Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April '09

We've had glorious sunshine, blue skies and daffodils on this April Bloom Day!

The chill wind was not so bad today, but still it persists, as it has done on most days for weeks on end, making today's mid-sixties temperatures (approximately 18ºC) feel not quite as warm as they otherwise would have.

The daffodils nodded their pretty heads in the morning breeze and bright sunshine this morning.

Yesterday, Hannah was out enjoying the garden with me as I did some clean-up work. She has recently moved back from the Big Apple after being a city cat for over a year, but that's a story for another post.

(Click any photo to enlarge for details)

The purple striped crocuses/croci (take your pick...the dictionaries list both!) are still blooming in the Lilac Garden shown above, where Hannah is investigating.

There were also 2 nice clumps of these beautiful bright yellow crocuses, but I found the telltale signs of moles in the areas where the clumps were, so I'm guessing the nasty little critters must've eaten them for a tasty winter snack. This little clump is in another garden.

Scilla sibirica (Siberian Squill) also blooms in the Lilac Garden.

That rich blue makes it a lovely companion plant for the daffs.

It spreads itself around liberally and is easily moved to fill in other spots.

I found this busy bee enjoying the blooms. Can you see the blue pollen sack on its leg? I've only ever noticed yellow sacks before, and didn't realize they could be different colors, did you? It's amazing to see the details the camera captures.

These little beauties are almost finished now, but they've been putting on a wonderful show by the side porch. They're especially beautiful in the late afternoon sunlight. There are 2 varieties here.

This clump has a smaller bloom....

....and these are bigger with rounded petals.

I planted all the crocuses years ago and didn't keep a record of the names.

The lawn began greening up at the beginning of April as the first crocuses began to bloom. If you enlarge this photo you'll be able to see the red flowers on the Maple tree.

Here they are closer. Aren't they pretty?

There's a little clump of white crocuses in this garden.

And I found another busy bee enjoying them.

These purple striped crocuses are a different shape to the ones in the Lilac Garden.

I love to see them in the glow of the afternoon sunshine.

This clump of sweet snowdrops is still hanging on, but they're almost finished and not looking as good as they did 5 days ago when this photo was taken.

This was a very large bee with an orange band on its back. Unfortunately it didn't hang around long enough for me to get a better shot of the band.

One of my favorite springtime views is of the daffodils backlit by the late afternoon sun. I find it very hard to capture....

....but I keep trying.

I'm always reminded of William Wordsworth's poem,
The Daffodils,
which begins.....

I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

You can read the entire poem here if you'd like to.
It makes me think of my father, as it was one of his favorites.

Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers!

Happy Bloom Day everyone!

Be sure to visit Carol's May Dreams Gardens to see more colorful blooms all over the world!