In bloom this week: December 1, 2018

After being out of town for Thanksgiving and then sick all last week, I finally got out to wander around the yard today. It's soggy out, as one would expect for November - err, December! I expect we'll have a heavy freeze early next week, so this will be the last of the fall blooms. They're looking a little sad and tattered anyway, ready for the crisp colors of winter to take over. The hellebores are ready.

Lewisia

Nasturtium

Hollyhock

Hollyhock

Anemone

Daisies

Penstemon

Fuchsia 'Genii'

Fuchsia 'Delta's Sara' - the blue has faded

Borage plans to take over the world

Hellebore, I'll have to look up the varieties for winter

Hellebore

Hellebore

In bloom this week: April 4, 2018

Flowering currant

March was a little chilly but surprisingly not too wet and the flowers seem to like that. My giant flowering currant bushes are reminding me why they're my favorite shrubs.

April showers are going to bring a mud pit to my back yard with contractors starting on retaining wall replacement tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the spring flowers!

Forget-me-not

Chionodoxa

Chionodoxa

Corydalis

Grape hyacinth, moved into a pot right after I took this photo

Rosemary has bloomed all winter

Rock cress, all in front were planted from seed last year

Rock cress

Daffodils!

Daffodils, love these long trumpets

My current favorite daffodils

Or maybe this is my favorite

Forsythia

Oregon grape

Flowering currant

Flowering currant 

Can't get the whole flowering currant jungle in one picture

Saxifraga 'Touran - Deep Red'

Fritillaria meleagris

Probably Helleborus x ballardiae Gold Collection 'Maestro'

Helleborus 'Pink Frost'

Shooting star, not sure which dodecatheon this is

Tulips

Tulips, these are now in a planter to avoid the construction too

Kinnikinnick

Daisy, bellis perennis 'Tasso Red'

Some of the daffodils had to move all the way inside to get out of the way of the construction:

In bloom this week: March 7, 2018

Daffodil!

We're in that transition time when it feels so close to spring but winter is not giving up. Hellebores and cyclamen are still merrily blooming and daffodils and other spring bulbs are starting. I'm really noticing how much more is in bloom than previous years, all that planting is paying off. Of course there are always more plants to drool over....

Winter blooms, by my arbitrary definition - all have been blooming at least since January:

Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow'

Helleborus 'Pink Frost'

Helleborus x hybridus 'Black Diamond'

I think this is Helleborus x ballardiae Gold Collection 'Maestro'

Camellia 'Yuletide'

Lingering snowdrops

Cyclamen coum

And spring - yes, I do only plant purple crocuses:

Newly planted Saxifraga 'Touran - Deep Red'

Newly planted daisy, bellis perennis 'Tasso Red'

What's next? Very early species tulips and a couple of my favorite native bushes, Oregon grape and flowering currant (which I can't seem to get a good photo of this year). And a lot more spring bulbs!

Species tulips

Oregon grape