Another Bloomin' Friday
04/21/2017
Every day, something new in the garden! It's such an exciting time to stroll around - seeing what's popped into bloom overnight.
Today, we have . . .
My favorite spring bulb - grape hyacinth. I just love the contrast of purple and green. I use that particular color combination all over my garden throughout the season -- but this is really my first real taste of it each year.
Red buds are nearly exploding. They're so subtle -- and make such a lovely scene when I look out my window and see my little red bud . . . with my neighbor's blooming trees as background.
Lilacs are moving up the bloom-list with a bullet. This is a new lilac bush I just planted last year (in a corner where something else had . . . failed to thrive) and these are my first blooms. I'm so excited.
Virginia bluebells just dancing in the breeze. (Like so much dancing that I can't get a good shot.) Virginia bluebells are so lovely while they last -- but they only last about 5 minutes, so enjoy what you see -- bad shot and all! (Those are celadon poppies in the background, in case you were wondering.)
The hops are already trying to take over the world. I love the way they climb the arbor -- and Tom loves growing them. But. They are very high maintenance!
Ferns are unfurling (at least the ones that live up close to the foundation). These are actually "volunteer ferns" that seeded themselves (or whatever you call it when we're actually talking about spores) up near the foundation. Later, I'll dig them up and plant them somewhere else. But for now, I'll enjoy watching them up against the warm foundation.
And then -- a big surprise!
Yep. That sad, little pot? Nestled in among the biggest weed patch in my garden? It's a Little Honey oak leaf hydrangea I bought last May at the Master Gardener Plant Sale. Yeah. Last May. I couldn't figure out where, exactly, I wanted to plant it when I first brought it home (which is a problem I often have - sort of the gardener-version of eyes-too-big-for-the-stomach) -- and then, well. Last summer was a bit of a mess, and it just sat there. All year.
Anyway. LOOK! It has leaves! It LIVES! It survived both my neglect AND our mild winter. I will happily find the perfect spot for it this year!
I just love watching my garden come alive again each spring!
Enjoy the weekend.
Oh I love this real-life-encyclopedia-of-flowers'-stroll through your garden - fun excursion and treasure trove of information for this not too knowledgeable reader. Thanks. And congrats on your oak Hydrangea...the Barnes & Noble bookstore I often visit has quite a few...they are lovely! Enjoy!
Posted by: Honore´ | 04/21/2017 at 08:16 AM
You've got a lot more blooming than I expected! I love those Virginia bluebells and am excited for your oak leaf hydrangea. The ferns bring back sweet memories of my grandmother. We always took a stroll through the woods in the spring, looking for fiddleheads and sassafras trees. She said a body needed a good fiddlehead salad and sassafras tea to shake off winter and be really ready for spring.
Posted by: Bonny | 04/21/2017 at 08:48 AM
What a fun post! Love seeing your garden come alive. Many of our grape hyacinths migrated out of beds and into the lawn this year. They've never done that before. And my lilac is budded still, but hasn't quite opened up. Soon!! I love bringing lilac blooms into the house. The entire house is perfumed by them. Have a wonderful weekend.
Posted by: Vera | 04/21/2017 at 09:03 AM
Spring is purple and yellow in my world too... forsythia, iris, daffodils, hyacinth..... for some reason the d**r aka white tailed rats haven't bothered with my tulips (yet) this year and it makes me so happy to have their bright colors scattered throughout my garden..... my celadone poppies aren't up yet....but now I will be on the look out. Buying plants without knowing where to put them, is for me, like buying yarn without knowing what I'm going to make... but sometimes it just happens.. :) Wishing you enough rain to keep you from having to water! :)
Posted by: maggie | 04/21/2017 at 09:55 AM
All those flowers made my heart happy! And the honey oak hydrangea deserves a good home among All thiis beauty! Have a great weekend.
Posted by: Jo | 04/21/2017 at 10:51 AM
Your garden is popping with joy! You're a couple of weeks behind us (we're ahead of schedule a bit for the year) and I love seeing many favorites on the cusp of blooming. Congratulations on your lilac and also on the revival of the hydrangea. May it grow and thrive in a new spot in your garden.
Posted by: margene | 04/21/2017 at 10:59 AM
Oh, these photos make my heart sing! Beautiful blooms!
Posted by: AsKatKnits | 04/21/2017 at 11:54 AM
What a delightful treat, Kym - I love watching your garden grow, too!
Posted by: Mary | 04/22/2017 at 07:35 AM
What a relief to find that even a master gardener like you sometimes leaves plants to wither in their pots! But they really, really want to live. That one, especially ;-)
Posted by: kmkat | 04/23/2017 at 06:19 PM
It all looks so great! And woo hooooo about the hydrangea! One of my most favorite plants ever.
Posted by: Patty | 04/24/2017 at 08:48 AM
It's the most wonderful time of the (gardener's) year!! ;)
Posted by: Vicki | 04/24/2017 at 03:43 PM