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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day March 2012

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day everyone!  It's hard to believe that March is half over already!  Lots happening in the garden this time of year!


These crocus were inherited with the house and much as it irritates me, I leave this patch of lawn unmowed until the foliage ripens off each year.

Stachyurus praecox is blooming looking happy!  Yes, I'll get right out there and get rid of that mite-infested bamboo!

 Crocus in my garden have a strange habit of showing up in places where they weren't planted by me.  The squirrels have garden plans of their own!
 Really, this was just a  small clump or two not so long ago but someone spreads them out when he forgets where they were, digs holes to plant other things in the summer and throws the bulbs around. 

Many hellebors blooming in my garden right now but this one will represent them all for this bloom day.  I got it in a flat of hellebore seedlings marked "doubles."  It was very inexpensive to buy them this way (through a co op with other gardeners) and it only took a few years for them to become these lovely large plants. 
This ornamental plum was planted by squirrels or some other furry gardeners and is in a really bad place.  Although I enjoy looking out a second story window and seeing these lovely harbingers of spring, the tree must come down this year.  So here is it's first and last GBBD appearance.
 Ribes sanguineum, a volunteer that I've allowed to stay! 
 Primroses.  The doubles are much more long lived in my garden than the singles for some reason.

Edgeworthia chrysantha's scent wafts beaufully on the air.
Not really blooms but Pernettya mucronata berries have lasted since fall and will continue developing and looking stunning while the new white blooms apper later in the year.  More people should grow this evergreen gem!
Last but not least,  Dichroa febrifuga berries still hanging on.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the floral festivities!  Make sure you click over to her site to see what's blooming all over the world!

33 comments:

  1. Nice accidental 'clump' of crocus there!

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  2. Beautiful blooms. Now, I'm asking myself why in the world I don't have primroses in my garden? They are stunning--I'm envious! I'm also coveting your double hellebores. We have hundreds of hellebores that have spread from our original 5 plants, but I do want to add some doubles. Happy bloom day to you! I'll see you in San Fran! (Counting the days!)

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    1. I'm very lucky to live in a climate that allows for so many great plants/blooms! SF should be a lot of fun! Traipsing through other people's gardens is always interesting. Nurseries, too. I'm considering drivig down so that I can buy plants!

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  3. Your tale of the squirrels having their own gardening plans reminded me of something that happened to my MIL many years ago. Her neighbor, who was an avid gardener, planted black tulips one year, only to discover in the spring that they weren't coming up in quite the same profusion as she had planted them. One lone black tulip came up in the middle of a bed in my MIL's back yard, which amused her no end. No knowing who else's garden benefited from the squirrel's plans.

    I'm always interested in seeing what's blooming in your garden. Even though you're so close by, our 600 feet elevation here makes a difference. Your Ribes is further along than mine. Some day I have to buy an Edgeworthia. That lavender pink double primrose is lovely!

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    1. I also enjoy noticing the differences in our gardens. I teach some classes in Lakewood, a 20 minute drive from my house and the difference in temperature between here (close to the bay) and there is sometimes 10 degrees or more warmer in the summer, colder in the winter.

      Great story about your MIL's neighbor, the squirrel gardeners, and the black tulips!

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  4. I've never had much success with crocus coming back. Yours are very nice.

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    1. Thanks. Does your garden maybe not get the winter chill that crocus like?

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  5. Beautiful blooms on this GBBD. Our Spring always requires patience.

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    1. Thanks. Your snow covered winter is sure pretty, though!

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  6. You've got quite the talented pack (?) of squirrels up there in Tacoma. Love the Stachyurus blooms!

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    1. The Stachyurus blooms are very funny because they seem like they'd blow in the wind and would dangle gracefully in a vase. They are, however, rigid! If you cut a branch for the vase, you'd better place it in the same direction as it was on the shrub as those blooms will stay exactly where they are! This would be good if one wanted to create an upside down or sideways looking arrangement.

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  7. Love your thick patch of crocuses, I wish my squirrels were such good gardeners as your's are :) Your photo of Ribes sanguineum is soooo beautiful!

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    1. It's all in the training. Just send the squirrels off to horticulture school and they'll come back and do all kinds of wonderful things for you:) I'm particularly fond of that Ribes sanquineum as I had wanted one for a while but never got around to actually buying one. A bird or other creature must have somehow known and planted one for me.

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  8. Hmmm-supposedly Stachyurus praecox is hardy to zone 6. I may have to investigate that one further as I don't recall seeing it around here. My squirrels eat the damn crocus bulbs! I think they need retraining.

    The 15th of the month is always so much fun in blog land. Happy GBBD!

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    1. I agree, the 15th is a lot of fun. Bless Carol's heart for coming up with the idea!
      You might try crocus tommasinianus which the squirrels don't like to eat as much as some of the others. They still dig them up but then decide that they don't like them and toss them around. It's great fun to see where they'll end up blooming each spring.

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  9. I like the crocus in the lawn. There goes the ornamental plum and that's a good thing. I'm not a fan of them since they made a huge mess when we lived in Virginia.

    Fun to see all the different plants that we can't grow!

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    1. It would be ideal if we all could live in conservatories with climate controlled areas. Tired of the rainforest? Just take a few steps into the desert area, etc. I guess the next best thing is enjoying each others' blog posts.

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  10. Wonderful plants and flowers this Bloom Day, many I can't grow here. Stachyurus praecox, oh my!

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    1. Thanks! Stachyurus is AMAZING this time of year! The rest of the year it's a blob of o.k. looking green foliage. The newish willow leaved variety has gorgeous evergreen foliage and nice but not spectacular blooms.

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  11. Love the Stachyurus. Also those berries, very ornamental.

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    1. Stachyurus has long been a favorite of mine but usually I'm th only one who sees it blooming as most garden visitors like to come when the weather is nicer and I've got the garden put together a little more.

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  12. Beautiful shots! I would have let that volunteer stay as well!! Happy GBBD!

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  13. Ah yes! Spring is coming and it's lovely!

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  14. Welcome Spring! I do think your squirrels are conspiring against you! However, I think the accidental clumps of crocus are great! Cheers, Jenni

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    1. You're probably right. I hear the rascals talking behnd my back all the time!

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  15. Love your double hellebores you have going on there! those things are glorious!!! and that Stachyurus praecox is soo cool!

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  16. How interesting that the double Primulas repeat better for you. I haven't planted them. All mine blooming now are the same dark blue. I was surprised to see a bloom opening today on a Primula elatior I grew from seed last year though. My Pernettya berries are white with a pink blush.

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  17. You really seem to have a way with crocuses! I love the shot of the ones mixed into the lawn.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.