What's blooming in April

Its way too quiet around here these days. I don't have
labels for all of the plants I'm going to post so hopefully
you guys can help fill in when I don't.

Lets start out with a very happy gentiana acaulis

There are two here that I don't have labels for.
Perhaps both are androsace? The one holds its
stark white flowers up high. I'll post a close up
of the main plant next. The other has a bit dirtier
white bloom held much closer to the plant. I got
both of these at a chapter plant sale.

Here's the close up of the plant that has stark white tiny
flowers held up about 6-9" above the plant. It seems
to have self seeded a bit from last year and is just charming.

First bloom on trillium grandiflora, I believe

How about a double treat: Lewisia pigmaea with cotelydon
snuggled up tight. Too bad the colors kinda clash. Still
makes me happy though.

Now for some easier ones - a couple of big blooming
aubretia's - first the white one. (species label lost)

And now the purple one

A new (to me) dodecatheon just coming into bloom.
Its alba obviously but is the species meadia?

Some very happy primula by my spring fed pond.
Probably P. veris

and now with the picture...

Trout lily, dogtooth lily ... erythronium (americanum?)

Last one today - Pulsatilla vulgaris

Tammy, they are all beautiful! It's amazing how colorful everything is.

Tammy, I'm jealous you have so much in bloom! Sorry we (Leftwood, altagardener and I) have not been around much...we have been busy on the NARGS forum..I think we have forgotten about DG!

In regards to your unknowns...the little white one is an annual androsace...related to salicifolia and chauxii..I have the same one as you but got it as A. lactea. It self-seeds in the rockery. The Dodecatheon is indeed an alba media. Your Erythronium is called Pagoda....it is a toulumnese hybrid.

Most of what I have blooming currently are spring bulbs...I won't bore you with crocus, muscari, chionodoxa and the like.

In true alpines I have Aethionema oppositifolia open.

Erythronium dens-canis

Primula marginata...a rather artsy photo taken with my new camera

Primula X berninae 'Windrush'

the bud of my Pulsatilla pratensis 'Nigricans'..it will be a first time bloomer. Also taken with the new camera.

Saxifraga oppositifolia from our native population.

and Saxifraga X kelleri. As I post these we are having a spring snow-storm with 4" snow so all of these are now buried.

And that's not a lot of color? :-)

You folks are on the NARGS website? I gave it
a quite check when I ordered seeds but perhaps will
need to look again!

Tam

On the main webpage, along the top and far right is a link to forum. That's where we are these days....lots of neat stuff being posted but yours would be a welcome addition!

Thanks for sharing your photos.
I am just starting into alpines and the photos are an inspiration.
Caroline

Hi Caroline. I'll post some more - its just beautiful
here. I have a lot in my troughs blooming too.

Tam

I like to see the early and late bloomers.
I obtained seeds from NARGS swap and have them started as winter sowing,but nothing has sprouted yet. We are having a warmer week coming up so perhaps that will
bring them along. Did you make your own troughs?

I made two troughs and bought the rest. My chapter of NARGS
has a few members who make them for our plant sale. Plus a
talented trough maker in NY state has donated some for our
Phila Flower Show display and I bought some of those.

Here's some photo's of my troughs - from a week or so ago.
(This is a cement "trough" I bought from a local pot place).

Tam

I love these little aquilegia - I believe this is
A. discolor

These two are ones I made. We used the trough handbook
from NARGS for the recipe and instructions

This trough isn't really showy now but I love the little
betula I have in here. Its 3 yrs old and just as tiny as
it was when I got it.

Here's a close up of the little tree

Beautiful troughs Tammy! That little Betula pumila or nana is sweet!

I got it from Roger Barlow of Beaver Creek Greenhouses

Betula nana - Ingwersen's Form ex Norway

Tam

I have no idea how to tell B. pumila (North America) from B. nana (Europe)..they look the same to me.

Every year it drops its leaves so early I think I've
lost it but its a tough one. And I love showing people
the tree I'm growing in a trough.

Tam

My NARGS seeds are beginning to germinate.
The first one is alyssum stribinyi an alyssum from Bulgaria.

cool!

I'm sure you'll like Alyssum stribrnyi a lot - it covers itself in flowers in summer. Hmm, that's one of those names I've always wondered how to pronounce... It certainly is economical with respect to vowels, isn't it? ;-)

Some things in bloom here... Draba acaulis:

Its a cute one! The foliage is quite interesting.

A white-flowered Draba spp. from Turkey, grown by a friend from the '96 NARGS seed exchange.

Androsace carnea 'Alba':