April 2024 Bloom Day

Front yard in the morning.

 

Welcome to my garden on this April Bloom Day, a day late! The 15th of each month is the day we share photos from our gardens and link our posts to Carol Michel's May Dreams blog, and April is certainly the month when the flowers in my garden are at their most beautiful! But it's been such a busy time for me that I'm a day late in posting this.

This year, my Kwanzan cherry tree didn't have its usual profuse display of blossoms... perhaps last year's severe drought didn't promote enough bud formation, and the extraordinarily windy days just before Bloom Day blew down some of the buds that were about to open. This year's display is less spectacular than usual, though the Poet's Narcissi and creeping phlox are holding up well.

 

Cherry Laurel 'Otto Luykens'

 

The Cherry Laurel provides greenery to the left front of the house, and the scent of the flowers permeates the area. 

 

Lewisia 'Little Peach'

 

Also in front, my Lewisia 'Little Peach' is offering its first flower of the season. I really like this little alpine native of the California Sierras. It survives easily in this climate but my soil is so clayey, it's safer growing in a pot where drainage is not a problem.

Going around to the east side of the house, the Hellebores are still in flower, but the star of the show is my Carolina Silverbell tree. Each year as it gains height, it gets better and better.

Carolina Silverbell tree close up.

Carolina Silverbell tree (Halesia tetraptera)

In the photo above you can see my new spring project in the background--a permanent enclosure for my vegetable garden. From now on, the rabbits and deer won't be getting in. The contractor is almost finished, but I haven't had a chance to plant anything in there yet. I may have the opportunity to do some of that this week but I'm rushing to complete a couple of paintings for art shows that I have to deliver soon, so my studio time will have to take priority over the garden.

We had to dig up all of the herbs and decorative plants I'd put in around the original veggie patch so that the foundations for the posts could be dug and poured; I'll have to gradually repopulate those areas, but there's plenty of time for that after I get some peas and chard in the raised bed inside.

 

Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia)

My Foam Flower is blooming and spreading in the east bed (I've forgotten the name of this variety).  Moving along to the back yard, the redbud tree is in bloom, with an assortment of narcissi and daffodils around its base in the back most bed. In front of that, the double-flowering Quince has a lovely display.

 

The back yard seen from the deck.

From the ground level, with the new enclosure.

Double-flowering Quince.

Dwarf iris 'Blue Beard'

Close up of 'Blue Beard'

My dwarf irises were out in force a few days ago, but by yesterday, only three flowers were left, so I snapped this photo a bit earlier than on Bloom Day.

I seldom get to see the blooms of my Fothergilla--alas, the deer love to eat them!--but last winter I put up a barrier around this bed to keep the deer from decimating the arbor vitae right behind it, and closed off their access to the Fothergilla, so for the first time since I planted it, I'm enjoying the flowers and their marvelous scent!

 

Fothergilla gardenii

Our weather has been so warm here in zone 6b that the Thalia Narcissi faded rather quickly, but there are still some left in one of the beds on the west of the house.

Thalia narcissi.

 

All of the trees and shrubs around here are budding out--I love the look of those tiny buds unfurling! Can't wait for more flowers as the season progresses. Happy Bloom Day to all of us gardeners!

April Bloom Day

Front yard two days after Easter.

 

The 15th of the month is Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel at May Dreams Garden.

It was 23 degrees on Easter Sunday, and frost was visible on the grassy areas. The Kwanzan cherry tree in front was not fully open yet, though it was trying! After a few more days of warmer temperatures it's fully open now. The daffodils, narcissus, and creeping phlox are putting on a show. This is probably the best my front yard looks the entire the year.

 

Thalias, Tazetta and Poet's Narcissi with cottage tulips.

Creeping phlox with Thalias.

The spring flowering bulbs really help, considering the limited room in the front. The back yard is also starting to come into bloom, with the daffodils 'Pink Perfection' and others under the redbud tree. Our native redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) are all blooming, lovely clouds of purple-pinks peeking out from under the eaves of the woods.

'Pink Charm' daffodils

Redbud tree in the back yard, early morning.

View of the back yard in the evening.

 

My 'Texas White' redbud tree put forth a few blooms, but it hasn't grown enough yet to be much a display. It needs a few more years of growth to reach the size of the lovely specimen I saw at Blandy Farm last week.

 

'Texas white' redbud.

 

The bed with the "Mount Hood' daffodils that I expanded is not as full as in other years, as would be expected after dividing the bulbs last autumn, but in another year or two, they'll be spectacular.

'Mount Hood' daffodils with grape hyacinths.

'Mount Hood' daffodils and grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum)

The double flowering quince is lovely this year, but it's putting out underground runners and sprouting everywhere in its vicinity--I'll have to dig those out, I don't want my shrub to spread any farther.

 

Double flowering quince

Blue star flower (Ipheion)

 

I found a few blue starflowers blooming--I'd forgotten these after the deer decimated them a couple of years back, these four seem to be the only survivors. My Carolina Silverbell tree continues to grow, it's now taller than I am, with the flowers as charming as ever. This is a hard-to-find item at nurseries, I feel very lucky to have been able to obtain this specimen some eight years ago. Being native to the eastern US, I wonder why it isn't more frequently planted?

                                    

Carolina Silverbell tree (Halesia tetraptera)

  

Carolina Silverbell flowers

The Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) I planted three years ago is blooming, but it will be a few more years before it makes much of a display. The Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) planted at the same time is much farther ahead in terms of size, but then the deer have left this one alone, while I had to put a barrier around the Serviceberry to keep the deer away from it. Once the Serviceberry gets a bit larger, I hope to dispense with the barrier. A good growing summer season would help!

 

Serviceberry flowers.

 

Pagoda dogwood in bud.

 I almost forgot to show you my Lewisia 'Little Peach'--this tiny plant is a native of the California mountains that has lovely small flowers. I keep this plant in a pot, as it needs very well-draining soil.

 

Lewisia longipetala 'Little Peach'

 

This is just the beginning of the spring season, more flowers are yet to come in the months ahead--I can't wait for the Merry Month of May!

Flowers Galore

My front yard on April 24

 

Here's my annual photo of the front yard with its Kwanzan cherry tree in full bloom, which I like to post every year. This year the cherry blossoms didn't open fully until last Sunday, a full week after Easter Sunday. In other years it has bloomed a couple of weeks earlier, so that the progression of the other flowers in the front changes according to the timing of the cherry: the narcissi, the creeping Phlox, tulips and the dogwood have bloomed simultaneously on some years, on others, not so much.

This is the most beautiful time of the year for me, when just about everything comes into bloom. On the east side of the house, my Carolina Silverbell tree grows more beautiful every year! The 17-year locusts damaged the Japanese maples quite a bit last year, and they lost some growth at the tips of their branches, but hopefully they will recover this year.

 

East yard with Japanese maples and Carolina Silverbell tree.

Carolina Silverbell flowers.

My hybrid Rhododendron 'Southgate Brandi' has just opened its flowers. This one is growing nicely, thanks to the winter protection of my barriers--otherwise deer would have devoured the buds as they were developing.

Rhododendron 'Southgate Brandi'

Ajuga 'Black Scallop' ground cover.

 

I am hoping soon to see the flowers of another Rhododendron I planted several years ago, 'Anna Rose Whitney' has not produced any blooms before.

The back yard from our deck.

The redbud tree in the back yard was in full bloom this past week along with the double flowering quince. The border of narcissi in the back bed looks fuller this year than last. Sadly, my beautiful Korean fir 'Horstman's Silberlocke' died sometime during the winter--probably from lack of water during February's dry spell while I was away. I didn't know that when clay soil dries out, it can actually begin a reverse osmosis process where the soil will take moisture away from a plant's roots. Last week I received a new tree to replace the dead one--hope springs eternal in a gardener's heart!

Lewisia longipetala 'Little Peach'

Lewisia

 

The Lewisia continues to bloom prolifically, it's such an interesting plant. Originating in the alpine areas of California's Sierra Nevada, it's quite rare in its native environment, but the modern hybrids, such as this one, are a great addition to rock gardens. I keep mine in a pot because it needs excellent drainage which my clayey soil can't provide.

 It's so wonderful to see tender green shoots sprouting everywhere! Lots more blooms to come in May!

Spring Progression

Front yard on April 8

Last year I posted a very similar photo of my front yard with the Kwanzan cherry tree in full bloom. That photo had been taken on Easter Sunday which was on April 21. This year's was taken the morning after a big rainstorm on April 8, nearly two weeks earlier. Interesting that the seasonal spring progression is so much earlier this year.

The back yard on April 8

Double flowering quince

As the back yard beds become more populated, the whole ensemble is more floriferous: the narcissi and daffodils are naturalizing and spreading nicely in their beds under the Redbud tree, the double-flowering Quince is covered with blossoms, and both the Primrose (white flowers) and purple Bloomerang lilacs are loaded with flowers buds.

The daffodils and grape hyacinths are prospering, despite the squirrels' constant activity replanting the grape hyacinths in the most unexpected places. I particularly like the light blue variety, and there are also some white ones in the mix.

Mt. Hood daffodils and blue Muscari

Blue Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum)

The Carolina Silverbell tree is now about five feet high and with more flowers than ever before--a thing of rare beauty! I bought this tree from Wayside Gardens as a small sapling that was about 12" high. I notice that they no longer offer this native tree for sale, and am told they are hard to find. The tree will reach around 15 to 20 feet at maturity.

Carolina Silverbell tree (Halesia tetraptera)

Close-up of flowers

We planted two new native trees on the east side of the house last fall: a Downy Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier arborea) and a Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia). These were acquired from a nursery located in neighboring Rappahanock County. The Serviceberry produces small, edible berry-like fruits--I wonder if we'll get to taste these, since I hear they're a favorite of birds, and I'm sure the deer won't be far behind.

Downy Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier arborea)

Flower buds of the Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

I saw a Pagoda Dogwood on last year's trip to the Bruce Peninsula and thought it had such a beautiful form, I really wanted one for my yard, so when I found one at a local nursery, I snapped it up. It will be interesting to see what the flowers will look like, since the one I saw in Canada was not in bloom. These two trees will need a few years' growth before they begin to look like much, but eventually they should be spectacular.

Clematis montana 'Apple Blossom'

Another purchase from Wayside was this Clematis 'Apple Blossom' which I've been training on a trellis at the side of our house. This is the first spring that it has bloomed profusely. Another pleasant surprise was the early-blooming dwarf iris 'Bluebeard'.

Dwarf iris 'Bluebeard'

And this is just the beginning of the flowering season! Soon the other clematises, the roses and the Alliums will come into bloom. I can't wait to see what they'll be like this year!

Spring Parade

Cherry tree in front yard.

The cherry tree in our front yard reached peak bloom on Easter Sunday--what a heavenly sight! Short-lived glory, after a few days the leaves grow out enough to overshadow the remaining blossoms, and the rest blow away. As the cherry blossoms fade, the dogwood flowers begin to open and the new leaves unfurl.

From the porch.

The creeping Phlox in the front yard continues to expand and cover more ground each year. As spring unfolds, the Redbud tree in back made a nice show, but the new daffodil beds underneath don't amount to much yet--it will take a couple more years before they fill out.

Back yard on April 21.

Flowering Quince

I managed to save my flowering quince from the worst of the winter depredations by fencing it off with plastic mesh, but the deer still managed to nip the ends of the branches that stuck out. There were still plenty of the charming double flowers for me to enjoy.

Carolina Silverbell Tree (Halesia tetraptera)

The Carolina Silverbell tree bloomed much earlier this year than last, though the flowers seemed smaller than last year's, and had a rosy tint. I wonder if the difference is due to poor soil nutrients or simply a normal year-to-year variation? Many trees have cycles of several years of poor to so-so flower production after one peak year of blossom. Since my tree flowered for the first time last year, perhaps this is one of those off-years.

Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides )

The bed of Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) and Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides) is looking good. The pink and white varieties planted two falls ago haven't grown as much as the blue ones planted several years earlier, I've no idea why. I usually find a number of the blue Muscari springing up in odd places across the lawn where I hadn't planted them--the squirrels like to dig them up and re-plant them at their whim--so this spring I've been digging these up and putting them back where they should be.

Iris 

Now is the regal irises' turn. The first to open in my yard was this stunning bi-color I planted in the back last fall--I forget the name of the variety--though it has only one flowering spike this year, hopefully there will be more next year. Behind it I planted a light blue iris called 'Victoria Falls' that is about to open, and in front is one curious dwarf yellow iris with a light blue beard, aptly named 'Bluebeard.' Unfortunately, it had only one flower, and I didn't get a photo of it in time--it's just closing up in this photo.

Iris bed in back yard.

Front yard.

The front bed is just starting its annual show, which may not be as spectacular this year because I divided the plants early this spring. The recommended practice is to divide them in late summer or fall--but I had so much other work to do I put it off until after the ground had frozen. The plants seem to have weathered the transplant fairly well, but they may not be as full as in other years.