Blooming season off to an early start?

When I looked out the kitchen window this morning and saw the lilacs in bloom, I wondered if anyone else has noted things blooming way ahead of schedule. Plants I remember blooming in May have been in bloom for over a week. I saw lilies-of-the-valley out yesterday. For over 50 years I have given my mother lilies-of-the valley on Mothers' Day.

Has anyone kept records of early and late blooming seasons? How does this year compare?


Grayson

Spring bulbs seemed about on schedule to me, but I'm not sure I remember my dwarf bearded irises starting quite this early... my lilac is blooming also, but I don't remember what it's usual "season" is. We've definitely had some warm weather lately!

Lots of lilacs here, Tons of buds on clematis Niobe and Jackmanii. Crape Myrtle are leafing out. Peonies quite big and lilies showing up also.

Ditto---early bulbs seemed on time but I am surprised to see buds on Iris. Seing others iris in full blom. That seems too early! I have to dig to see if my notes say when things bloomed. I used to have tons of pics and I could date the bloom by that, but they're unavailable.

Could this be because we had such warm weather for a while a few weeks ago?

I didn't notice things blooming early but everything is blooming beautifully. I also had Pansies that were planted last spring make it thought the summer and winter and are blooming beautifully. I have never had Pansies do that before. So I started thinking was last summer cooler than usual and did all the snow insulate them. It is just so odd for my area.

--My Lilacs have been in bloom for several days now.....
--Some of my Peonies are full height and have buds on them. Not all--some live in so-so beds....
--My miniature, blue iris started blooming yesterday....
--My Hardy geraniums are blooming
--My Clematis ("Multi-Blue") is climbing like crazy and has some buds.....Just FYI--I cut this one down to
the ground last year to, hopefully, encourage better growth. Man! Did it shoot up quickly!
--My "Koromo Shukibu" Azalea's buds opened up today.....YEAH!
--My big, white Azalea bushes are popping open as we speak.....These are the big ones with the fuzzy leaves....
--Several more of my Clivia divisions are showing flower buds! I am SOOOO happy!

Many other plants are soon to bloom--sending their spikes-to-be up from the foliage..
Took some pics today--but have not uploaded them yet.....Will show you!

It IS end of April---I do not, really, keep track of when what blooms.....that would be too anal for me!---I just garden!
Planted my Tomatoes 3 days ago and also all my basil and parsley (in pots). Everything seems to be doing OK.
Our extended forecast calls for no lower low 50's for the rest of the month.
Surely--May would not DARE to pop any "almost" freezing temps on us!!!!!! Would it???? Huh????...Huh???

Gita

Looks pretty on time for me, some flowered faster because of that little heat wave we had, totally missed my Firespray tulips bloom because I was in Disney that week.
I've been comparing pics from ty and ly looks about right.

My "Koromo Shukibu" Azalea is now blooming.....Still very small/young--so I cannot share any cuttings....

OOPS! Wrong picture----

This above is one of my other 'blooms emerging from the stem base...That is now THREE to bloom of the 12 that I gained from dividing the Mama of 35 years!!


Here is my small Karomo Shikibu Azalea in bloom--once again...
Still too small to share any parts of it...Just enjoy!

I thought this was neat how the blooms open up---like lace-work! Almost artistic!..like filigree.....

Here's one of the self-seeded Digitalis from last Summer......Just gaining it's "OOOmpha" and starting to send up a bloom stalk....
Amazing--how this plant does it! YES! It DOES take 2 years--a true Biennial!

Sally---Here is your large-root Geranium blooming away! SO pretty!

So glad you like that Gita, and that it did so well after dividing. I started a big new patch of it in a bed in front of my house. I'm liking it there. The leaves get a nice fall color too.

Redbug and dogwood bloom here the beginnng of May and the red bud has been blooming for a week or more and so is the dogwood.....

Flowering Crab apple.

Pulsatilla Vulgaris, Pasque Flower.

Buffalo Current, this has a spicy clove scent. So nice to be out in the year when it is in bloom. Smells heavenly.

Still Daffs and tulips blooming.

Our redbud is well done and dogwood going. Azalea are really in now, here.

My little "Karomo Shukibu" azalia is blooming--again....
SO pretty--and SO dainy!

Took a close-up of the semi-opened flower buds.....They look like fine porcelain!
Just waiting for that magic moment to pop open.....

Two more of my Clivia divisions are sending up buds....

They are now all outside--for a couple of weeks already.

This is one of the over-wintered Digitalis--now full of energy and growing by leaps and bounds...
This one is getting ready to send up the spike. A true Biennial!

Sally--Here is the whole clump of your big-root geranium.

HOW big do the clumps grow? This is one year old--and look at it!
How do you divide it--as they seem to have just "runners" that are not really rooted?

Great pictures everyone - Chris - I love the pulsatilla - I have red pulsatilla and just love them.

I think we are flowering early - I saw my lily of the valley today with flowers and I always thought they were typically a May bloomer. So, I went back in my pictures and took a peek - they are in date order from when they were loaded on my computer...... It looks like last year was really late, which maybe part of the reason this year seems to be early for us. But I was also thinking that the lilac festival in Rochester is typically in May and my lilacs are flowering now....

Carolyn.

I have never really kept track of dates--just taken everything for granted as it blooms....but you are right...

My Lily-of the Valley are starting to open up as we speak.....YES! Usually, this happens around Mother's Day....which is May 9th this year---and here it is---April 25th!
I think the couple of weeks of the 70's and 80's really screwed thing up. However--we here in the Mid Atlantic should be used to all this.....It is like a tapestry of weather conditions---every year, something different...a real "Patchwork Quilt."--each square a different week--or month--but all together--a beautiful thing!

As I write this--we have been having a rumbling T-Storm here for a couple of hours now---with some hale mixed in...
I cringed--thinking how all the plants I have set out already will weather this---but then--we always have T-Storms all through the Summer--right? And--all plants survive--it is just that this seems, somehow, "out of season"....

NO BIGGIE!!!!! We have even had T-Storms here in February--or (not sure???) December some times....
Nothing we can do! Just go with the flow........We just live in a volatile region.....It is--what it is!

Spring will surely be here----in just a couple of weeks! Have faith!!!!! SMILE!!!!

Gita

Gita, the geraniums long stems will eventually root. You could probably encourage that by mounding dirt over them. Maybe even cut one off, remove some leaves and root it in water or soil. I did not use too much fuss last year when I pulled mine apart and made those divisions, and potted them up. and though some of mine struggled through the summer, it all looks great now!

One of the iris is beginning to bud. That usually happens mid to late May. Bleeding heart has been out for over a week.

I do think that the very warm spell we had did a jump start to everything. That was nice is no hard killing frost. The Magnolias would just start to bloom in my area and then get zapped in a day or 2 by frost, but not this year. They were beautiful for a long time and the flowers died off in their own time.
Grayon, thanks for starting this thread, it gives us a chance to show off our early spring blooms.

Brace yourselves.....
Tonight's forecast (here) is for a blustery 38 degrees!!!! NOT fair!

Guess I will be lugging a few things back in....one more time!
Sticking the bigger ones in my shed and under my table on the Patio....Set my herb pots down on the floor next to some bushes....
Probably will have to put 5gal. buckets over my tomatoes...did that in 2008.

Have to do all this before I leave for work at 2:30PM. It will be dark, and cold, by the time I get home at 9:30PM.

Gita

Gita

I just did all of that myself - we are supposed to have a low of 30 degrees. Everything is on top of my washer and dryer. Tomorrow night is supposed to be just as cold, but this weekend is predicted to be in the 70's.

Gary - Syracuse is colder than I am - how cold are you supposed to be tonight?

We are expecting low 30s and a freeze warning. Thanks for reminding me. I'll have to bring a few pots in: fig, fuchsia, oxalis.

Brr- it got to 35 down here and by the bay ( relatively) should have helped moderate us. I'm sure glad I ahd no more out than I did. I brought a couple in this morning cuz I don't think tonight will be much better.

We let our annuals outside last night. Ric thought they would be OK and mostly they are but a few of the climbers are looking rough, hope they come back Mostly I grew them for the Swaps and my HGHA meeting in May. So tired of this damp weather.

It hit freezing last night and is staying cold today. Tiffany, my Westie, is sulking. I brought lots of plants inside and left them in today. It is getting kind of crowded. I left the wintersown seeds outside in their bottles. They survived. So did some of the new additions to the garden. Like everyone else, I get tired of the cold and wet weather this time of year. Is is better than last year, at least.

I am late starting some veggies. Just as well, I am not sure where I would put them. I seem to have a few more potted tender plants this year, wonder how that happened.

I am dragging my feet potting things up, Ric and I have both been sick for weeks, months really. We no sooner get over one minor illness that we come down with another. I just don't have the energy or space for all the things I have to get started so I keep waiting. I think my gardens will be slow starting this year.

I have been ill as well. Maybe the germs liked the warmer than usual winter. I had breathing problems -asthma that became bronchitis. I am now just getting over an ear infection -strep ear. The outer part of my ear swelled up and hurt -I looked like a lopsided, radioactive dumbo. Hope this spring is better than this winter.

My honeysuckle is blooming. I have it in a pot because I am afraid to put it in the ground near the black walnut trees. It is near the back patio. Sometimes I forget about it. Once it is done blooming, I need to cut it back a lot. The peonies are much taller than last year. I am looking forward to their blooms.

The hostas are doing well and the lilies seemed to have multiplied. The roses have leaves and buds. They didn't seem to mind the chilly nights. My experiment in winter sowing was very successful, now I have to find space for some new plants. I'll have to list them and bring some to the Pocono swap. Maybe I'll just "spring sow" my veggies. I have room for a few more bottles on the patio, but not much room inside. The future plant shelf is still full of books and fabric bolts.

Best news of the year-my nightmare neighbor, the booze hag moved out and took her pothead boyfriend and junkyard dog with her!!! It is so much quieter. I can garden and sit out on my patio without hearing them screaming. They left behind lots of sheet glass outside. I confiscated it for the future plant shelf. Also for putting on top of my dressers to prevent scratches.

Finished my work for the day, but my kitchen isn't cleaning itself. Better get to it.

Our wisteria tree is in full bloom now. The Alliums are getting tall and thick and both Niobe Clematis are going great guns!! The Jackmanii look good also but the others were only put in this year and last year and are still quite small. All but 4 of the rose bushes have lots of new red growth, two of the crape myrtles are leafing out and the leaf buds are just beginning to swell on the other two. So much starting to pop. I can't wait for the warmer weather to come tomorrow. I didn't wheel out my large flatbed wagon today because it's just too cold and windy. Most of the plants on it didn't like that type of weather yesterday, so they'll just have to sit in the dimly lit unheated garage.

Feels like October with all this wind.