Spring Is Here! Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day April 2017

– Posted in: What's up/blooming
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It’s the most exciting time of year! It’s like Christmas, except instead of tumbling downstairs to see what “Santa” left me under the tree, I’m dashing out the door every day to see what’s blooming in each garden bed. Believe me, I know where to look, and I usually spot each emerging plant when its tip first pierces the surface. Yes, it’s spring! But you know, as the day wears on and I calm down a little, I realize that the display is rather…spotty.

front walk north April

I can see this bed from my kitchen door. I’m loving the colors, but everything’s dotted here and there.

Partly that is because, at five years old, this garden is young as gardens go. But it’s also because when you plant bulbs in the fall, it’s hard to remember where the other bulbs are. Even if you have a picture to help, it’s not easy to get them in the right spot.
chionodoxa

What if I interplanted this glory-of-the-snow…

earliest big daffodils

…among these earliest-blooming daffodils?

Even though they’d still be the same flowers in the same bed, they’d make a bigger impact when combined. I’m going to make a note to move them as they’re going dormant later on this spring.
Blue mound chionodoxa and heart of gold columbine

I’ve already tried to do that with the ‘Blue Mound’ chionodoxa and the ‘Heart of Gold’ columbine. It needs a bit of tweaking, but it’s getting there.

Primula vulgaris ssp sibthorpii

And what if I moved this Primula vulgaris ssp. sibthorpii–the earliest blooming primrose I have–

February gold daffodil

–right in front of these early, miniature daffodils?

Right now, you can see that primrose behind the daffodils. Planted together, the yellow daffs would emerge in a froth of pink and highlight the eye of the primrose flower.

Even in the spring garden, there is always a way to make things better.

Sometimes to make things better you just need more of what you’ve already got.

puschkinia Sky Vision

A patch of this Puschkinia scilloides ‘Sky Vision’ would be spectacular. So far I only have one. I could buy more, or divide this one as it makes offsets.

pink bloodroot side

I’m not sure if a big patch of the pinkish form of bloodroot would be an improvement. It just might be better appreciated in isolation.

pink bloodroot top

It is not only flushed pink, but has more petals than the “regular” bloodroot.

Updates on previous blog posts

Two and a half years ago I planted a bunch of traffic-stopping daffodils.

daffodils on the verge of opening

Just like last year, they’re getting ready to stop traffic once again.

And those hellebores that I thought I ruined by cutting back the dead foliage too soon?
Kingston cardinal hellebore

They weren’t totally ruined. ‘Kingston Cardinal’ looks the best, but all of them are flowering. There’s just not as many flowers.

After enduring three feet of snow in March, this spring seems especially sweet. But I probably say that every year.

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. Check it out at 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.

When dealing with frost it is always best to be paranoid. In the spring never think it is too late for one more frost to come. And in the fall never think it too early.

~Rundy in Frost

Comments on this entry are closed.

Kathy Sturr April 24, 2017, 6:08 am

Yay!!! Spring is here! I love your potential bulb combinations. I keep adding each fall. I have a flush of alliums that I’ve never had before but they’re not blooming just quite yet. Well hello Dotty.

Steve Horsfield April 16, 2017, 9:14 am

Lovely helebore. I normally cut the old leaves off in January and have never had any problems.

Kathy Purdy April 16, 2017, 11:25 am

Steve, your climate in Great Britain is quite different than my upstate NY one. But I had never had a problem before this year, either.

Pat Evans April 16, 2017, 8:15 am

I have some daffodils that need to be rescued from being overtaken by fir trees and a forsythia bush, but I always forget to do it when they go dormant and now the roots from the trees may make it impossible. My hellebores suffered from the late snow as well and they hadn’t been trimmed back. But they’ve put on a nice display anyway. I’d love to get some like your rich purple ones, but they are much too expensive at our local nursery.
Happy Easter.

Kathy Purdy April 16, 2017, 11:27 am

Pat, if your soil is good and moist when they are going dormant this year, try digging those daffodils. If they are getting overwhelmed, you won’t lose much by giving it a try. I hope you find a fellow gardener willing to trade some purple hellebores. They are expensive but they are usually quite long-lived and get better every year–kind of like peonies.

Dee Nash April 16, 2017, 7:45 am

I know just how you feel! Spring is almost my favorite season especially when we get rain and no late freezes. Your garden is coming along. It’s just a youngster. Yes, to the chionodoxa. Won’t that be splendid?? Happy Easter Kathy.~~Dee

Jane Rutkowski April 16, 2017, 6:43 am

Love the helebores! I am very into purples/lavenders these past few years. Spring has definitely arrived 🙂

Kathy Purdy April 16, 2017, 7:06 am

You can certainly find those colors in hellebores.

Amy Olmsted April 16, 2017, 6:40 am

I do the same thing! Every morning I head out with a cup of coffee and go for my daily walk crouching down every few feet to check each treasure as it emerges and squealing with delight! Isn’t this the best time of year?

Kathy Purdy April 16, 2017, 7:05 am

Yes!

Leslie April 15, 2017, 9:33 pm

I am so glad your hellebores came through for you! They look wonderful. I agree, photos help but aren’t perfect for remembering where things are. Your garden is really coming together!

Kathy Purdy April 16, 2017, 7:05 am

Thank you!