April Bloom Day

 After a March that felt more like late June, April's more normal temperatures are welcome.  The cooler temperatures haven't slowed down blooming around here though.

The 'Brushstrokes Strain' hellebore is still budding and blooming. It's nice to see the fresh blooms, since the older ones faded quickly in the heat.  Although the colors fade, this hellebore holds its blooms until late fall.










Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica are nearly finished.  They bloomed a month earlier than usual.

'Jack Frost' brunnera has been blooming for a few weeks.  I love this plant, with and without blooms.

Veronica repens was a favorite of my friend Meg's.  I have it here now in her memory.

Maple seeds are everywhere.  I'm so used to seeing them, I didn't notice these two when snapping the photo.  They  give some perspective on how dainty this plant is.

Anemone 'Sylvestris' is just getting started.   These languished until I moved them a couple of years ago.  Funny how a few feet can make such a difference.  They're happy in their new spot.

Speaking of how moving a plant a few feet can make a difference, Phlox divaricata  were moved last fall.  They were among the first plants to follow me here 8 years ago.  They barely survived, and bloomed only once in all that time.  These are the blooms I'm most excited about this month.  I'd almost forgotten what the flowers looked like, it's been so long since they've bloomed.  They were only moved a few feet, but it's made a huge difference in their health, and THEY'RE BLOOMING!

 

Celandine poppies have been blooming about a month.  I love the foliage as much as the flowers.

Candytuft started from seeds bloomed last spring for the first time, after waiting patiently for three years.

'Pink Pewter' lamium is another plant whose foliage is wonderful.  Lamiums can be pretty 'spready,' but here, after 6 or 7  years they're still well-behaved.  If they ever spread too much, they're easy to pull.

Speaking of  aggressive plants, I'm debating with myself on this dwarf comfrey, Symphytum grandiflorum from a plant swap last year.  Comfrey makes excellent compost tea, and honey bees love it.  Those two facts seduced me. I might chicken out and dig it up, or at least move it to a spot where it can be contained.  It's a pretty plant, and I love the blooms, but it will be watched very closely for now.  "Spreads by underground stolons" is a plant description that makes me shudder.

I noticed we have a few bleeding heart seedlings this year. Bumble bees are all over it when it's in bloom.

If any of the seedlings survive, they'll be great for plant swaps (not that I need any more plants!)

There's a 'Gold Heart' dicentra waiting to go in the ground this year, but it's somewhat the worse for wear after shipping, so it's being babied in a pot for now.

Golden ragwort, Senecio aureus is blooming.  This is a pretty aggressive plant in our garden.  So far, pulling the pieces that run seems to be keeping it in check.   There are several reasons to love this plant - it's a native, the blooms are sweet, the foliage is very pretty, and it's evergreen.

Geranium maculatum started blooming this week.  This is the bloomingest April ever in our garden.  So many things are blooming early.

Columbine canadensis blooms are just starting to open.  I love their graceful, arching habit, and long bloom period.

The strawberries were started from seeds from Renee's Garden last year.  We even had a few berries their first season.  They're tiny berries, about the size  of my ring fingernails, but so fragrant and delicious.  The seeds germinated easily with no pre-treatment.  The plants are pretty, and even stayed green all winter.  They're well-behaved too - no runners.  The clumps grow, but they don't spread.

There are a few other things blooming, but we'll leave it at this for now.  It's an embarrassment of riches in the garden this month. It makes me wonder if there will be anything left to bloom in the fall.  I'm pinching a number of plants to slow down their bloom.  In many cases pinching perennials also helps keep them from sprawling.

Happy Bloom Day everyone!  To see more blooms from gardens around the world, please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.