Friday, April 15, 2011

GARDEN BLOGGERS' BLOOM DAY, APRIL 2011

Can it be that there are still blooms left in the garden, after our weeks of endless heat with no rain. It's time for those northern gardens and other gardens around the world to take over and show us their blooms. Join Carol, at Maydreams and share your pretty flowers.

I like to see long shots of the garden but there is a time and a place for close ups of flowers and today is the day. Bloom day.

It was hard to believe that the mock orange would flower this spring. After all it flowered twice last year. At its normal time in April and then again in late October. We had such a mild, summer-like fall it was clearly confused. But it did.

I love the pink evening primrose when it spills out from under the Salvia greggii. So what if it's invasive. I just keep pulling it out where I don't want it.

Frilly pink poppies. I'm doing some serious pulling of the single flowered variety. I love this one. But what a disappointment that there were no purple ones this year.

The first of the purple cone flowers.

and Love-in-a-mist, Nigella. Great for dried seed heads.

The first rock rose bloom.

And those nasturtiums. Although I sampled the flowers when we were at Red Butte Gardens last year, they haven't yet appeared in my salad bowl.

And some poor gaillardia, with monstrose form.

Lots of flowers on the chive. More flowers for the salad bowl.

It remains to be seen if these will develop into full sized pomegranates. The tree definitely has a problem. Boo hoo.


Sedums, Sedum potosenum, sparkle with star shaped flowers.

Dahlberg daisy and wine cups in the sunken garden.

A mass of blue eyed grass, Sisyrinchium are still open at 8 o'clock in the evening.

I hope this guy didn't drop in for dinner.

Mealy blue sage, Salvia victoria, can be a bit of a pest. After it has flowered I cut it back and it blooms again and again. The goldfinches love the seeds in the fall.

The first rose campion, Lychnis coronaria, flower. The dry winter means there won't be so many this year.

But there will always be lots of blanket flowers, Gaillardia spec.,

We trimmed back the cedars in the English garden this year and the Texas clematis Clematis pitcheri, really appreciates getting more sun. So much so that David extended the trellis.

This columbine has reproduced itself in the master Spanish oak garden. It makes a welcome change from the Hinckley's yellow.

More flowering sedum.
Hope you are enjoying bloom day in your garden. Thanks Carol, for hosting

16 comments:

  1. You have such a beautiful garden. Any idea what variety that columbine is? I love Hinckley's and the red one, but the purple and yellow is a knock out!

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  2. Weeks of hot and dry weather has not marred the beauty of your garden. There's just so much going on wherever you look. The flowers are beautiful ... adore the Mock Orange, the Evening Primrose and that stunning Aquilegia. A great GBBD post.

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  3. any chance of a video tour of your garden? I love it so much!

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  4. Yum, so much eye candy! I tried poppies in the fall and none came up ;/ Yours are lovely. The columbine is a beauty too. Would love it if you have any extra seed at the end of the season. Congrats on all your garden love lately! It is so magazine worthy!!

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  5. Hahaha I am laughing- I JUST finished posting my blog and then went to yours to see if you had posted a new one and we both have the Mock Orange today and the Pomegranate. Funny. I love the Mock Orange- they look like the Dogwood to me. All your plants look so pretty, you really have the touch. I think and have forever that the sedum is so pretty- it is just a happy little plant.
    K

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  6. Lovely blooms and photos! I also love my evening primrose no matter where it crops up. It grows between our pavers on a path through the cottage garden. I suppose that could be a problem, but when it blooms in the spring it is almost magical.

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  7. Beautiful, as usual. Your garden in really way ahead of mine. Another cold night tonight, and the wind is drying things out, even more. But, it'll come along.

    I'm way behind on getting any posts done lately, too. Love looking at all your great flowers.

    Have a good weekend.

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  8. so much color and beautiful! truly wonderful garden.

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  9. I just found your blog..and what a treat for an aspiring gardner! I have a question: This past fall I tiled the dirt, put all my wildflower seeds in the ground...and then...NOTHING! My yard is shady the majority of the day...do you think that would be the reason that none of the seeds made it to life? (i know the squirrels did not help :) Any suggestions?

    Your loyal new follower,
    Cat

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  10. Ha ha well get your bad self down here and get you some! I love it too- great color combo. There are a couple more getting ready to open up as well; can't wait!!!!
    K

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  11. As always, your garden is spectacular. That Nigella is one of the more exotic flowers I've seen - very unusual.

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  12. Stunning gardens and pictures....glad I stopped by today!!

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  13. Oh my goodness, this was a wonderful stroll through your garden and for once I didn't have to bend over and pull weeds!!

    I think I photographed many of the same flowers here today in San Luis Obispo, California, but my blue-eyed-grass and yellow-eyed-grass has not yet bloomed. Love-in-a-mist like a jungle, rose campion flourishing, we could trade gardens and feel at home.

    Thanks for the joy,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  14. The sedums pack a lot of punch for their little size. My appreciation for them has grown in the last four years. Also, how many years did it take before your pomergrante had fruit? I was told my drawf bush would have fruit after a year but so far nothing... and it's now three years later.

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  15. Your garden makes me want to take out all my grass, and just walk all around and throw seeds everywhere and water the crap out of it till I have something gorgeous like this! WOWZERS!!! I love the flowering sedums, and the Winecups are really a lovely color! I may have to see if I can grow them here! You have the magic touch in a garden! Could you come to my house????? LOLOL.

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  16. Ah, what a lovely visit, and I can just hear you saying it all since you were our docent all those summers ago. I love the Texas flowers. Some I can grow and some I cannot, but I love them all.~~Dee

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