Daydream Tulip

Well, it is Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day and I hardly know where to start.  This is the time of the year when there are entirely too many flowers for a single post.  The tulips, daffodils, flowering trees, and many little spring ephemerals are dashing through their season right now.  The unfortunate hot weather that we had at the beginning of the month has pushed flowers to almost 2 weeks ahead of last year.  Knowing that there will be other flowers to follow, I’m just enjoying each day’s surprises.

In addition to the Daydream Tulip pictured above another very nice one at this season is Monte Carlo.

Tulip 'Monte Carlo'

We grow it in the full sun with Iris Bucharica.

Iris bucharica

And together they make a great combination.

Iris bucharica and Tulip 'Monte Carlo'

I was pleased to see that the Glaucidium palmatum that we planted last year has indeed flowered.

Glaucidium palmatum

It’s planted next to a host of Celandine Poppies.

Poppies galore

The poppies came from a gift of single plant.  They are now abundant in the gardens and woods.  They pull up easily so it’s hard to call them invasive…

Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

As long as we’re doing yellow it’s hard not to take note of the Primula veris which just enlarges it’s clump every year.

Primula veris

And one more step down the yellow brick road is the Bonfire Euphorbia which is just starting up.

Euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire'

Among the many little things that I have mentioned as delights in the garden was the Roadrunner Trillium which I found at Garden Vision in Massachusetts last year.  As it turns out this little gem is even nicer than I had imagined.  The flowers persist and have turned from white to a beautiful shade of pink.  What could be nicer…

Trillium pusillum 'Roadrunner' pink phase

Of course the real reason for the visit to Darrell Probst’s Garden Vision Nursery is to see and take home epimediums.  That’s what we did last year.  And here are a couple of the results…

Epimedium grandiflorum var. higoense 'Bandit'

Notice the chocolate banding of the leaves.  A beauty.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Tama-no-gempei'

And even before we went the kids had gifted Beth with a special variety from the same source.

Epimedium x rubrum 'Sweetheart'

Note the wonderful banding on the heart-shaped leaves.

Epimedium 'Sweetheart' leaf

I could go on and on, but to close out this post I need to mention the first flowering of the lovely little Anemone nemerosa ‘Knightshayes Vestal’.

Anemone nemerosa 'Knightshayes Vestal'

It’s a double that kind of sneaks up on you as it opens.  Very nice indeed.