Well, I am spectacularly late for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day this month. My excuse is that we went to England in April and had a chance to visit some of the world’s most delightful gardens. We spent one day at Kew and and another day at Wisley and soaked up tons of inspiration for the future.
Kew Garden
Wisley Garden
Arriving back home we found many things in bloom and some past bloom (as expected). But I will share some aspects of the yard just to provide an insight as to what is going on here. The redbuds, dogwoods, and wisteria are fully out now and the apples are the last of the fruit trees to be flowering but they have a very strong bloom this year.
Pink Dogwood in the front yard
Fragrant Cloud Dogwood
Kwanzan Cherry is finished
Apple Orchard getting organic spray with radish flowers in abundance
The peonies have both finished blooming for some (P. caucasica) and just now blooming for others (P. mariei for example).
Paonia mairei
Early Tree Peony
We were delighted to see the Loropetalum get a full bloom this year. It’s marginal in our climate but the winter was very mild this year.
Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum ‘Zhuzhou Fuschia’
There are many flowers happening at the moment ranging from very tiny iris to greenhouse delights and onto spectacular wisteria and trillium springing forth.
Iris henryi
Watsonia from the Greenhouse
Viburnum carcephalum
Trillium grandiflorum
In the alpine bed we have pulsatillas, poppies and delosperma.
Pulsatilla albana v. flavescens
Morrocan Poppy (Papaver atlanticum)
Delosperma basuticum
And out in the woods we find numerous surprises.
Narcissus ‘Badgeworth’
Camassia in the woods
Shooting Stars (Dodacatheon meadia) in the woods
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-Pulpit) in the woods
Viburnum prunifolium (Blackhaw)
Altogether there are wonderful things happening everyday. And now more to plant…
An Easter Greeting
Erythronium americanum
I wanted to wish the world a Happy Easter today. We had a marvelous day with lovely walks through the flower-filled pasture and woods. So I thought I would share a Slideshow of the images.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day March 2024
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 December 2023
Camellia ‘Yume’
Once again our best December flowers for GBBD are the camellias. The one above was purchased at Camellia Forest Nursery which is probably the best source for camellias in the whole country. It took a few years to get to flowering but now has probably a dozen buds on it for this year.
Its older cousin is the red camellia sasanqua which has a record number of flowers this year.
Camellia sasanqua red
Camellia sasanqua red
Even the camellia ‘survivor’, which flowered earlier than the others, still has a few flowers left on.
Camellia ‘Survivor’
Elsewhere around the yard there are still a few things that have withstood the 25 degree temperatures that we’ve seen so far. In particular the Japanese Quince is loaded with early blossoms.
Japanese Quince
And the heather has more flowers than I’ve ever seen on it.
Krarmer’s Rote Heather (Erica x darleyensis)
Krarmer’s Rote Heather (Erica x darleyensis)
One little surprise in alpine bed is a cute little polygala
Polygala chamaebuxus
When you actually go inside the greenhouse there are some very lovely flowers in process.
Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana)
Oxalis luteola
And some oranges just about ready to harvest
Satsuma dwarf Owari
One item from the greenhouse that has made it into the house is very striking Nerine from Far Reaches
Nerine ‘Pink Triumph’
I should mention too that when I went out to the woods yesterday I found the dark black berries from the Blackhaw Viburnum hanging in the tree.
Blackhaw Viburnum
A reminder of the flowers that will come in the springtime.
I should also mention that I spent early yesterday morning ordering seeds from the North American Rock Garden Society Seed Exchange. It’s a wonderful opportunity to acquire unusual seed from all over the world.
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?