What is in full bloom in your yard now? From 3-15 to 3-31-10

Asking for your help to continue to create our PNW bloom record

I am updating the bloom record database as quickly as I can, and per Bonehead's wonderful suggestion, I will try to break down the threads into shorter intervals for easier tracking. I will also try to post a note here whenever I have had a chance to update the record.

Please give us as much information as you can regarding the plants that are in "full bloom" or "full color" in your yard or neighborhood right now. Pictures are awesome too! After all, how else are we going to be tempted by those plants that we NEED to add to our own gardens?

Thanks for your help!

Julie

(This is my PJM which I feel is in full bloom right now. It has been concentrating on growing "big" rather than floriforus over the last five years, and this is the first time that I have had more than a dozen blooms on it. Very puzzling.....)

Kathy - you'll not stop at one Gentian; that's like only having 1 Hellebore!
A blue so very intense, and such an elusive colour among plants.

We spent our weekend at our house in Eastern Washington (Othello) this last weekend, and I was amazed at how brown and grey the world still was over there. Boy is it easy to take our green and colorful world for granted! There were some early daffodills blooming in our yard, and our unknown maple was in full bloom, but that's about it. This maple is just lovely in all seasons, and the birds love it. If anyone got a maple from me at roundup, it was a baby of this beauty.

Nice!!

For what it's worth, the Trillium that is out is the one that was there when I moved in 7 years ago. The ones that aren't up are natives also, but were transplanted from next door last year when they were in bloom. It may be a question of maturity or getting acclimated to their surroundings. I'll just keep checking on them.

Is that tree a maple, really? What kind of maple - are those seed pods on it? Very interesting.

This week's in bloom theme at my house is blue. No gentians unfortunately, but 'Blue Heron' Corydalis and 'Trevi Fountain' Pulmonaria are doing the blue thing.

I envy you. I always kill corydalis . . .

What a pretty blue.

Shhhhh Katie, don't give this one any ideas. I just put it in last fall, so it has yet to make it thru a summer. We shall see...

Don't forget that they go dormant in the summer. It's going to disappear on you, but that just means it's doing its summer thing. I don't know if mine is in bloom or not. I haven't had a chance to look in a couple of days.

That's interesting. I had no idea. Kymmco, I'm glad you are getting a chance to enjoy yours!

They are another source of SlugCrack, too. I've thought I lost them, and then they return timidly, rightly concerned about returning SharkSlugs.

I love the corydallis too, but I think that SlugCrack is an understatement.... I have never had one last long enough in my garden to be able to kill it. They rate right along the same lines as iceland poppies for me!

Kathy, I forgot to respond to your question about the maple. Those are actually flowers... the seeds look like regular maple seeds only tiny and come about in the fall. I have no idea what variety it is, but it has a redish tinge to the edges of the leaves, and they are fine leaves like the japanese varieties. The babies are red leaved. It is just a gorgeous tree, but as you can see by the picture, it needs room to grow....

Pretty interesting. I didn't even know there were maples that would be happy in the heat of EWA, but she sure looks happy!

My green fruited plum is all of the sudden in full bloom, but my star magnolia is right in front of it and not showing a bit of white yet....

Hey, I wandered out to the hidden Trillium patch in the woods last night. Only one or two is blooming - a few more are just coming out of the ground. I think the most mature come out first and the younger ones come out later. I've seen one more coming up in my little patch.

Strange about your stellata - mine is in full, full bloom. Of course, it gets as much sun/light as anything in my yard does, so that may be the reason it's out already.

My trillium is just beginning to peek out. I get a new stalk and bloom every year now. It took it forever to get started.

It does seem like it takes forever. Did you know that ants are responsible for moving seed for Trilliums and native Dicentra? Go figure . . .

Interesting about the trillium seed. I am hoping that when I plant my new ones, they will eventually clump for me. The one that I look for first every year has only ever been a single stalk and has been there for at least seven years. It is right along the edge of the road between Mom's house and mine in full shade. Last year was the first year that I actually marked it... before, it would just "all of the sudden" be there.

Just as a reminder of how far ahead things are this year, I remembered discovering a new baby trillium last year and posting a picture of it in the photo threads. It had just come up.... I found the picture dated 4-23-09. Kathy, you also had pictures of your trilliums there blooming nicely, and it was dated April 22nd. I had also posted a few pictures of my magnolia stellata "just opening" on April 23rd. Wow.

Also, some comments regarding the last thread.... I was off yesterday, and my skimmia is not really blooming at all yet, but I sniffed it anyway, and the few blossoms that were open smelled yummy. Go figure... I had never even thought to smell it, and had aparently never been working in the yard by it when it was in full bloom. As for witch hazel, I think that you have to buy them "by smell in bloom" to ensure that you one with a fragrance that you like. My Arnold's Promise has a strong fragrance that carries at least fifty feet, but it is not a really pleasant smell. I added Early Bright this year, and the smell was just dreamy, but as it is so tiny, I did have to stick my nose right in it to smell it. On the other hand, I like the excuse of adding more witch hazels until you have one that smells good from a distance ^_^.

And I have pictures from April, while the magnolia stellata is blooming with snow!!

My camelias are in full bloom. So it's time for pouring rain so that they can turn brown and rot and make a big mess. Fortunately, it's supposed to be nice! Maybe we can enjoy the blooms for more than 1 day. Also, the flowering Kwansa cherry is in full bloom.
FYI, I'm going out to Mt. Tahoma on April 16 in the early afternoon. I know most of you work M-F, but if anyone wants to take a 'mental health day' and join me...

Julie, your marigolds are almost blooming in the greenhouse!

Hmmmmm - mental health day. I could dig that. Hmmmmm. Keep me in mind - I'll see if I can swing it.

Melissa, Sounds like you will be the first to see if the marigolds bloom true the second year in a row. I am dying of curiosity. I have bunches coming up, but I just started them a week ago, so it will be a bit before I see them bloom.

I could get hooked into a mental health day myself depending on what day of the week the 16th is on. I work 4 tens, and am off one floating day per week.... am also less than 1/2 hour away from Mt Tahoma and dying to go back...

Edited because I am typing on DH's notebook and can't get used to this silly keyboard.

This message was edited Mar 17, 2010 10:02 PM

This might just be a great hookey day.

You can use the excuse that you need a rest after TAX day. Sounds like a plan to me.

My Jack Frost brunnera is in bloom now, but the picture was not impressive enough to post. I like it better when the leaves are full out anyway.

Here is a primrose I have had for so many years that I have no idea what it is. I know I moved it here when we moved from Federal Way nearly 14 years ago and it divides so nicely that Julie and I have clumps in several places.

Love that primrose. I like the old-fashioned kind.

Hey, Sharon, if you're dividing, I'd love a piece of that little beauty!

Kathy, it is yours. I'll pot some up and bring it to Union.

Bless you! I am about to nab some pieces of an interesting Primula from my neighbor (it's going crazy at her place) and I'll bring that to share. I can't remember the name, but I'll get it again this weekend.

Well, today was absobloominlutely gorgeous!!! I have one crocus, a few tete a tete daffs and a pieris (white) in bloom. The Pieris had a nice fragrance when I stuck my nose near it. I normally don't smell things well, so that's why I have to get upcloseandpersonal.

Finally, Jan. Some spring over there. That's marvelous.

I'm so happy to hear you are getting some spring action. About time.

If anyone wants to join me on the 16th, that would be groovy. (It's a Friday) But please email Rick and ask if it's okay. I told him it would be just me or me with one other. He didn't sound like it mattered much, though. He said most days are fine, except for Sundays, when he does his packaging.

Hi Melissa. I've e-mailed him . . .

I am catching up with the bloom records, and have uploaded the info that everyone has provided up in the last thread (still need to work with this one). I made some changes as to how I set the database up as it was going to get unweildly very quickly. I am going to make a seperate database for each year, as it will make it easier to work with. I have also started using a single line for each plant reported, and then put the date it was reported in it's particular zone column. I am still planning to work with the zones a bit, but only have so much spare time, so I am trying to use what I think will work right now, and then modify as time permits.

Please, again.... any suggestions, changes, etc.... TELL ME! This is definitely a work in progress!

The databases have been updated

Good idea, Julie, as this year is highly likely to be different than last. It'll be fun to compare, though.

When I have spare time in abundance, I am going to go through my garden pictures and try to re-create at least 2009 in my zone as well. When I get it done, I will post it and ask if anyone with excell has a desire to do the same and forward the results to me so we have info for other zones in after a harsh winter. I have been just amazed at the difference between last year and this year, and will be curious to see it in print.

Me.

Spent the entire day yesterday, my special 'giant' tools in hand, digging out the pampas grass (8 of them) quartering them and replacing (10 years in place, each of these were a good 1.5 mtrs in diameter!)! After being told by numerous gardeners that this was an impossible task I muscled through this with surprising, effortful, ease! By the end of the day I was blooming, as proud and as fragrant as my daphnes!! This was definately a situation of 'go girl'.

Now where to put some of the pieces!