Early March Blooms

The ever faithful Pink Dawn Viburnum...


Winter Daphne...


One of the camellias...


A couple more views...




Taken on an overcast day, the crocus are all closed up....waiting for the sun...


A few more of the Iris Reticulata from the other day...


Anticipating blooms soon on the Virginia Bluebells which are just emerging...


We had a very rainy day yesterday. Last night, I happened upon this frog...not something I often see/find with two cats...

I'm just guessing as I don't know frogs...after a search for frogs in Virginia...I'm thinking this one is a Southern Leopard Frog as there isn't any water nearby and I saw him on the driveway under the garage light...

Spring....nondaffodil...

Bright spring foliage on Heucheras...








(Caramel, I must have cut the tag out/off)


(Obsidian, the very darkest one I have)


Midnight Rose, above, has wonderful speckled foliage.



The one above has wonderful red rimmed leaves in fall.

All of these heucheras have proved hardy here. I'm still up to add a few more, but, so far, the nurseries have been disappointing. Guess they must have gotten Dr. Armitage's message :(
Hopefully, I'll find a couple new ones in the next month or so...

Trilliums (the first to bloom):


Peonies are up...


Brunnera Hadspen's Cream has really increased this year...I'm so pleased with it


that I've added another, Brunnera Variegata...this one has whiter edges vs the cream of the one above...


In my view of doing what works (vs what I may want...), I am giving up on the bulbs and thymes under the saucer magnolia...and just letting the brunneras have the area.

The first epimedium to bloom....I'm pleased to report that all are returning this year. It's encouraging enough that I may add a few more of these as well...


A single bloom of Ipheion Rolf Fiedler...


Mohawk Viburnum.....Korean Spice is also blooming and the perfume this year is finally what I had hoped for (you can smell in walking by on the road...hehe)...


This camellia shows such promise....it was down to this one branch...and look now...


The lungworts are going....this is probably Mrs. Moon...



Bridal Wreath Spirea....


One of those tiny bulbs that reminds you to plant many more....Scilla


Finally, an update....the spirea did turn yellow just as was predicted by an informed commenter (thanks!)...


Now...I just have to decide if it should stay with those tulips! I didn't anticipate their blooming with the yellow leaves. Yikes!

More to come....more daffodils, oh yes!

Signs of Spring Early March 08

Like old friends, the faithful return...


Camellias, showing just a bit of winter wear...


Viburnum Pink Dawn...very reliable and fragrant...


One of the backyard Daphnes (there's now a second...here's hoping it...the second one...is also up to blooming)...so fragrant that when I open the back gate, the scent greets me...very pleasant...


Out front, another Daphne plus whitish-pink Roman Hyacinths...very fragrant as well


Just beyond those two are some of the Hellebores (without last year's foliage cut...yet..) starting to shine. Hellebores will be in bloom for a long time.


Yesterday, March 5th, brought my first Daffodil blooms for 2008. These were mislabeled but I am pretty sure there are the tiny Topolino.


Making their first appearance for this year (very reliable) yesterday were some of the Iris Reticulata...


Not to be outdone, this group of Iris Reticulata actually began on March 4th. Please note...they are not the blue shown here but actually a deep purple (cameras!)....also, they are not quite as reliable as the previous ones. I should have many patches of these lining my driveway...but, I don't...some here, some there....and most annoying...they open at very different times! Minds of their own (and sun, I suppose)!


This is actually a named Snowdrop...Straffan...that I received from Temple Nursery last year.
I am just beginning to think about collecting Snowdrops and so will have a few more named varieties arriving this year...in the green!


And what would this time of year be without crocus? Every year, I think that I need more crocus (note to self...again...always plant in large quantities for effect)....they seem to drift around here (helped by squirrels, probably) turning up where I didn't plant them....or, often, not turning up at all (see squirrels)...still, they (dratted squirrels) do allow me some...



......just not nearly in the quantities I would like (or that I actually plant!)....

Most of these blooms can be found from previous years on my blog....it's great to mark the changing of seasons (even if the calendar hasn't) with such loyal flowers....I know...it's March...always tricky...we could get some snow and storms...yet...but such is life....we'll just enjoy these while they're out.

As for the rest of the garden....

It's not just the daffodils...for instance, here's a crabapple tree in bloom:


and the redbuds are out as well:


Brunnera macrophylla 'Hadspen Cream' is nice right now, although, if you look carefully, you'll see some solid green leaves I have to remove. I fight that with this one. It's also not particularly happy in this spot, so maybe I'll actually get around to moving it this year.


Lungwort 'Diana Clare' (Pulmonaria)



And, 'Mrs. Moon':


This is a new hardy pink cyclamen...it's little flowers were great to see. It was just planted last fall. The plan is for it to join the nearby patch of hardy cyclamen. No sign yet of the new white, also planted last fall.


Korean Spice Viburnum is scenting the air most delightfully:


Soon, Mohawk will join in:


Another of the small bulbs for spring, Puschkinia:


A very reliable tulip for me, Tulipa greigii 'Pinoccchio':



I love growing garlic. This year, with all the daylilies, I've had to reduce my space for garlic and so it is relegated to several small patches. Here's one:


I'm always tickled to come across the Calamintha 'Variegata' (Calamint). It seems like it's not too pleased here, but it perseveres:


Another one I wonder each year if it will return is the Camassia 'Blue Melody'...here it is, though...and I'm glad!


The peonies are racing upward to fill their cages:


Lilies (Lilium...Asiatic, Oriental, Orienpet, and Trumpet) are peeking above the ground:


Summer Snowflakes (which bloom in spring), Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant':



Did you ever wonder how they open up?

(Wonder no more!)

The lilacs have buds...can't wait to enjoy their fragrance again:



An old fashioned shrub, flowering Pink Almond (Prunus glandulosa) is going strong. It suckers quite freely, making it an easy one to share:



Alstroemeria 'Sweet Laura' has made it through another winter:



Nearby, candy lilies (Pardancanda norissi) are popping up. They grow easily from seed, although it seemed to take two years to bloom, if I recall. I don't mind that new ones spring up here and there:


From out of the basement, another amaryllis:


And, my newest orchid with a complicated name, something like Otaara Hwa Yuan Bay 'Shi Shu' AM/OSROC:


And. to wrap...this is in bloom all over my yard:


Okay...a feeble attempt at humor! This is a compilation of the last week or so. I have a couple of snow pictures (yes, snow!) from today that I'll get to...but, for now...I'm off to work on a post about Belmont...I think you'll enjoy visiting there!