March 2026 Bloom Day

February Gold daffodils in front yard

Front yard in March

After a long, drawn-out winter, spring is finally on its way! Welcome to March Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog--let's see what is blooming in my Zone 6 B Virginia garden today. The daffodils are all coming up, with 'February Gold' being the earliest to bloom--the original clump by the driveway has multiplied greatly over the years, divided and been tucked here and there into beds in the front and back yard.

 

February Gold daffodils, original clump by the driveway

February Gold clumps in the back bed.

Back beds from the deck.

The scented violet 'Queen Charlotte' has formed a beautiful clump in my east woodland garden, and is spreading. They'd be all over the yard by now if the deer would only stop eating them!

My two Hellebores are both flowering, though they look a bit sloppy at the moment--I need to cut off the old foliage. The blue Siberian squills are blooming under the Japanese Pieris.

 

Viola odorata 'Queen Charlotte'

 

Hellebore 'True Love'

Japanese Pieris (Pieris japoinica) with blue Siberian Squills

The dwarf iris (Iris reticulata) I planted the fall before last are starting to pop up--not exactly a spectacular display yet, but they're surviving, and hopefully, will multiply.

 

Dwarf iris

 

'Delft Blue' hyacinths with Sedum 'Angelina'

 Hyacinths are also popping up along the front walk, in blue and white.

  

White Hyacinths

Last spring I bought a White Forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum), a rather uncommon shrub of Korean origin that is part of the Forsythia family, and planted it in the front bed by the garage. I hadn't realized that deer would find it appealing, and they munched the tips back before I had a chance to protect it. Despite this, my little plant has put out a few flowers, and they are wonderfully scented! I hope I can protect it better this growing season to grow into a lovely shrub next spring. This is a plant that deserves to be seen more in gardens.

My yellow Forsythia in the back yard is still about a week away from blooming, but the buds are showing a little color. 

 

White Forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum)

 

Indoors, my Thanksgiving cactus has decided to bloom again, and is looking very pretty. My miniature Dendrobium orchid is also re-blooming.

 

 

Thanksgiving cactus (Schulmbergera hybrid)

Miniature Dendrobium orchid

 

The other morning when I came downstairs to open the blinds, I saw what looked like a dried leaf in the middle of the foyer.  I went to pick it up, but it moved! Turned out it was a small toad, perfectly camouflaged. He must have come inside in one of the pots when I brought in the houseplants last fall, and has been living in here all winter. By the time I got my phone to take a picture, he'd moved into one of the pots.

 

Toad in a pot.

 

 Thanks for visiting--there will be more flowers next month!

 

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!

The Annual Miracle is Here

Magnolia 'Butterflies'

 

It's been one of the driest winters in this corner of Virginia, and March was little better until the very last day, when a series of thunderstorms hit our area, dropping nearly an inch of rain overnight. What a delightful surprise just before April Fool's! 

With the stealth rain, my garden has come alive with the annual miracle of spring! My yellow-flowered Magnolia 'Butterflies' didn't get badly frosted this year--ironic, considering there were fewer buds than any year before, due to last summer's drought. But still, it's the first spring since it was planted eight years ago that I've had the opportunity to enjoy its beautiful blossoms.

 

The front yard with Thalia narcissus and Magnolia 'Butterflies'

 

As the early 'February Gold' daffodils fade, the front yard comes alive with the blooms of Thalias, Tazettas, and Poet's Narcissus, forming thickets of white with touches of yellow. The creeping Phlox under the cherry tree is starting to revive too.

 

My front yard on April Fool's Day.

Tazetta, Thalia, and Poet's Narcissus.

The Yoshino cheries in our neighborhood are gorgeous at the moment, though with the wind today the blossoms are bound to be short-lived. It will take a couple more weeks for the Kwanzan cherry in my yard to open, although the buds are swelling and starting to show some color.

On the east side of the house several patches of blue Siberian Squill are all in bloom, and my Hellebores finally open. The Pieris beyond is also sporting its delicate blossoms.

 

Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica)

Hellebore 'True Love'

Hellebore 'Flower Girl'

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pieris japonica

 

Last fall I planted a native Jacob's Ladder plant in the woodland garden on the east of the house, and it's loaded with flower buds, the first of which are starting to open. I'd had a couple of beautiful hybrids with variegated foliage of this plant a few years ago, but those were eaten by something (deer? voles?) and died out. I think the species may prove a bit more resistant to the onslaught of the critters, but I'm keeping it under a cloche in hopes it will spread.

 

Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans)

 

My Allegheny Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier laevis) is also blooming, though my little tree hasn't made a whole lot of progress in the past years. I hope this year it will finally grow tall enough to be out of the deers' reach.

 

Allegheny Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier laevis)

The back bed  has exploded into bloom with assorted daffodils: 'Pink Charm' at one end, with 'Mount Hood' and a mixture of other varieties. The redbud tree is just starting to show some color, while the Seven Son Flower Tree leafs out. The Forsythia beyond is holding its blossoms well despite the wind.

 

The back bed with Forsythia beyond.

The back bed.

'Pink Charm' daffodils

'Pink Charm'

Yellow 'Prince Alfred' substitutes are blooming in another bed, and the Mount Hood daffodils I divided a couple of years ago are everywhere too. 

 

'Mount Hood' daffodils

'Prince Alfred' look-alike daffodils.

 

There's a nice patch of blue Muscari blooming in the front bed next to the driveway, along with charming little Anemones in a blue-and white combination, but today it's too chilly and windy for the Anemones to open (these photos are from a few days ago).

 

Blue Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) and Anemones (Anemone blanda).

Grecian windflowers (Anemone blanda)

As Mother Nature revives, the annual miracle of Spring is on full display...I can't wait to see what will come into bloom in time for April's Bloom Day!

Ides of March Bloom Day

Reticulated iris.

It's the Ides of March, and the spring equinox is not far behind now. On this March Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog, it's a bit overcast here in my Zone 6B Virginia garden. We may get a shower or two this afternoon, with more forecast for tomorrow with thunderstorms and wind as a front moves in. We've had nice warm weather this past week, but desperately need a lot more rain to bring out the spring flowers--here's hoping.

I was thrilled to see the dwarf iris (Iris reticulata) I planted last fall coming up in Herb's bed! I have never grown these before, how did I ever overlook them? Such perky flowers deserve a place in everyone's garden. My order included assorted varieties in blue shades--some have light yellow eyes, others deep yellow, almost orange, and some none--those reddish purple ones are gorgeous! I hope they'll multiply in the years to come.

Iris reticulata in the Herb bed.

 

 

Reddish purple iris.

The 'February Gold' daffodils are out in force, with clumps in the front yard, the bed by the driveway and several spots in the back yard beds. I can't help but smile when I see their bright yellows, always a cheerful sight! Even better, deer and other critters never bother daffodils as the plants are poisonous.

 

'February Gold' daffodils in the front yard.

Clump of 'February Gold' by the driveway.

'February Gold' daffodils in the back bed.

 

My winter aconite (Eranthis cilicica) are popping up in the back bed, but they have yet to carpet the ground as I envisioned. I wonder how long it it will take before they begin to look like an actual ground cover?

 

Winter aconite (Eranthis cilcica)

 

Within the yellow flower spectrum, some of my crocuses are still blooming--these must be the 'Orange Monarch' variety I planted last fall, but they are not very orange, more like a deep cadmium yellow with feathering. The other crocuses are pretty much done with their flowering.

 

Crocus 'Orange Monarch'?

 

The hyacinths are coming up too--I love the startling turquoise bases of the 'Delft Blue', and the white ones are also lovely.

 

Blue hyacinth.

 

A few Siberian Squills are coming up in the woodland garden on the east side of the house. The two Hellebores under the Japanese maple 'Bloodgood' are in bud, but not open yet.

 

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)

Buds of Hellebore 'Flower Girl'

 

Buds of Hellebore 'True Love'

The sweet violet 'Queen Charlotte' is sporting its first flower today--the deer seem to find this variety particularly tasty, so it hasn't spread as much as I'd hoped, but it's making some progress.

The Forsythia in back has buds patiently waiting for a warmer day to open--probably in one week to ten days more.

 

Sweet violet 'Queen Charlotte'

 

Indoors, my white Phalaenopsis orchid has two flowers open, and two miniature Phals are budding--I hope these will be in bloom in time for April Bloom Day. My yellow hibiscus is still blooming too.

 

White Phalaenopsis orchid.

Two miniature Phalaenopsis orchids in bud.

Yellow hibiscus braided standard.

That's about it for my garden this month, thanks for visiting, and Happy March Bloom Day!