Garden Blogger's Bloom Day April 2013

For my entry in GBBD I'm enjoying watching the Spring show of bulbs coming into bloom.  Join host Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming now around the world.  Daffodils have been blooming reliably as usual, being poisonous to voles, which are a major threat to plant roots, tubers, and bulbs.  Tahiti-

This rather plain daffodil clumped up better than most-

Squirrels or voles have gotten most of the Tulips I have planted, but when I planted the species Tulipa praestans unicum, variegated, I was surprised to find one the squirrels had dug up and then dropped in the next bed, blooming on top of the ground, I guess it didn't taste good.   This is many years later-

Muscari have been very good at multiplying, my favorite is the wonderful M. latifolium, which has unusual broad foliage and spreads slowly-

This year I finally fell under the entrancing spell of Fritillaria meleagris, I hope it will be an enduring addition to the spring bulbs-

My favorite for being a prolific spreader, Anemone nemorosa 'Robinsoniana', with a Pulmonaria-

For major impact, it's hard to beat Chaenomeles, ornamental Quince.

Some biennials are highly suited to the wet and dry seasons of the west coast, self-sowing in the fall with the beginning rains, and then growing all winter with the dandelions.  One of my favorites is Lunaria annua, AKA Money plant, named for the luminous silver dollar-sized disks left when the seeds are removed.   This is the regular purple variety-

I've also have the white one self-sowing under a red cedar tree, and am considering seeds for a variegated white one though I would rather have purple or rose flowers.

They are in the Mustard family, and I found out that the seeds can actually be used to make a mustard preparation, and the roots are edible, though I haven't tried them.  The heart-shaped leaves are attractive even when not in bloom.  They have been reliably self-sowing for a number of years.

Some of those wonderful clumping plants that increase over time, and even self-sow, Brunnera-

And Pulmonaria 'Benediction-

The small rounded Daphne 'Lawrence Crocker'-

The whimsical Mouse Plant, Arisarum proboscideum, a little hard to see the 'tails', happily a survivor from last year's Hortlandia sale-

The intricate delicacy of Bleeding Hearts-

Take time to smell the flowers.

-Hannah