside of the house right now the camellias are still the special flowers. This one sits in the northeast corner of the house and survives even being outside the deer fence.
Camellia Sasanqua October Magic Orchid
Another special camellia is ‘Yume’ which has become pretty reliable.
Camellia ‘Yume’
Of course if you stopped by for a visit right now I would take you out to see the first daffodils. Rinjveld’s Early Sensation may turn out to be too early as the flowers may get blasted this week.
Daffodil ‘Rinjveld’s Early Sensation’
Otherwise what we have are a number of snowdrops, one of which has seeded itself into the lawn.
Galanthus elwesii
Out in the woods we do have a distinctive foetidus hellebore coming into flower.
Helleborus foetidus
Lastly I should share the heather which looks like it is going to flower all winter long.
Krarmer’s Rote Heather (Erica x darleyensis)
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day April 2023
Stayman Apple Blossoms
Well of course there are so many flowers for the April Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day that it is difficult to choose what to share. Let me begin with the apple trees. Though some of the varieties are definitely showing the biennial bearing effect we still have other trees that are loaded with beautiful blossoms.
Granny Smith Apples in full bloom
The pears and peaches have mostly finished blooming and the cherries are just finishing. In general flowers are running ahead of the normal flowering cycle as it’s been dry and hot in Maryland.
Other trees in bloom right now are the dogwoods and the redbuds.
Redbud in the front yard
Daffodils are everywhere in bloom. Even though we’ve have had hundreds of daffodils already, some are still in bud. Other bulbs showing up right now are the Fritillaria imperials in the front bed
Fritillaria imperialis and Peony in the front bed
and Tulips that I put in the woods with Erythronium last year.
Tulips and Erythronium in the woods
Also in the woods are Shooting Stars that are actually allowed to flower now that the deer are gone.
Shooting Star in the woods
A long-time component of our woods walk are the Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) that have naturalized in abundance. And some of the bluebells are pink or white.
Pink Bluebell
One strange little bulb that I noticed this year is this little ornithogalum that has taken hold in the back lawn.
Ornithogalum in the back lawn
In terms of strange little plants this little polygala is spreading nicely in the alpine bed.
Polygala chamebuxus
Nearby is one of the Daphnes which contribute to the alpine bed on a regular basis.
Daphne in the Alpine bed
In this same shady Alpine bed there is a small columbine that comes back every year.
Aquilegia flabellata v. nana
And on the sunny side of the alpine bed there is an Asperula doing very well.
Asperula pontica
Along with a delightful Pulsatilla
White Pulsatilla in the Alpine bed
But even more surprising to me is this little Stachys that I planted back in 2017 after seeing it at the Yampa River Botanic Park in Steamboat Springs. This is the first time it has really poured over the wall in the way I had hoped.
Stachys lavandulifolia
I should also share this double-flowered Quince which provide a particularly striking flower.
Double-flowered Quince
There are many, many other flowers but I think that’s true for everyone at this time of year.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day March 2023
Helleborus x ‘Berry Swirl’
Well it’s two days past Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day but as you can probably imagine Spring is bringing forth not only tons of flowers but springtime chores as well.
As shown above the Hellebores are everywhere and together with the Daffodils they are providing an abundance of flowers.
Hellebore Lost Name
This is one of my favorite Hellebores but I’ve lost the name. It sits upright and shows those lovely crinkly flowers.
Daffodils are one of our favorites for the Spring. We began planting them 45 years ago and here are the results for those first ones.
Daffodils in profusion at the deck
Daffodil bank
Of course it’s hard to not to admire the individual flowers as well.
Daffodils in a cluster
Of course not long from now we will see many members of the Rhododendron family, but here is an early bloomer.
Korean Rhododendron (R. mucronulatum)
I spend a lot of time looking up the little guys that are poking up in the yard and woods.
Haquetia
The first of the Bloodroot popped up yesterday.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
I planted a hundred Scilla sibirica in the front lawn last Fall and they are just showing their marvelous blue color.
Scilla sibirica ‘Spring Beauty’
Nearby the Primula vulgaris are continuing to spread into the lawn.
Primula vulgaris
I also love seeing the Hepatica with their colorful flowers.
Hepatica nobilis light pink
Hepatica nobilis pink form
We even have one Hepatica in the woods that seems to have taken hold.
Hepatica acutiloba
Also in the woods we also have a number of Corydalis that are slowly spreading.
Corydalis solida ‘Purple Rain’
To help them spread I put in a hundred of the red ones last Fall.
Corydalis solida ‘Beth Evans’
Another successful spreader is the Ranunculus sometimes called Lesser Celandine
Ranunculus ficaria
In the Alpine bed we have a couple of small plants just coming into flower.
Armeria juniperfolia (Spanish thrift)
Polygala chamaebuxus
And in the greenhouse itself there are number of plants seeking attention.
Peruvian Squill alba
Veldtheimia
Notholirion thomsonianum
But the real stars right now are the Clivia that I’ve taken into the house.
Clivia at the house entryway
Clivia in full bloom
Everyone should have Clivia. So colorful, easy care, and blooming twice a year. What’s not to like?
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day February 2023
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
Well it’s Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day (or was yesterday anyway) and February really marks the serious start of spring flowers. Adonis, Winter Aconite, Crocus, Daffodils, Snowdrops, Witch Hazel, Primrose, Camellias, and Hellebores are all in flower. We spent three and half weeks in California and it was delightful to see the flowers that had popped up in our absence.
Adonis remains one of my favorite flowers but only the early-blooming ‘Fukujukai’ is currently in flower.
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
The biggest impact flower at the moment is the winter aconite.
Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) in the front yard
Winter Aconite (Erantis hyemalis)
We actually have several Eranthis hyemalis cultivars with different shades of yellow.
Eranthis hyemalis ‘Orange Glow’
Eranthis ‘Schwefelglanz’
They are all quite willing to expand and I am finding new specimens each year in the yard and forest in places where I did not plant them.
Winter Aconite in the woods
Another highlight at the moment is the Crocus tommasinanus (which also keeps expanding it’s spot).
Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’
The witch hazels are all in bloom
Chinese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollis)
Witch Hazel ‘Diane’
We also have numerous clumps of snowdrops that are not only clumping nicely but also spreading out into the lawn
Galanthus nivalis ‘Viridi-apice’
Galanthus nivalis ‘Blewbury Tart’
The Camellia japonica that I brought back from California on my lap in the 70’s continues to put out early flowers.
Camellia japonica red
And as I mentioned the Daffodils and Hellebores are beginning to do their thing.
First Daffodils
Helleborus x ericsmithi ‘HGC Winter’s Song’
Helleborus x hybridus PDN Yellow
The first early primroses (Primula vulgaris) are now showing up. I don’t know why more people are not growing this lovely British wildflower which is anything but vulgar.
Primula vulgaris
Meanwhile in the greenhouse there are many South African plants beginning their season
Veltheimia bracteata
Babiana framesii
Freesia single Blue
Yeah, I know the name doesn’t match the color in this Freesia but it’s all I have to go on at the moment.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day January 2023
Hamamelis x Intermedia ‘Diane’
Just a quick post for the month with the least flowers on display. Our Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day finds that the winter has been mild but most plants are just fattening up there buds for the months to come. There are a few exceptions. The Witch Hazel shown above is joined by several others on the hillside but none are as spectacular in bloom as ‘Diane.
The snowdrops are popping out. Even a few that have migrated into the lawn.
Galanthus elwesii
And the first of hybrid Hellebores is now in flower (not counting ‘Jacob’ which appeared a month ago)
Helleborus x ‘Winter’s Song’
There are othe plants just on the verge
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’ just opening
And I can see colorful buds on the Peonies.
Paeonia caucasica buds
The cyclamen are also noteworthy for the lovely patterns they create as they continue to spread in the yard.
Cyclamen hederifolium leaves
And in the house we have steady stream of flowers from the greenhouse (especially Cyrtanthus) and some new orchids that arrived as Christmas and birthday gifts.
A new orchid for the house
Finally I should point out that we did plant the Christmas tree last week to provide a future landmark in the pasture.
Xmas tree planting for 2023 (Canaan Fir)
This is also the month for planting the seeds obtained from the NARGS seed exchange.
Planting the NARGS seeds
As always there are great expectations.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day December 2022
Flowers over the fireplace
I’ll begin this seasonal GBBD post with an image of the Christmas greens and flowers over the fireplace. The Japanese quince has been flowering on and off again all Fall. The the red Camellia sansanqua continues to provide a regular supply of beautiful blooms.
This is what the full plant looks like.
Camellia sasanqua red
and the individual flowers
Camellia sasanqua red
Nearby is another fall Camellia that we brought home from Camellia Forest some years ago.
Camellia x ‘Yume’
In the front yard (risking deer damage) is another fall bloomer.
Camellia sasanqua ‘October Magic Orchid’
There are only a few plants in flower besides the Camellias and the Quince. One is the first of the Hellebores (also known as Christmas Rose).
Helleborus niger HGC® ‘Jacob’
I noticed in walking the yard that some of the plants in bud are well worth thinking about as we wait for Springtime. The Edgeworthia is almost better in bud than in flower.
Edgeworthia in bud
And there are several other plants starting to bud up
Cyclamen coum flower buds
First Daffodil buds (Rijnveld’s Early Sensation)
Paeonia caucasica buds
But it is December so one of our seasonal events is to buy a balled and burlapped Evergreen for our Christmas tree. In this case a Canaan Fir seemed to be the most attractive in our size range.
Canaan Fir
After our Christmas elves finished their handiwork it really looks quite splendid
Our Christmas Tree
It will head for the forest in January.
Also inside right now is a pot of Cyrtanthus (like miniature Amaryllis)
Cyrtanthus mackeni
Besides prepping for Christmas the other thing that goes on this time of year are the various seed exchanges. On December 15th every year the North American Rock Garden Society releases the listing of seeds available through the seed exchange. This year there were 2400 different seed varieties available and the contributions came from all over the world. In my case the seeds I’ve requested came from contributors in the U.S., Canada, England, Scotland, Finland, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. If you have any interest in growing unusual plants from seed I highly recommend exploring the NARGS seed exchange.