Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2018

Bleeding heart and flowering currant

We've had more than the average rainfall for the whole month of April so far this month, and it seems like plants are behind in growing and blooming. But I checked last year and it was pretty similar - and there's actually a lot in bloom, especially since I've been adding bulbs every year. Tulips and crocuses fade away after a few years, or get eaten by the squirrels, but daffodils multiple nicely and I'm experimenting with the lesser known bulbs.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly roundup of blooms.

I especially love how many native plants are growing and blooming!

Bleeding heart and flowering currant

Bear grass!

Trillium

Dodecatheon

Flowering currant

The non-natives are pretty too!

Forget-me-not

Grape hyacinth, transplanted twice while in bloom

Vinca minor - a bit invasive but I keep this patch under control

Creeping phlox

Tulip

Daffodils are hanging on

Anemone

Rock cress

Tulips

Pulsatilla

Fritillaria

Tulips

Tulips dug up for construction, waiting to be replanted

Inside, my African violets are back in bloom, and Christmas cactus has a last few blooms.

What's next? Lilacs, camassia, apples and so much more - spring is here!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - March 2018

Hyacinth

Happy Ides of March! After record warm temperatures on Monday, it's definitely feeling like spring. A lot of winter blooms are still going strong, but spring is ready to shine. I seem to acquire a lot of blue and purple flowering plants, and this week the bulbs have been really glowing in the sunshine (and not phased by the rain either).

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this monthly roundup of blooms. There are plants blooming somewhere every month but now they're really taking off.... at least in the northern hemisphere. 

Hyacinth

Crocuses are starting to fade

Crocuses

Grape hyacinth popped out suddenly

Newly planted corydalis

Rock cress just starting to bloom

Helleborus x hybridus 'Black Diamond'

Helleborus x ballardiae Gold Collection 'Maestro'

Fading camellia 'Yuletide'

Fritillaria meleagris

Newly planted Saxifraga 'Touran - Deep Red'

Sunset maple

Cyclamen coum

Sunny daffodils

Daffodil

Forsythia in front of pieris japonica

One of my baby osoberry bushes has a bloom!

Indoors, one amaryllis is blooming for the second time this year. Also my Christmas cactus has had a few blooms at a time since January but I keep forgetting to get a picture. 

What's next? Flowering currant and Oregon grape are so close, plus a lot more daffodils.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2017

Flowering currant

I don't know where the first half of April went and now I feel behind on so many things in the garden. But I take solice in the fact that I see something new in bloom every time I go outside.

My favorite natives showing off:

Flowering currant

Oregon grape

Oregon grape

Bulbs! I planted more tulips this year and it's still not enough:

Grape hyacinth

Fritillaria meleagris

Some of the other flowers around the yard:

Asian pear

Sea thrift

Rock cress, newly planted

Forget me not

Creeping phlox

Vinca minor, carefully controlled in one area

Kinnikinnick

First strawberry blooms

Hellebores win the prize for longest bloom, these have been going since December.

Blooming inside:

My grandmother's Christmas cactus

African violets - three of my four are blooming, but hard to get good pictures

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day! Even when my garden is keeping me busy with spring chores, it's still fun to see what's going on in gardens around the world. 

What's next? Blueberries, lilacs, aquilegia and a rhubarb stalk that will probably be cut down before it blooms.