The Very First Blooms: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day April 2015

– Posted in: Cabin Fever Bed, Front of the House, What's up/blooming
18 comments

In other years, I’ve had the first blooms in March. Once, I managed snowdrops in February. But this year, I almost wondered if I’d have crocuses blooming for Bloom Day. Thankfully, this past week Spring finally arrived and I have a respectable showing.

winter aconite

Winter aconites were blooming the minute the snow melted off them.

spring snowflake

Spring snowflakes have foliage similar to daffodils

spring snowflake close up

As you can see, their flowers don’t look anything like daffodils.

I’ve seen pictures of large patches of spring snowflakes, so I hope to see my own plants bulk up a bit. It’s one of those plants that does better when quickly transplanted from one garden to another, a passalong plant of the highest order. Read more about spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum) here. The crocuses I planted in 2012 are starting to look like something you might be able to see from the road:
crocus in the lawn

Some day every singleton will be a blooming bunch, I hope.

Bulbocodium vernum

The Bulbocodium vernum, a relative of colchicum, is increasing nicely.

Speaking of colchicums…
Colchicum hungaricum Velebit Star

Colchicum hungaricum ‘Velebit Star’ blooms in spring.

Colchicum hungaricum Valentine

As does C. h. ‘Valentine,’ which is supposed to bloom mid-February, but doesn’t here.

cyclamen coum

Cyclamen coum is borderline hardy here. So far, so good.

(Coum is pronounced KOE-um, by the way.)
Josef Lemper hellebore

‘Josef Lemper’ hellebore is strutting his stuff.

In 2013, Frances of Fairegarden gave me some Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’. There is quite a climate difference between our two gardens, and when these bulbs were planted here, it was before they would typically bloom here and after they had bloomed in her garden. They had quite an adjustment to make, and last year I only saw leaves. But this year…
Iris reticulata Harmony

I have a bloom!

Looking forward to many more to come!

I also have snowdrops blooming all over: in the Secret Garden, along the chicken yard fence, in the Parking Pad bed, and tucked in here and there. Use the search box at right if you haven’t seen enough of them. There are currently some featured on my back page as well, though the display is always changing there.

Inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year,” Carol of May Dreams Gardens started Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers from all over the world publish what is currently blooming in their gardens, and leave a link in Mr. Linky and the comments of May Dreams Gardens.

About the Author

Kathy Purdy is a colchicum evangelist, converting unsuspecting gardeners into colchicophiles. She gardens in rural upstate NY, which used to be USDA Hardiness Zone 4 but is now Zone 5. Kathy’s been writing since 4th grade, gardening since high school, and blogging since 2002. Find her on Instagram as kopurdy.

Now, the digging and dividing of perennials, the general autumn cleanup and the planting of spring bulbs are all an act of faith. One carries on before the altar of delayed gratification, until the ground freezes and you can’t do any more other than refill the bird feeder and gaze through the window, waiting for the snow. . . . Meanwhile, it helps to think of yourself as a pear tree or a tulip. You will blossom spectacularly in the spring, but only after the required period of chilling.

~Adrian Higgins in The Washington Post, November 6, 2013

Comments on this entry are closed.

Calvin Kent April 29, 2015, 12:23 pm

wonderful blooms you show. Lovely time for gardeners.Hope they continue to do well for you.Thank you for sharing

Mumbai City Florist April 23, 2015, 10:40 pm

Flowers started blooming here in Mumbai and this is the peak season to enjoy the green whether and blooming flowers altogether.

Dave April 23, 2015, 3:54 am

You must put allot of care into your plants to make them grow in such a hostile environment. I live in Australia so don’t have to worry about the climate being unsuitable >.<

Marna April 21, 2015, 1:19 pm

Enjoyed your site. You have a larger variety of early bloomers than I do. I’m kind of limited. Will be adding more of my favorites this fall for more variety in my spring bloomers. .

ArenaF April 21, 2015, 7:26 am

Even the same in our garden also blooming. I wish i could share the pic here. Its blossom time going one everywhere. Lovely time for gardeners.
Thanks for sharing pics here.

Faith Howells April 20, 2015, 1:12 am

Amazing blooms, Kathy. It seems that the spring has come with style for you. 🙂

Donna@Gardens Eye View April 16, 2015, 6:31 pm

Kathy I am delighted to see you have blooms especially those crocus blooming in a colorful group.

Erica April 16, 2015, 10:36 am

Nice to see that spring has come to the north! Those miniature iris are great – such a nice sign that spring is really here. Hope they continue to do well for you.

Kathy Purdy April 16, 2015, 2:41 pm

Thanks, Erica.

Kathy Sturr of the Violet Fern April 16, 2015, 8:57 am

Such a wonderful collection of spring blooms Kathy. Finally! Eh? I have Aconite envy especially since I planted some (did I plant them too deep, upside down I wonder now?), and haven’t seen any signs. Of course, I’ll try again. I hope for big bunches of drifts someday, too.

Kathy Purdy April 16, 2015, 2:40 pm

I had a lot of trouble getting them going, too. I finally succeeded when I was able to get some “in the green” from my sister. I suggest you get friendly with a local gardener who has a nicely established patch.

Frank April 15, 2015, 8:47 pm

I have to say it is great to see spring finally hitting your garden! All the early bulbs and little goodies showing up, you really have been busy and it’s beginning to look like you’ve been there a while! I didn’t think the spring blooming colchicums would be hardy, I’ll have to keep that in mind next time I cave in and place another bulb order 🙂

Alana April 15, 2015, 8:25 pm

Enjoyed your blooms. Yes, finally, spring is here. Appears I won’t have too many crocuses this year. They looked like they were ready to open – came home from work today and the flowers were scattered, shredded, over my lawn. Oh well. I did get a picture of one in bloom. I am going to check into Cyclamen coum – I have plenty of dry shade. And, in my futility project for this year, I am going to try to grow a camilla here in the Binghamton area.

sally April 15, 2015, 7:55 pm

Your Spring is ahead of ours……I’m loving the Iris. I saw it on another bloggers post and didn’t realize it blooms so early! It’s nice to see a big patch or Crocus…..now, that’s Spring!!

Jane Rutkowski April 15, 2015, 5:27 pm

Hi Kathy,
Your blooms are wonderful to behold! No blooms yet for me, but at least the daffodils are popping up all over!

Frances April 15, 2015, 3:20 pm

How wonderful, Kathy! Your spring just starts right in as soon as the snow melts. What a sweet way to give hope to a snow blinded gardener. I am so glad to see the dark blue Harmony retic made it. Those should bulk up over the years and be able to be divided to make a good stand of them. Happy GBBD!

gail eichelberger April 15, 2015, 3:04 pm

Beautifulness is happening in your garden! I will continue to pronounce Coum wrong! It’s stuck in my head for keeps I think!

Joanne Toft April 15, 2015, 2:44 pm

I have aconite blooming – I don’t know how since I never planted them. The other bed has small patches of crocus – purple, yellow and white blooming. Tulip leaves are up but no blooms yet. Spring is coming to Minnesota.