Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2014

I'm back, baby.

After a whole lot of nothing to say during the winter that destroyed my soul, spring is here. Let me say that one more time, because there's a part of me that still doesn't believe it. Spring. Is. Here. I won't comment on the fact that t was 82* on Sunday, and we're having a freeze warning tonight. Whatever, Mother Nature.

One of the reasons I started a blog was to see how my garden looked from year to year. In my April 2013 bloom day post, I mentioned that things were coming up later than usual. This year, everything is coming up even later than last year. There's not much to report going on here in this city garden except bulbs. Thank goodness I went on a bulb-buying binge in the fall.

Let's get to pretty things now, shall we?

In the front, my $20-for-50-daffodil-bulbs purchase last fall paid off. This is just one clump that I planted.



Creeping phlox just starting to flower. It was already in full bloom at this time last year.



On the side, I finally trimmed the forsythia. I mean, I hacked the crap out of it, not that you can tell.  I know, you're not supposed to do it until after it flowers but if I'd waited, the 25 little baby forsythias I removed would still be there and my neighbor's car would continue to be scratched.


The allée is looking a little tacky with the brightly colored pink and blue hyacinth that were an impulse buy last fall. But boy does it smell good when you walk through.



Early tulips are blooming. In the fall, I finally made sure to get a variety of early and middle blooming bulbs.


There's not much to report in the back except a) there's no snow, and b) there are green leaves popping up here and there, so it's a win-win in my book.



My helleborus x hybridus 'Snow Bunting' bloomed! Sure, the flowers are all facing the fence so I have to do a weird yoga pose to see them, but it bloomed! Note to self: Plant more hellebores here for next year.

That wraps up my bloom day for this month. Spring has finally, finally arrived and I can't wait to see what continues to pop up in my garden. Thanks to May Dreams for hosting.


16 comments:

  1. We also are celebrating the disappearance of snow - finally. And you have many more blooms to help you celebrate, but green shoots are pushing through and we have a warm rain today. We are way behind previous Aprils.

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    1. At this point, I'm even happy (kind of) about the weeds because they're green! :)

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  2. You enjoy your successes while ye may, and you have some fine ones. Here's hoping winter doesn't slam you again.

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    1. Thank you. I enjoyed the daffodils until the freeze took them out last night. But there will be more to bloom, and tulips too, and I'm grateful for that.

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  3. I love your hyacinths :) I went on a bulb buying binge fall of 2012, and I think I"m going to do it again this year. I've been tempted by the website that are offering deals now, and shipping plants in the fall. What a wonderful surprise that would be, plants that were already paid for!! It looks like things are really coming along, and yay for no snow!!

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    1. Sounds like you have good plan for bulbs. I never even thought to buy fall-planting ones now, so thanks for the idea.

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  4. Hello! I too keep adding more early bulbs every year. I've got to have something to feast my eyes at the end of winter. I find myself adding more hyacinths every year as well. I find their scent is too strong to bring indoors, but it really makes my day to catch a whiff of it as I walk around the yard.Happy Bloom Day!

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    1. Happy Bloom Day to you as well! Catching a whiff of hyacinth is such a treat. No matter how many times it happens it's always a happy surprise.

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  5. Hurray! It's spring - sort of. What would we do without bulbs? Hellebores either face down or away from you, but somehow I keep buying them. I've decided that's part of their charm. Be patient and they'll self seed all over the place.

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    1. I'll take sort-of-spring over definitely-winter any day of the week. Thanks for the tip about the hellebores. I look forward to having more of them.

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  6. Winter sucked this year, didn't it? I almost hurled myself off a tall building this morning when I got up to more snow on the ground. At least we have bulbs to save our sanity. And Hellebores. It took me a while to warm up to them but I'm on board now even if I have to lie on my back in mud to get a good picture. Happy GBBD!

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    1. Here's to hoping for no more snow for everyone's sanity! And lying in mud isn't so bad - it's better than lying in snow.

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  7. My hellebores, most of which were seedlings given to me by a friend, finally bloomed and it was good to see something other than crappy brown mulch and dog poop snow in the back yard. But I mostly killed my hyacinths because they didn't want to spend a soggy winter in a pot full of soil. Who knew? But hooray for having something bright to look at! Your forsythia will be fine. They can handle anything. :o)

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    1. Sorry to hear about your hyacinth. They probably would have smelled better than dog poop snow :)

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  8. Nice to see a Philadelphia blog. Philly does garden. Have a good, abundant season.

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    1. Great to see another Philadelphian as well! Happy gardening.

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