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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

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

8 comments:

  1. So many beautiful blooms!
    Love the Variegated Tulip - pretty color bloom and interesting foliage, too.
    Thanks for your visit and comment on my blog.
    Have a wonderful day!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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    1. It's nice to have a Tulip that will return every year, I was sad when other lovely species tulips failed to come back. I'm still looking forward to T. batalini Bright Gem which is much later. You seem to grow a lot of the same flowers that like it up here, I think our climates may be similar at least part of the year.

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  2. You have some beautiful flowers! I was tempted by that mouse plant recently, at the Bloedel Reserve sale, but didn't buy it. I love Fritillarias, and I'm reminded I really should buy some Anemone nemorosa.

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    1. I probably wouldn't have bought such a whimsical plant but was with my daughter, who thought it was charming. I was scared to try it in the ground but it spread a lot and did great in a planter so next summer I want to divide it and plant some in my new shade garden to see if it will like it there. The little "mice" are so cute.

      If plants were stocks then Anemone nemorosa would be Apple, I'm always amazed at it.

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  3. Wow! It looks like spring has truly arrived where you are. Those daffodils and tulips are gorgeous.

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    1. Thanks, Dorothy. Spring is so heartening after a long PNW winter. It's so much fun to see the plants perform in succession, soon it will be the magical Columbine display, which my DIL says looks like a Hobbit garden.

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  4. That was a gorgeous selection of blooms for GBBD. My favourite is definitely 'Tahiti'. It's beautiful. I also adore the Brunnera. Of course all your fabulous blooms are things that I can't grow here, so it was delightful to see your photos.

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    1. Thanks, Bernie, I looked at your blog and your luscious tropical blooms have a northern gardener in major plant lust, you realize. But I'm grateful for the plants that do grow here.

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