Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day April 2015

Another month is half over already; can you believe it?  This is the time of year when I want time to go more slowly as there are so many things happening in the garden and so much that needs to be done!  Once again, Carol at May Dreams Gardens is hosting the floral fiesta which encourages garden bloggers from around the world to post what's blooming in their gardens on the fifteenth of each month.  Not only is it fun to see what's happening in other areas, once a blogger participates for several years, (s)he has a record of what has happened in his/her garden over a period of time.  It's a fun and painless way of creating a garden journal of sorts.   Here's a bit of what's blooming in my garden right now.

Fritillaria imperialis with the plant that can't be killed, Hyacinthoides hispanica (Spanish bluebells.)

Yes, they're weedy but I love them!  They're celebrated in lots of Victorian illustrations, painted on china, and are the state flower of Alaska, my home state. 

I do love a bit of floral schmaltz-

The Legend of the Forget-me-not

When to the flowers so beautiful
Father gave a name,
There came a blue-eyed one
All timidly it came
And standing at the Father’s feet,
And gazing in His face,
It said with low and timid voice,
And yet with gentle grace,
” Dear Lord, the name Thou gavest me,
Alas, I have forgot. ”
The Father kindly looked on him

And said, "Forget-me-not."

Magnolia laevifolia hasn't quite opened her fragrant blooms yet but will begin any day now.

 

Dicentra

Magnolias continue  

as do the camellias.

One of my favorites is this delicate pink that looks like a carnation.  All we need is a white sport coat and we'd be all dressed up for the dance.

Sorry for the horrible picture but I didn't feel like getting a ladder out to take a picture of  this rose, 'Joseph's Coat' which popped open in mid March!

Because of our mild winter, there was no die back on this fuchsia and the little white ballerinas are already dancing over my head.  You can look up their skirts that way.

An autumn impulse buy tulip from our local everything store.  

 The red rhododendron that blooms now and again in the fall just as I'm about to chop it down. 

 Scadoxus puniceus bloom is winding down.  This doesn't require a greenhouse in our climate but does need a dry place during the winter.

Petals have fallen from the sarracenias kept inside this winter, while buds are just forming on those outside.

This pelargonium (geranium) and the others in the greenhouse have bloomed all winter.  

Abutilon 'Red Tiger'  which came from M and N nursery at  the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. In case you're wondering, Abutilon megapotamicum  stopped blooming for a few weeks as it's putting energy into making lots of new foliage.  There are nice orange buds all over them though.

 Begonia 'Gene Daniels' has been blooming for a few months now. 

Uvularia

Fritillaria meleagris

Rhododendron 'President Roosavelt'

Pulmonaria.  Can't decide if the flowers or cool spotted foliage are the best part of this plant. 

Helleborus are taking on their aging colors while they set seed and grow new foliage. 

Paeonia delavayi lutea has seeded around a bit so I'll pot up the seedlings for the next plant exchange. 

 Ceanothus

 Ribes speciosum

 Matthiola something or other is a perennial fragrant stock that seeds around politely in dry areas.

Speaking of fragrant, what I think is Pittosporum tenuifolium which has made it through even the phormium killing winters (with a bit of damage) is blooming for the first time with these small nearly black blooms.  The fragrance wafts quite a distance and has had me seeking out the source of the wonderful olfactory treat.

Lastly, an update on Daffodil 'British Gamble' which is new to me this year.  The yellow fades a bit as the bloom ages and the trumpet becomes mostly peachy then the whole flower fades to a nice pink infused ivory color.  It's been blooming for four weeks now and I'm so glad I tried this beauty.  This picture was taken shortly after the flower opened. 

Also blooming but not pictured are various epimedium and trillium. 

Now, hop on over to Carol's blog to see what's blooming in gardens around the world!

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Happy Spring!