Showing posts with label Daffodils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daffodils. Show all posts

Friday, April 15, 2011

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2011


The mid-April garden is springing to life!


I can't remember ever appreciating the newly emerging blooms quite so much.
Perhaps it's because our winter seemed everlasting.


The sight of blooming Daffodils lifts my soul.


This time last year the gardens were bursting with blooms, but they're all a little slower this spring.


Hyacinths were fully open for last year's Bloom Day, but the flowers are just emerging this week.


A few Crocuses are still blooming and the bees have been busily enjoying them. Posted by Picasa


There's a small patch of golden yellow Crocuses in the Clematis Garden.


These beauties have just finished, but they were still gorgeous just a few days ago.


Most of this mixed group are drooping now as well, but they were such a delight during their brief reign of glory.


Hannah is so happy to be exploring the outdoors again.


She thinks the Daffodils make a good hiding place for watching the birds.


The blue flowered Scilla siberica (Siberian Squill) is one of my absolute favorites. Posted by Picasa


Bees love it too.

The yellow and white Daffodils in the Clematis Garden were some of the first to open just a couple of days ago.


Snowdrops are finally beginning to fade, after blooming for a month, and don't look as good as this now, but it's amazing how well they hold up to the inconsistencies of early spring weather.


There's something so endearing about the little bulbs of spring. These Chionadoxas (Glory of the Snow) make such a pretty patch of color.


The pink Helleborus has been slow to open.....


......but here it is, finally!
Not as spectacular as some I've seen on other blogs, but very precious to me after waiting 4 years for this bloom! Posted by Picasa


There are a few new blooms on the white Helleborus. It began blooming back in October and is still producing blooms after napping under a blanket of snow for several months.


The Silver Maple is ablaze with fuzzy red flowers and I see a haze of red from the maples in the surrounding woods.

We've had several beautiful, sunny days lately (with April showers in between) and I've been out doing some clean-up in the garden beds. It feels so good to be out in the garden again, feeling the warmth of the sun!  
Hannah is in full agreement :)

And how wonderful it is to once again have colorful blooms to photograph and enjoy. Posted by Picasa


I hope you're enjoying your spring (or fall) garden as much as I'm enjoying mine. Posted by Picasa

Carol of May Dreams Gardens has a long list of other gardeners showing off their blooms for this April Bloom Day. I hope you'll find time to visit her and click some of those links.
I notice that Carol's Indiana garden is quite a bit further along than our upstate NY zone 5 garden, but we'll get there. I'm quite happy to go a little slower and just enjoy each day of these long awaited spring blooms.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Remember the Color?

With nothing but a vast expanse of white covering the garden and surrounding countryside for weeks on end here in upstate NY I've turned to the computer for solace. It's not that I don't find the snowy scenes beautiful to look at, but sorting through last year's garden photos has been a wonderful spirit lifter and has fed my craving for color. 
A myriad photos were left unposted so I thought I'd share a few with you, as you just might be suffering from color deprivation too if, like me, you live in a cold climate. 


Only about five more weeks and spring will be here!


Crocuses will open their lovely blooms to the sunshine about the time of the vernal equinox. 

 


The kitties can't wait to spend time outside in the warm air.
Jasmine spends a lot of time dreaming as she looks out the window....when she's not sleeping. 


I can't wait to see the bees again!


Daffodils and Scilla will follow closely around the beginning of April.


And we'll see that glorious afternoon light shining through their yellow petals.
(Now I'm humming "These are a few of my favorite things". See what I mean? Aren't you beginning to feel better?) Posted by Picasa


We'll see pale yellow Primroses!


Hyacinths with their sweet perfume.
Tree climbing weather!


Hannah will again be my shadow...tiptoeing through the tulips.

Love those pinks and purples! Posted by Picasa


There will be green pastures as far as the eye can see.


 


And bold Tulips reaching for the sun. Posted by Picasa


Crabapple blossoms to delight the eye.


 


 


Fences to delight Hannah! Posted by Picasa

 
Bleeding Hearts, Arabis, Hostas and Forget-me-nots....


....soft spring pastels.


The delicious scent......


.....of Lilacs.


Lipstick pink tulips mixed with white....


....and a few other sunshine colors. Posted by Picasa


Poppies following shortly after.
Their fern-like leaves are lovely with the tulips.


Creeping Phlox are perfect with the soft pink tulips.


Poet's Daffodil...exquisite. Posted by Picasa


Pansies - pretty, smiling faces.


Columbines will fill the Fence Garden.....


....along with lovely white Lupines.


Purple Lupines will stretch toward the sky in the Driveway Garden. Posted by Picasa


Elegant Irises will bloom beside Columbines in the Lilac Garden. 


Foxglove will make fairy hats.


Peige and Phoebe will venture from the barn to follow me through the garden and sit on the Lily Garden fence
where
Catchfly and Siberian Iris will bloom again, hopefully with an overwintered snapdragon, as they did last year.
(click on the photo to enlarge)


Tiger Swallowtail butterflies will enjoy the Catchfly and then lead me on a merry chase. Posted by Picasa

Ah, yes, I remember the color well.

We have so much to look forward to!
Just keep dreaming for a few more weeks.....