What\'s Blooming

It's so good to have a team of garden buddies for advice for my Camera.I have a few of my spring blooms .The snow did cause a little damage but nature still gave me some joy.

YAY Cytf, I sure know the feeling of garden joy and am so glad others feel it too, may it spread like wildfire!

So yesterday morning I read this thread, then headed for work with a stop at a Seattle Nursery on the way to buy some Ilex 'Sky Pencil', a dull but useful plant. Of course I had to swing by the sale rack-they had a bunch of raggedy Anemone hortensis for $2.50 A few managed to fall into my basket... I never would have noticed them if not for this thread. I hope they were not mislabeled. I also got a few for momlady, who happens to be my sister :-)

Awesome! Sisters!

"Fall into my basket"! Amazing - it happens to me all the time.

The most recent plant to fall into my basket is salvia elegans - pineapple sage. I purchased some for a demonstration salvia garden, took it home and planted it and was completely blown away by it. It does indeed smell like pineapple, and is not hardy, but it's cheap and a single plant gets huge!

This message was edited Apr 18, 2016 7:23 PM

Excellent on the A. Hortensis find and the price is fabulous! Giving some to your Sis was really sweet, I'm sure she needed some...heck, doesn't everybody? I specifically hunted down Ilex 'Sky Pencil', it's a must have for small spaces and would probably do well in a rock garden to boot.

Mmm Donna, Pineapple Sage.

Actually Loretta, they are awesome sisters too.

Wow, I hope those A hortensis do as well in your situation as they do for me.
I really enjoy them.
And congrats to cytf for getting that camera operational.
Now we can see what you're up to!

Well Weerobin, This is what I am up to. I planted Purple Tulips for my only daughter since that's her favorite color and they are coming up so nicely.

Very pretty Tulips, they are coming up nicely and honoring your gesture. Here's what came up for me, they were given by a generous DG'er, unamed in a mixed box. This one is Tulipa greigii 'Pinocchio'.

I had never much cared for muscari, but the previous occupant planted it. I think now that it's pretty cool.

Nepeta Snowflake. It is by far the earliest nepeta to bloom, stays short, and winds its way around other plants to function as a ground cover. I use it as a weed barrier, especially around roses. It actually eliminates the need for mulch. It will actually stretch six or eight feet in my new garden. In my old garden it clumped.

Mipii, that is a beautiful tulip, never heard of Pinoccho , I have some yellow ones and orange ones but do not know their names.I will research them . Any way we will enjoy them in their splendor .Happy gardening

Is this Pinnochio? I used to grow it against the garage at my old house, and I'm thinking of putting it again.

Aquilegia (re-seed), Dianthus hybrid (nice perennial pink), Dianthus barbatus (S. Will),
Aquilegia chinensis, Dogwood florida, Clematis Ernest Markham, Iberis, Nepeta, Aubrieta, Ajuga, Clematis Henryi, Daffodills, Phlox sublata, Phlox divaricata, Anemone blanda, Iris noid Yellow, Erysimum, Pansies, Viburnum plicatum Shasta, Dianthus Zing Rose (I think), Dicentra, Rose Molineaux (barely), Verbena Homestead Purple, Viburnum carlessii (about over), Clematis Claire de Lune (in shade).

Yes Donna, that certainly is Pinocchio, lot's of it!
Here's some Primula ‘Quaker’s Bonnet’

Mipii how long have you had your Primula? I planted some a few years ago and they did not come back, and I love Primula.

Weeding, it's Primula's 3rd year, it was a generous gift from Evelyninthegarden, she didn't love the double Primulas but I do. I wonder why yours didn't come back, I thought they were pretty tough.

Many primulas sulk in summer humidity ... I've planted many and just have a few survivors.

I could never manage to grow primula from seed. I loved japonica and could buy them inexpensively - then. The would seed and sometimes come back. They might do better here.

Mipii, Pinnochio is actually a Greigii tulip - and yes, I love it because it resembles a lily flowering - with one major advantage. Greigiis are near species, so they return REALLY well. The mottled foliage gives them a much longer season of interest.

And they are cheap! Much less expensive than lilyflowering.

Thanks for the added information Donna, I'll go back and modify what I said to be more accurate!

And thanks for reminding me to add back this great tulip! I am very grateful to you.

I'm surprised that most of the species Tulips have much narrower foliage, wouldn't the narrower foliage hide easier in it's seasonal decline? Other than the greigii, why would people want to breed such a wide foliage into a species that has such a short shelf life (growing season)?

I was away on a Women"s Retreat for a couple of days and is back today to greet my lovely blooms. Last year my lilacs were getting curly leaves and when I did some research it was a disease that was affecting them, so hubby and I had to prune the plants severely .This morning I saw my beautiful lilac blooms, also my primrose and my tulips.

Your Lilac id beautiful cytf. How old is your Lilac.

I agree with Weeding, your Lilac doesn't even look like it's been hard pruned. Great job!

Mipii,

For the kinky effect! Some people love weird. OK, let me not judge. Some people love the unexpected. Black tulips. Tulips with ragged foliage (Parrots).

One of the down sides of lots of daffodils is the huge, strapping foliage that stays around for months. You see them everywhere!

Hi Weeding,those lilacs are over 50 years.I bought the property from a couple in their 80's and they told me that they were Mothers Day gifts from their kids when they were younger.Since the couple lives next door to me I try to let them enjoy the blooms and I make sure the lilacs look good.It's sentimental to them.

Aww Cytf, that's a touching story. Bless your heart.

It's true that great gardeners have big hearts! Bless yours indeed!

This message was edited Apr 26, 2016 7:31 PM

Thanks DonnaMack and Mipii for the Blessings.

It is sweet that you keep it going for them. My house came with a rosebush that the previous owner smuggled home from Ireland. It could be Queen Elizabeth since that was her name. Since my husband and I spent a great vacation there, we were excited about the rose lore but still, we offered it to the family. Apparently though, Elizabeth drank too much and was onery so no one wanted it! So sad.
Things have finally warmed up so here are a few shots.

1. Before there is lilacs, there is Viburnum Carlesii
2. And Daphne Carol Mackie
3. Since they were mentioned, some thin strapped tulips - Tulip linafolia
4. And Honky Tonk
5. And a thin strapped daff - Sun Disc (or minnow - bought both, not completely sure).

1. A new geum from the HGTV collection - have to edit the name later
2. First columbine of the season opens - Also the first year I've had aphids on the columbine.
3. Daffodil Dallas -
4. First Iris - Baltic Blue
5. And Urban Star - one with 5 falls

Very nice Loretta, just what I needed on a dreary, chilly day. Beautiful blooms, do you collect seeds from them?

Thanks, Robin. Most of these don't produce seed except the columbine, of course. The geum is new so I don't know yet. I suspect it will. Once in a while, tulipa linifolia does and V carlesii makes a berry or two. Are you interested in trying to grow one of them?
1. Variegated false Solomon seal
2. Brunnera Jack Frost - that's one that seeds around although most seedlings have no silver. That's ok though.
3. Epimedium - got to check the name
4. Epimedium pubigerum
5. Some English Daisies and friends - I doubt they'll be around next year.

The Siberian Iris is in bloom and my white Reblooming Iris has a bud .

I found my water iris blooming today.

I'm interested in growing "Epimedium - got to check the name" from seed, have you tried growing from seed or does it self-seed? I was also looking for experience on growing Viburnum from seed. It's interesting about the Brunnera, do any of those seedlings show variegation? I know Geum sets seeds but i don't know about your particular cultivar, it's beautiful though.

I have epimedium x versicolor sulphurem. It's one of the toughest and the best. I hacked a chunk from mine at my former home and brought it with me. I had it in mostly sun and now in mostly shade. There are a bunch of new ones in all kinds of colors, like orange, but I love this one.

I don't think that it seeds. It clumps, so once you have one you can just take a sharp shovel and divide it. Since it propagates that way, I have never tried to grow it from seed.

Hi Weeding it's beautiful.I have yellow Iris too,are they all water Iris?Or is it a particular type that grows in water .