GBBD: April Beauties

I know I am really, really late to this month's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, but with Easter weekend, tax day, and many commitments the past two weeks, I haven't had time to sit down and read blogs for awhile.  But what a difference a month makes!  In March I had a few early bulbs trying to bloom in the snow, and this month . . . well, let me show you . . .

Since the end of March there has been a steady stream of daffodils blooming.

From the standard yellow trumpet daffodils to ruffled doubles to . . .

. . . daffodils with contrasting cups to . . .

. . .  miniature daffodils.

I've forgotten the names of most, except for 'Mount Hood,' 

a white beauty that has been a vigorous multiplier.

After the rabbits and/or deer ate many of my tulips after a bad winter a few years ago, I have been planting many more daffodils than tulips.  Most of my purchases have been collections of bulbs for naturalizing, another reason I don't know the names of most of these.

But I like the variety and the longer bloom time from these collections.  

These slender narcissi in the shade garden are one of my favorites.  As you can see, there is so much more blooming right now than daffodils--hellebores are still going strong, tulips are at their peak, tiny pushkinia dot the front of the garden here and there, as well as a few early perennials.

The only disappointment this year has been the flowering crabapples.  I wait all year for that one special week in the spring when our long lane is a bower of blooms, as you can see in my header photo from last year.  But most of the crabapples didn't bloom as much as usual; perhaps one of the cold nights we had two weeks ago nipped the buds. It has happened before, so I am hoping that next year all the blooms will return.  The white flowering crab was filled with blooms, however, though the wind and rain this past weekend finished them off.  And it has been a great year for redbuds.

I was worried about the lilacs last Bloom Day, as they were budding up just as a freeze hit us, but I needn't have worried.  The old lilac was in full bloom for Easter Sunday.

Other perennials blooming right now include the Pulmonarias and the Epimedeum above.  

'Jack Frost' Brunnera, still one of my favorites.

The old-fashioned Bleeding Heart is blooming as is my newest bleeding heart added last year, Dicentra 'Gold Heart.'  The foliage on this plant is stunning!

And finally, one of the best parts of spring to me--it is Tulip Time!

Because tulips can be short-lived, every spring is a surprise since I never know what will return.  A few of my favorites that I was happy to see come up again include 'Ad Rem' above.

My "namesake" 'Rosalie' also returned.

As did the longer-lived species tulips, 'Lady Jane.'  These are multiplying as well.

The neon-bright orange tulips that I don't remember ever planting returned 

for what must be their eighth or ninth year!

And my very favorite tulip of all, 'Akebono,' is still as gorgeous as ever.

Then there are a few new varieties of tulips planted last fall including this 'Silverstream.'  It looks like a twin to 'Akebono,' doesn't it?  In fact, if I hadn't marked where I planted these last year, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

Also new this year is a tulip I've admired on Jason's blog for several years--'Coleur Cardinal.'  They are a little shorter than most of my tulips, so I'm glad I planted them in the front where they can be seen.

'Rembrandt' is also new this year.

Every year I plant more tulips in my roadside garden, hoping for an eye-catching display for passersby, and every year the voles (or some critter) dashes my hopes.  This year was no exception, though a few bulbs escaped being devoured.  These are 'Upstar,' an experiment I tried this year for the first time.  I purchased a bag of these that were intended to be planted, bag and all.  I was pretty skeptical, but the results were better than I expected.

Only a few of the new 'Lightning Sun' survived in this area, which is a shame, because these are a vibrant orange Darwin tulip.  

As I type this, we are having another unusually warm day with temperatures nearing 80 today.  The tulips have been blooming at warp speed the last few days and won't last long in these temperatures.  It's time to get outside and enjoy them while I can!

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day every month and for being patient with latecomers like me:)

Spring on Fast Forward

What happens when you leave on a trip just as spring bulbs are emerging from the ground?  In a typical Illinois April, daily rainstorms could flood the ground or the temperatures could plummet with even a late covering of snow.  But not this year!  When I left to visit Daughter and her family two weeks ago, the sun came out and temperatures rose, and spring flowers exploded into bloom.  While I was off babysitting my newest grandson, now four months old, my friend Beckie checked on the garden for me and sent me photos of daffodils, tulips, and so much else in full bloom that I worried I was going to miss it all.  Of course, I was thoroughly enjoying spending time with my grandson, whose smiles can melt your heart, but at the same time I didn't want to miss my favorite time of year in the garden!

We returned late at night, and I checked a couple of the garden areas, but in the darkness it was hard to tell if the blooms were fading or still intact.  The next morning this is what I saw in the Arbor Bed--I hadn't missed the whole show after all!

I did miss some of the early tulips, and others were already past their prime, 

like the 'Double Maureen' above.

The same was true of the daffodils, including some sweet smaller ones that I saw only in Beckie's photos.  But I didn't miss these mixed among the 'Maureens'!  (Names of most daffodils are somewhere in my memory bank, but hard to retrieve at the moment.)

But most of the tulips waited for my return.  'Sunlover' was in full glory, a double peony-type tulip that has the largest blooms I've ever seen.  And even better, it has multiplied in my garden.

Too tired the first morning back to unpack or do any of the countless chores that awaited me,

 I traipsed around the garden in my ratty old robe and snapped photos.

A closer look at the tulips shown in the earlier photo--my namesake, 'Rosalie.'

And this gorgeous beauty in front of it, 'Ad Rem.'

As if on cue for my mother's birthday, 'Princess Irene' also began to bloom this past week.

I've kept records of all the tulips I've planted in recent years, but I have so many that I am beginning to get confused about some of their names.  I'm pretty sure this is a new one, 'Pink Star.'

And this, I think, is 'Lady Jane.'  I was worried these species tulips had been disturbed when we tried to dig out some nearby old yews last fall, but they certainly don't look like they were bothered at all--and they have multiplied as well.

Despite my efforts to record names, some escape me, like these delicate white with yellow markings. No matter, I enjoy their nameless beauty all the same.

Another NOID that's different from any others I have.

And what has become my very favorite tulip of all--'Akebono.'  The rabbits didn't get these this year!

There are more tulips here and there, some nameless, some still waiting in the wings to bloom.  I've been taking long shots of the garden, not because they're particularly attractive photos, but for my own records.

Having these photos in the fall will help me remember where there are empty spots in the sidewalk garden above and the shade garden in the previous photo.  Because you know I will be ordering and planting more tulips next fall!

Tulips aren't my only addiction, however.  I do love daffodils, too. 

 'Mount Hood' has multiplied in just two years.

It's a gorgeous white beauty with large blooms.

In the shade garden, a stand of narcissus.  I wish I could remember the names of these, because I just love their slender stalks and would love to order more.  Or, I could get ambitious and divide them...

I like the standard yellow daffodils because they're the first to bloom, but otherwise I much prefer a variety of daffodils and narcissus.  This is one of a mix around the oak tree.

My granddaughter and I planted 80 daffodils around the oak tree last fall. After rabbits and/or deer feasted on many of the tulips last year, I decided not to tempt fate and stuck with daffodils rather than tulips in this area. I think I need to plant twice that many . . . or I could just be patient and let them multiply over the next few years.

Not every spring bloom has to be big and showy.  Grape hyacinths make such a pretty contrast planted in masses in front of tulips or daffodils.  I especially like this variegated mix.

I was also happy to see the new dwarf forsythia I planted last fall blooming so well. 

 I guess I forgot I had already planted tulips in this spot, though:)

Hellebores are still going strong.

Their pretty faces are much easier to see now than a couple of weeks ago.

Pulmonaria is blooming as well.

As is the Epimedium--my very first one.  How have I overlooked these little beauties before?  I think there will be more of these on my plant shopping list this spring:) 

We were home in time to also see blooms on my little Serviceberry.  It's doing well, but it will be a few years before it commands the attention it deserves.

And best of all, we were home in time to see the sight I wait for every spring--the redbud and flowering crabapples lining my driveway.  Ahhh, can you see why spring is my favorite season of the year?!


I am way behind in blog reading and replying to all those who took the time to comment on my last two posts.  I took my IPad with me on our trip, and while I could read blogs, half the time I couldn't leave a comment.  I'm going to try to catch up with everyone's posts and comments this week--whenever the sun isn't shining, that is:)