My Garden Blossoms

Peony 'Coral Charm'

Herb's bed with Peonies

 

The weather had been atrociously hot for this time of the year, and our region still in severe drought. Last week we finally got a bit of rain and the temperatures dropped to more normal levels. My garden had offered some blooms, and is now offering more. The peony 'Coral Charm' had three flowers this year, though with the drying winds, they only lasted a few days. I moved it to its present location two yeas ago and it seems to be recovering strength. Behind it 'Duchesse de Nemours' is full of buds that are starting to open.

My Rhodendron 'Brandywine' was not as full as on other years--some of the trusses were blighted and had only a few flowers, probably because of the drought. My other Rhododendron 'Anna Rose Whitney'. which I transplanted last fall hoping that it would prosper in a shadier area where the soil is more moist, suffered so much I regretted having moved it--but it's now showing some promising new growth.

 

Rhododendron 'Brandywine'

Rhododendron 'Anna Rose Whitney'

My Virginia Fringe tree in the east woodland garden didn't put forth a lot of bloom this year, and neither did the Pagoda Dogwood, but they seem to be gaining some height--all to the good.

 

Virginia Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicum)

Pagoda Dogwood (Swida alternifolia)

Pagoda Dogwood

The pale lilac Dutch iris were lovely last week and the bearded irises made a decent show as well. The yellow irises produced only one flower stalk, but the white and bicolors in the front garden and the blue 'Victoria Falls' were quite impressive.

 

Pale Dutch irises

Iris bed in front of house.

'Victoria Falls' iris.

Iris 'Blatant'

Iris 'Pink Attraction'

Back in Herb's bed, last fall I planted a row of the charming Allium 'Christophii' (I think that's what it is, not sure) which is starting to bloom.

 

Allium 'Christophii'

Allium 'Christophii'?

 

In the back bed the Verbascum 'Southern Charm' is putting on a lovely show along with some red Columbines and a small pink Salvia.

 

Verbascum 'Southern Charm'

 

Salvia 'Pink Profusion'

 A couple of other Salvias, the deep purple "May Night' and a light blue are also blooming. I hope most of these will still be in bloom for the month's "Bloom Day."

 

Salvia 'May Night'

 

Light blue Salvia.

Lastly, here's some photos of the spring harvest from my home veggie garden: lettuce and Cherry Belle radishes, with an arrangement of irises in a vase for a backdrop.

 

Spring harvest

Irises in vase with spring harvest.

 

Spring Pilgrimage to Calmes Neck

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

 

This year's VNPS annual pilgrimage to Calmes Neck took place under a light drizzle--a very welcome bit of rain, since our area is still under severe to extreme drought, but it was chilly. Our walk started as usual, at the top of a hill where the Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) was about finished blooming, and the dwarf Delphiniums (Delphinium tricorne) were in bud, but not yet open. The Toadshade (Trillium sessile) was also blooming--their curious flowers never fully open.

 

One lone bud of Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla)

Toadshade (Trillium sessile)

 

One unusual sighting we came across was this brightly-colored jelly fungus called Witches' Butter growing on a fallen trunk.

 

Witches' Butter fungus (Tremella mesenterica)

Dropping down the hillside into a little valley, the Virginia Bluebells were out in force. I'd noticed on previous years that here and there one finds some pink as well as a few all-white flowers among the masses of bluebells, and it was explained that Bluebells are sensitive to soil PH, much like Hydrangeas, and the blue color indicates normally acidic soil, while pink indicates a more alkaline spot. The white bluebells are not albinos, but a genetic variation of the species that crops up once in a while.

 

Hillside of Virginia Bluebells.

 

 

Pink Virginia bluebells.

White Virginia Bluebells.

Bluebells along the river.

 

It was quite muddy at the bottom of the trail, and we stepped carefully, trying to avoid stomping down the Bluebells, but it was unavoidable.---they were so lush! The Harbinger-of-spring, one of the earliest of spring ephemerals, was setting seed, but the Spring Beauties, though wide-spread, were not open in the rain. The Cut-leaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) was also in bloom.

 

Harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa) setting seed.

 

Cut-leaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)

 As we were reaching the trail parallel to the Shenandoah River, Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) and Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) began to make their appearance. It's impossible for me to distinguish the leaves of one from the other, but the flowers are certainly different. The bulblet at the roots are different colors too--as I recall, reddish or pinkish for the Squirrel Corn, cream color for the Dutchman's Breeches.

 

Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis)

A particularly lush specimen of Dutchman's Breeches

 

Getting up towards the rock ledges overlooking the river was a bit tricky, the rain made for slippery footing. I didn't dare peek at the walking ferns on a large rock, there's a precipitous drop below. The wind off the river was particularly sharp on the exposed ledges.

There were large expanses of Rue Anemones in bloom--I don't think I'd ever seen them this profuse before. These were my last photos before the charge on my phone gave out completely. 

 

Rue Anemones (Thalictrum thalictroides)

 

Expanse of Rue Anemones above the Shenandoah River.

Early saxifrage ( Micranthes virginensis) and Rattlesnakeweed (Hieracium venosum)

 I wasn't able to get any shots of the ferns that were emerging on the ledges, since I didn't have a spare camera on me. Oh well, better luck next time.

April Bloom Day

The front yard.

 

It's April 15th, Bloom Day for garden bloggers, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Gardens blog. Today's crazy weather has brought a brief shower and lots of wind--my photos were taken yesterday evening before a thunderstorm, when the weather was milder. My USDA zone 6B Virginia garden has been very dry, and any little bit of rain is a help, but we've not been getting nearly enough for the season. Still, between now and the end of May is when my garden is at its best, come and make the rounds with me. 

The 'Kwanzan' cherry tree in front of the house is in full bloom, though the daffodils and narcissus are mostly past theirs--only the Poet's Narcissus remain, while the creeping phlox is just starting to bloom.

Aside from the cherry tree in full bloom, the most delightful surprise awaiting me yesterday was this one tiny bell of the White-haired Leatherleaf Flower (Clematis albicoma) that I've been growing in a pot, heeled into the front bed. This clematis species is a native of only this area and parts of West Virginia, and rather rare--it grows in shale barrens that can reach 180 degrees in temperature at the height of summer. I bought it two years ago and have been nursing it in hopes of seeing its lovely tiny bells--I'm hoping it will put our a few more before its season is over. The seedheads are very attractive too.

Clematis albicoma

Closer up.

My other native Clematis (Clematis viorna) in the long island bed in the back keeps getting eaten down to the ground by deer--I'm going to have to relocate it to a less-accessible spot to see if it will eventually grow. It's that or fencing off the entire yard, far too expensive a proposition.

On the west side of the house, a small clump of blue Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) somehow escaped the depredations of the deer, and the Grecian windflowers (Anemone blanda) nearby which deer don't seem to care for, have begun to spread.

 

Blue Grape Hyacinths and Grecian Windflowers.

 

The general view into the back yard shows numerous clumps of white 'Mount Hood' daffodils and Thalia narcissus in several beds. The trees were just budding out when a sudden frost last week burned all the new growth back, but they'll recover eventually.

Overlooking the west side of the house.

Moving down into the back yard, the back bed full of a mix of daffodils makes a wonderful seasonal display. The deer never bother these (they're poisonous), and these back beds are where over the years I've put in the extra bulbs that get thinned out from other beds.

 

The back yard.

The back bed.

 

The Redbud tree (Cercis canadense) is just about finished blooming, and so are the 'Pink Charm' daffodils. My double-flowering quince usually blooms earlier but this year it seems to be at its peak right now. The blossoms will continue, more sparsely, until late spring.

 

Double-flowering quince.

 

More Grecian windflowers in the back yard.

 

My dwarf iris 'Bluebeard' got blasted by the frost, they're not worth showing, but the little Anemones nearby are so cute. 

Moving on towards the east side of the house, my serviceberry tree still has a bit of bloom. As you can see, its hasn't grown out of the deer's reach yet, so the barrier stays up.

The Carolina Silverbell tree--my pride and joy--behind the serviceberry, also got its tiny bells blasted by the frost, so sad!

Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier laevis)

The Hellebores are still hanging on to their flowers--'True Love' has formed a respectable clump. I'm looking for a 'Niger' Hellebore to plant in this bed--I'd love to have something in bloom during the winter.

The Jacob's ladder I planted last fall is lovely, protected by a wire cloche when not being photographed, and the sprout of wild Mayapple next to it was a take-home goodie from a botanical art class I took last spring.

 

Hellebore 'True Love'

Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans)

Along the front walk my 'Mara de Bois' strawberries are blooming--accidental edible landscaping from a strawberry pot that got loose--here's hoping for a good crop! The potted plant is a Lewisia that is getting ready to bloom.

 

Strawberries blooming along the front walk.

 

This spring has been busier than ever for me, with a one-woman show at a historic mansion and farm in nearby Millwood. My show opened on April first, and will be there until the end of May. Below is the invitation to my show.

 

In addition, I have four paintings on display at another art show in Millwood, Art at the Mill, but I'll get into that in another post.

Thank you for visiting and Happy Bloom Day! Despite its ups and downs, and the crazy weather, I just love this time of the year!