bloom_records

Unseasonably warm autumn Thanks to our unseasonably warm autumn, many of September's flowers are still lingering around. We just had our first frost on Saturday morning (13 Oct 30.4F;-0.8C) and the leaves haven't really turned color yet, and usually by now they are almost all off the trees. Cut back and came back I had [...]

Currently blooming in my garden: These flowering tobaccos (aka nicotianas) were grown from seed saved from last year. Petunias, including two full hanging baskets that I bought for a buck each from Lowes in late August. Mallows, all self-sown. Some look like 'Zebrina' and some look like M. sylvestris. Several colors of Phlox paniculata, all [...]

'Bev' was planted in fall 2002 and has filled out substantiallyPeonies remind me of my paternal grandmother. Whether it was an evening with her bridge group, Sunday Mass, or a family cookout, she always dressed fashionably, including fully applied makeup and perfume. To be called glamorous was a compliment she always appreciated. She also grew [...]

Yes, I know the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day was yesterday the day before yesterday. I didn't get finished in time. So just pretend this is May 15th, okay? (As always, hover your mouse over any thumbnail for a caption, and click on any photo for a larger image.) Narcissus Let's start off with the narcissus. [...]

In contrast to what gardeners in many other parts of the country have endured, where Spring arrived in full force, only to be slapped down by Winter's last stand, Spring has not really made its grand entrance. It's only been peeking through the window, wondering if it really wants to come in. The snowdrops are [...]

I took this photo yesterday, a day ahead of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. I knew that rain was predicted for Wednesday afternoon and throughout today, but late yesterday morning it was merely overcast and quite mild, and I thought, "Go looking for flowers now, or forget about it." So I went galomphing about in the [...]

When I was growing up, there was a game show on tv called "To Tell the Truth." The various contestants tried to trick the game show panelists into thinking they were the true zoo veterinarian or whatever weird occupation was featured that day. Sometimes I think my colchicums are trying the same trick on me. [...]

Colchicums as a whole are pretty miraculous, emerging from out of nowhere and blooming without leaves, but this particular variety (Colchicum agrippinum) takes the cake. I planted it in autumn of 2004. It didn't bloom then, and it failed to send up leaves in 2005. Not surprisingly, it didn't bloom in 2005, either. When it [...]

Old Roses has won the snowdrop race, but IBOY made a fine showing. Me? I won't even start looking for snowdrops till February, but I'll be lucky to find any before March. And what about the Southerners? How far south can one go and still grow snowdrops? These snowdrops were blooming in the Secret Garden [...]