April GBBD: A Waiting Game

Today is April 15, and we all know what that means . . . no, no, I don't mean the day we fork over half our money to the IRS. Today is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted the 15th of each month by the effervescent Carol of May Dreams Gardens. (For those of you visiting from the ABC blog, my "M" post is below.)



Two weeks ago today I was surrounded by blooms in Arizona, including this beautiful tree, identified by Chandramouli as an orchid tree. I don't know anything about this tree other than the fact it was blooming this profusely back in December as well.

Even the cacti were welcoming spring with blooms. March and early April are the peak times for blooms of all kind in Arizona, where the temperatures begin to creep into the 90's, but nothing like the 100+ degrees that will toast everything in a few months.

But for the past week I have been back to reality and anxiously waiting for blooms to appear in my Illinois garden. The daffodils have been going strong for a few weeks now.

And the hyacinths have all opened up, perfuming the front walkway.

But mostly it's a waiting game here. Waiting for one of the newer daffodils planted last fall to open into full bloom. Waiting for the wind to stop so that I can get something other than a blurry picture. Waiting for the temperature to get above the 34 degrees it was when I awoke this morning.

I'm waiting to see if the lilacs, which leafed out early, will bloom or if they have suffered any damage from the frosts we have had recently.

A month ago I waited eagerly for signs of all the tulips I planted last fall. They have come up, but now it's a waiting game to see what colors emerge.

This tulip bud looks pink, but is it? I will have to wait to find out.

The surprise/mystery lilies, aka "Naked Ladies," are growing by leaps and bounds. Now that I know they are here, I am waiting and watching to see when they disappear and magically reappear later in the summer.

I am also waiting to see if the Hellebores will bloom this spring. An order of five arrived the day before I left for Arizona, and I hastily planted them. I was so happy when I got home to see that they had survived the frost and snow, that is . . .

. . . all except one. I wonder what could have eaten this plant?

A deer, a rabbit, or heaven forbid, Sophie?? I will have to wait to see if it survives.

While I will have to wait for these yellow primrose buds to open . . .

. . . I no longer have to wait for these pink primroses which were similar buds two weeks ago.

Nor this mass of primrose blossoms. I planted several primroses (or are they primulas?) last spring, not knowing if they were hardy here in zone 5. But not only did they survive, they have increased in size with two to three times the number of blooms on each one.

But most of all, I am waiting for the ground to dry out, so I can finally get in the garden!

Footnote: I wrote most of this post this morning and then ran out of time to finish it. Since then the sun has come out, and it's in the 50's with a forecast of sunny days in the 60's ahead! I guess all good things come to those who wait:)