Almost Bloom Day flowers

I just couldn't seem to make it out there this month to take pictures for Bloom Day (the 15th of every month). These were taken 3 days later, on April 18.

 

Yes, they are quite bright. Sorry!

 

back flowerbed, looking toward deck

 

I like this flowerbed a little more every year!

 

 

My flowering almond bloomed again!

Last year it hardly did anything--it was probably sulking due to being transplanted.

I just love the tiny pink pom-poms all up and down every branch!

 

These next two pictures are to show off the varieties of muscari that came in the mixed bag I bought from John Scheepers last fall. I hope all the unusual ones multiply quickly like the regular ones do.

I looked back through their catalog to name the varieties.

Pale blue: Muscari Valerie Finnis

ombre, dark blue and light blue: Muscari latifolium

pure white: Muscari botryoides album

Peonies a' coming!

Also, those Mariette tulips are just about to bloom.

They have really multiplied in that spot. It's going to be so beautiful in another week or two!

The 'Festival Pink' hyacinths have multiplied, as well.

They look so delicate and airy.

I've got them planted all along the bottom terrace out front, as well.

Tulips over on the East side, plus a few more white muscari in front.

 

March Flowerbeds: Back

Overview:

 

About the same as 2 weeks ago, with just a few more green patches showing.

 

I'm pleased with the height the mockorange and the 'Topaz' rose put on last year.

The rose is a bit lopsided and I will probably prune it back a bit to even it out.

Both have leaf buds about to break open.

 

You can barely see the flowering almond here (beneath the window), but it too has buds ready to open. I'm hoping it doubles in height and width this year.

 

Everything looks pretty low to the ground right now, but that should change as the Asiatic daylilies, peonies, and shrubs start coming in more.

 

From the A/C unit looking down.

Daffodils about to pop!

Can hardly wait!

Geum 'Prairie Smoke' sprouting new feathery growth, with clumps of daffodils and tulips coming up close by.

My first daffodil of the year.

Love it!

Looking toward the A/C unit and the deck.

'What a Peach' rose in front.

 

March 15

 

Overview: 

Tulips and daffodils 3-4 inches high.

 

Crocuses blooming!

(These have since been nibbled off by something--rabbit is my guess.)

From A/C unit, looking down.

And...from the other end, looking back toward the deck.



Back Flowerbed Musical Chairs

Back Flowerbed, 1 year ago:

 

Wow, the house looks really blue in this picture.

It's somewhere between this color and the washed out blue, below.

 

Back Flowerbed, 1 month ago:

 



So, with all the renovations and additions going on out front, it's only fair that the back got a little love, too. Plus, it was needed.

 

You'll have to excuse the dirt & weeds in place of a lawn.

Hoping to get that re-graded, re-seeded and actually green.

But it might not happen until next year, at this point.

 

Overall plan:

* replace the rose bush that got moved up front

* center flowering almond under the window

* clump together Asiatic lilies

*move smaller plants as needed to fill in

*dig up all raspberry starts and move to raspberry bed

 

What this flowerbed has needed all along is height.

Slowly but surely, we are getting there.

The flowering almond, mockorange, and yellow 'Topaz' rose all at least doubled in height this year.

My current color scheme back here is peachy oranges and pinks, with some yellow and deeper shades of orange and pink too.

To be frank, sometimes it all seems to wash out against the blue of the house.

I'm going to give it another year to see how it goes.

I may end up going more toward stronger colors back here, just for visibility, or who knows, we may paint the house. (Neither of us loves the blue!)

New rose bush: Weeks rose: 'What a Peach'

This is the rose bush that replaced my 'Watercolors' rose.

Small, abundant double blooms.

Here's hoping this one does better than the last!

 

I also put all the Asiatic lilies together, as you can see.

I had them spread out along the house, but I think they will make much more impact in one smaller section.

Not very visible here are the white peony transplants from VW Garden.

I'm hoping they'll grow up "big and strong" next year, and fill in this big empty space.

 

Somewhere in here are several tulips, as well.

I moved the potentilla up front and moved the flowering almond over by about 2 feet, to center it under the window. Should have done that to begin with--it's bugged me ever since I planted it!

 

 



 Last spring, I planted sedums and portulaca in the bone-dry strip right along the house.

So far both have been thriving.

More Asiatic lilies clumped up.

All the tall purple irises are gone now: some moved up front, and the rest given away.

These irises are miniature pink 'Bubbles' from VW Garden.

I'm excited to see them bloom next year.

In front is a Geum 'Totally Tangerine.'

This is a new spot for it, as well.

My daylilies (Hall's pink) and poppy (Papaver orientale 'Victoria Louise') in front stayed in the same spots.

 

This rose is holding on to some late blooms, even after 3-4 nights of frost.

I'm not complaining!

I moved the Asiatic lilies out from behind it, as well. Since the rose has tripled in size this year, you could no longer see them.

I also plan to move some of the mini daffodil bulbs from directly in front of it--same reason.

It's a sprawler, and it's taking up the space right where they'll be coming up.

I left the a 2nd geum between the mockorange and yellow rose, along with Veronica spicata, or Speedwell 'Inspire'.
 

Once I get my bulb order in, and a few more bulbs planted back here, it'll be time for mulch and the long winter's sleep. My guess is 4 weeks to snow (if it's the same as last year.)

Irises, Dandelions, & Forget-me-nots: May GBBD

After about 10 days of pretend summer, we're back to the usual May temps in the 60's.

I'm not complaining!

It's perfect weather for working and playing outside.

 

What's blooming this month in my garden?

Let's take a look...

 

Front Flowerbed

A shy forget-me-not peeking out from behind the daisies.

I thought I had moved all of these to the back.

Oops!

 

Candytuft

 

Back Flowerbed

Irises

I always forget how tall these are in bloom.

Long-range plan is to move them out of this bed and plant them in front. I can just picture how elegant their long-stemmed blooms will look against the retaining wall up there.

 

Dwarf flowering almond

Just planted last fall. It's supposed to grow 4-6 feet tall and wide.

These blooms look like tiny pom-poms.

 

 

Back slope

 

Although tulips are done in the back flowerbed, these ones on the slope are still looking vibrant and beautiful.

Nice crop of dandelions this year.

 

Shade Bed

 

Violas still blooming, along with a few mini daffodils and another forget-me-not.

And of course, more dandelions.

 This little forget-me-not has my vote for favorite blooms of the moment.

 



Very glad I didn't kill off this Brunnera last summer.

I am charmed by the airy, diminuitive blooms on this plant.

The foliage really stands out, as well.

I would like to add another if I can find the space for it.

Back Flowerbed Shrubs

Truly, starting over back here, and feeling pretty good about it, actually.

This was the first attempt to fill-in the right side of the flowerbed, after I pulled out all the irises.

These were the roses from the front, by the steps.

As you can see, they didn't survive the transplant.

Overview

Anchored by a rose bush on each end.

Yes, I still left in some of the irises.

I'm thinking overall color scheme back here is going to be pink/blush/apricot, with yellow and white complements. I also still have the irises to provide counterpoint and perhaps will add in some other pops of purple or darker pink as it evolves. 

Left side: shrub rose 'Watercolors'

Yellow & pink blooms

"changes colors daily" 

I've looked up pictures of these blooms online, and the pink is more fuschia than I thought they would be, which may be a bit strong for this bed, but we'll leave it for now and see what happens.

Right behind the irises, practically invisible at the moment, is Pontentilla primorosa, or "Primose Beauty Cinquefoil." It's buttercup-like flowers should be light yellow with darker yellow centers.

"Compact, mounded deciduous shrub with large, primrose colored almost 1" wide flowers. Flowers bloom into fall."

Average height x width: 3' tall, 4' wide

Hardy to -40 degrees F 

The bush with more yellow leaves in the middle is a flowering almond.

It is supposed to be covered with light pink blooms in the spring, before the leaves appear.

I don't know much about it, but after a little online research, I'm assuming it is the Prunus glandulosa variety, or dwarf size. It should grow 4-6 feet tall and wide, and is supposed to be a fast grower.

It is also supposed to be very hardy with little to no care.

Sounds good to me!

I'm a little worried that the pontentilla is too close to the flowering almond. I may end up moving the potentilla down more toward the rose bush. I didn't do it to begin with, because I'm pretty sure that's where a big bunch of pink tulips come up. So for now I'm going to leave them both and wait until spring to see how spacing is.

L side: mockorange, which has grown at least a foot this year!

Ride side, by A/C unit: Topaz Jewel rose (Rugosa)

"Butter cream yellow blooms. Hardy species rose, old fashioned flowers & salt tolerance. Moderate fruity fragrance."

This one has wicked looked thorns all up and down the stems. Surprisingly enough, I didn't even get scratched putting it in the ground. I thought I would have some battle scars to show, but it slid right into the prepared hole.

More plans for this bed:

I bought some Asiatic daylillies (3-4' tall) to put in along the back; 3 varieties, 5 of each variety, so 15 total. I'll put more abou them when I get them here and planted. Right now I'm thinking they will go in 5 clusters, spaced between the shrubs, along the house where it's always so dry and weedy.

I also plan to plant more tulips and daffodils, as well as some other perennials to add to the color scheme. It feels good to have my big bushes decided and in, finally! Now I can start working around them with the smaller stuff, and hopefully avoid the full-on weed patch that this has been the last several years.