Saturday, April 14, 2012

April GBBD Blooms

It looks like our dangers of frosts or freezes may be past, so the spring blooms can continue to open much earlier than normal, as long as they don't get hailed on, or worse.  We had some strong thunderstorms today, the 14th, and part of the front yard had some standing water on it.  We still have severe weather watches, and some parts of our state have gotten hail.  I took most of the photos for today's post the 13th.  I did go out this morning, and took photos of all of the planting areas, just in case they were destroyed, so I would have something to remember them by, and maybe help remember where things were planted so I can watch for them to come back from the roots.

These flowers were not blooming until in May last year.

This clump of columbine is in the planter in front of the house.  I don't remember if I planted it there, or if it got there from the seeds of another one.


I am really enjoying the prairie alumroot, heuchera richardsonii.  This, and the other two, not pictured, were tiny when I planted them last year, but they have grown nicely, and the blooms are prettier than I expected them to be.


I am assuming the zizia aurea plants will grow, even while blooming, as have some of the other native plants I've added.  These are only about a foot tall, and should get another foot or two taller.


The native columbines are loaded with blooms.  I didn't see any new ones in this area, but did find a few on the east side of the house.



This is a silene.  When I was looking around on my blog to see what was blooming when, I found where I stated that I bought this after seeing some on Gardening with Grace.  Grace, it's blooming!


I don't remember what kind of euphorbia this is, but I sure do like it!


I think these are the irises my daughter-in-law gave me a few years ago.  The perennial geraniums are blooming.


Bergenia and geum, 'prairie smoke' are unlikely garden friends, but they seem to get along with each other OK.


The irises on the east side of the curb area are blooming, too.


I love the butterscotch color on this one. It seems old fashioned to me.


This was the last of the tulips to finish blooming.



The hellebores did well this spring, and even though they are finished blooming, they continue to look good.


A friend of mine gave me a start of this verbena from where she lives in the country.  It sure is a spreader, but I was glad to get it, as I had some a long time ago, and I don't remember what happened to it.  I've tried growing 'Homestead', but it did not survive winter here.   In a book I have on Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains, I think I found this one's name, Verbena bipinnatifa.


This is the first bloom on the scabiosa.


The amsonias are very close to blooming.


The buds on the gas plant are pretty, but when they open, they will be quite showy.


One can usually depend on dianthus to bloom in the spring.


These are the first irises to bloom in the curb bed in front of the vegetable garden.  They are small and graceful.


I like the bleeding heart, dwarf comfrey, and brunnera 'Jack Frost' together. 


I found out there are white bleeding hearts that are wildflowers, but I'm not sure if all white ones are.  Do you know?


A few days ago, a neighbor girl asked me what these flowers are called.  When I told her they are candytuft, she grinned, and said she likes candy.


I am pleased that the rabbits are not able to get to this woodland phlox, and it is beginning to bloom.  I have a couple clumps that I moved to the new area, that are starting to grow with wire baskets put over them to keep the rabbits out.


I had to do some looking to remember the name of this herb, lovage, which was reminding me of the ziza.  I had to laugh, because Monica the Garden Faerie had told me that in a comment last May.


The next photos were taken Saturday.  The first of the reblooming irises has opened.


I've never seen helenium hoopesii before, and am please that this one is ready to bloom.


The grandsons, Larry, and I went out between rainstorms, and one of the times, I saw a spiderwort bloom.  I did not make it out with a camera, though.

To see what others have blooming, visit Carol, of May Dreams Gardens' Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day,

17 comments:

  1. The euphorbia is really nice. My hardy geraniums are blooming too. Way earlier than normal. I've eyed scabiosa and yours looks great. I should put that on my list!
    Some scary weather around today/tonight for sure. Hope everyone stays safe!

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  2. I hope they all survive the storms. So many of your flowers are so delicate as well as beautiful. many I've never seen before.

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  3. Beautiful, beautiful beautiful!
    I especially like the iris blooms!
    Have a blessed day!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  4. Isn't it wonderful the number and varieties of plants we can grow in small spaces. The plants and the butterflies and the bees don't seem to care. You have a beautiful garden.

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  5. It's great to see what others are growing -- in time to plant some of those here! Your blooms are inspirational!

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  6. Looking wonderful Sue! You have so many different plants in your garden, you must always have something in bloom. That little cluster of bearded iris looks so cute and cheerful. I also like the zizia you showed us earlier more and more now that I see the blooms!

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  7. Sue, goodness gracious you have a lot of blooming going on. My flower blooms are done except for the Peones and the Iris. Well, the Hosta will come in a little later as well. My flower gardens just don't have the diversity that yours do. You have certainly beautified your corner of the street. It must be gorgeous to see in person.

    We had that same storm you had yesterday. I sure hope that the hail and high wind stay away from our area. My main rain water storage tank was full to the brim after yesterday's rain deluge. I had to open the valve to let the water bypass the tank and just run out on the lawn. I figure I captured over 300 gallons of water from that one rain. I discovered that I have a leak in the tank. I not sure about how I'm going to fix it other than wait until it drains down during the summer to allow it to empty out for an inspection. I thought I had the leak repaired but apparently not. It's more of a dribble than a drip so until I figure out how to fix it I'll have a lot of water loss. That's a real disappointment.

    Have a great day enjoying your flower gardens.

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    1. Dave, I'm sorry you have a leak in your tank. I wonder how long it will take to empty. If you find where it is, you could plant some things that like to have wet soil.

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  8. I'm glad to hear your weather wasn't any worse than it was, Sue. The severe storms so far have been all west of us, and all we got was a much-needed rain. I hope the worst is over for you. It's so nice to see your irises blooming--you're definitely ahead of us with those blooms. Thanks for showing the verbena; 'Homestead' never survives our winter either, so I will have to look into this one. Happy Bloom Day!

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  9. Sue - It looks like you are having a wonderful and beautiful spring. I have great hopes that mine will be along soon.

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  10. hallo
    es ist eine fülle von Blumen die bei euch blühen.Wunderschöne Fotos.
    Die Iris haben mich am meisten begeistert,diese fülle von Blüten und das in so schönen Farben,super!!!
    eine schöne Woche und zauberhaftes Wetter!

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  11. I am just amazing how fast your garden greened up! Your blooms are looking great! I love the alumroot - I don't think I've seen this before. And your verbena is beautiful! Mine is scraggly and ugly. I must be doing something wrong! That combination of the bleeding heart, dwarf comfrey, and brunnera together is just lovely.

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  12. You've got lots of different things blooming in your garden. Love those irises. That's something I don't have. Wonder how they would do down here.

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  13. What a lovely "corner garden" - I enjoyed your photos very much. You have such a large variety of blooms! So you are ahead in Nebraska as we are in upstate NY...but you are way ahead - enjoy the rest of your spring and your wonderful garden, and Happy GBBD! (I've never seen a fire hydrant so far into someone's lot - or is that a garden decoration?)

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    1. Hi Bookworm, The fire hydrant is a working one, and if there would be a fire, some of my plants would have to be trampled, but the risk is worth it to me to have plants growing there.

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  14. After seeing all of the beauty in your garden .. I feel a bit cheated since we have very little green anything YET! Your yard is gorgeous!

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  15. Very nice blooms, sue. I planted prairie smoke this last fall, not as mature as yours however. Your iris are special. This is the first year I've planted them as I received them as a pass a long plant from my neighbor. Also planted a Siberian iris which is special with it's foliage and blooms. Anxious to see the Amsonia bloom. happy gbbd.

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