What would you say is in "full bloom" in your yard right now

I am starting a thread that I am going to use for a reference to hopefully compile a list for those of us in the PNW of what blooms when. I plan posting the results in the reference section. I am asking for your help. This thread is designed to have you post what is blooming heavily in your garden each week. Pictures would be great, but not necessary. I am going to try to compile a list of the plants that everyone posts, and produce a list of "approximate" bloom times for plants in the PNW. Please give me as much info about your location and zone that you can when you post so I can make as accurate a list as possible.

I was off yesterday, so had a chance to wander the garden. I would say full bloom today (Week starting 2-14) for me incorporated my Heleborus Ivory Prince, Heleborus Double Queen Mix, Rhod. Christmas Cheer, and some winter blooming heather that I am going to try to find the tags for. I am a zone 6/7 at 500 foot elevation. Please add yours!!!

Julie, great idea. As you note, altitude is going to affect things, as will latitude. I'm almost to the Skagit County line and am usually a good week behind the greater Seattle area. For example, someone noted their Indian plum was in full bloom, whereas mine is just budding out with a few teasers here and there. Still made me smile, though. I love my natives.

About all I have in full bloom this 3rd week in Feb is an unknown cultivar of hellebore.

Bonehead, It sounds like you are right about the same time frame/bloom stage that I am in as my Indian Plum is just peeking here and there as well.

I am going to try to incorporate "regions" into the bloom list if I can... Northwest Western Washington, Seattle/Tacoma Metro area, Southwest Western Washington, Western Washington foothills, Washington Coast, and similar for Oregon and the East side. I will see what input I get and adjust the end result from there.

In addition, I hadn't even considered (probably because my mind has been going a mile a minute with the couple of projects like this I am working on right now... I can't think "outside" the box because I can't even find the edge of the box!) incorporating natives into this list. What a great idea! Indian Plum has always been one of my very favorites because it's new growth just glows, and when you see it you know that spring is close! That needs to be included in this list! As do the mahonia, trilliums, wild violets, currant, etc.!

Beautiful helebore by the way!

I've had snowdrops and white primroses for over a month. I now have crocus, hellebores ( all that will bloom this year are blooming. I have a very tiny blue primrose blooming, it is an umbrella type? I also have two, white and purple, winter heathers blooming.

I'm at 600' across from the Olympics and am usually two weeks behind those down on the waterfront.

Sorry wrong picture. Thought It might be the primrose.

Hellebores and crocus. The crocus are so cheerful!

And forsythia

Some crocus

And a different one

And now the picture.

These are only 2" tall. Very cute.

More

I have had one single bloosum on this crocus for years. Finally there is a second one this year. Must have been the mulch.

and one more.

This isn't blooming but it is the brightest plant in my yard all year long.

The last one is the heather.

Very pretty Willow! I would love to know what the foilage plant is... it is really pretty! It sounds like you are very similar in bloom time to Judy, and probably Pixy as well, but a bit ahead of us who are in the outlying areas. If I catagorized your bloom time with what I am planning to call the Metro Seattle/Tacoma area, do you think that that would be fairly accurate? I am still racking my brain as to how to best catagorize things....

There are so many micro-climates in Portland, and I'm guessing that's true for the Seattle area as well. Not an easy task to document!

I think both katie and pixie know what that plant is but I've never written it down. Maybe they will check in.

You mean 2884? I think it's Scrophularia auriculata (figwort). It's supposed to be a bog plant, but I didn't know that and I grow it in clay in an unamended spot in full sun. Rudbeckia Goldsturm is having a harder time with that spot than the Scrophularia is. Go figure. The blossoms are red and very tiny (like most bog plants). I was really disappointed in them, but I absolutely love everything else about the plant.

I cut it to the ground and it stays pretty all winter. It grow up to a heighth of about 3 ft in summer. Pests seem to leave it alone. Slugs only eat a little of the bottom leaves. And the bees go crazy for it in August!!

Julie, I can divide the one I have if you want some.

Kathy

You got it!

I think we just have to take the word 'normal' out of our vocabulary when we talk about bloom times anymore. I forgot last year was a cold wet spring. You're right. It seemed like spring would never come. we are due an early spring. We deserve it.
My snow drops have been in full bloom for about 2-3 weeks now. The little narcissus are in full bloom starting this week.
These little primulas are in full bloom, about a month ahead of last year.

This message was edited Feb 20, 2010 12:11 AM

My evergreen clematis is about ready to burst open. She's called "Apple Blossom" and is very pretty.

This message was edited Feb 21, 2010 6:51 AM

These little guys always let me know that spring is just around the corner.

First tulip of the season.

Pretty pictures. mstish you are very brave to have bishops weed and ajuga together.

Willowwind,
I have no idea what either of those things is. Please explain. Am I doing something wrong in my garden?

In the background of the red tulip I see both bishops weed (the green and white leafed one and ajuga on the lower left. Both are rampant growers and smother most everything around. Just a heads up if you are not familar with them. I also have a huge patch of bishops weed and must get rid of it. I do really love the look of it. It is beautiful. So is ajuga mostly in someone else's yard.

That clematis is beautiful! I look forward to a photo when it is in full bloom!

I have ajuga tamed in heavy clay - but I'm keeping an eye on it. As pretty as it is, Bishops Weed was a BIG mistake and I, too, have some digging to do to get it out. I had a very hot, sunny, dry place in Ballard and that kept it in check. But here in the rainforest it's gone crazy!

Some of the ajugas are really nice. I have the black leaved one and it's not aggressive like the regular greenleaved variety. In fact, I wish it would take off a bit more. There is another one called 'toffee chip', I think, that is very small. I would like to have that one as a ground cover. I thought it was only the plain green one that you had to watch out for.

Just give 'em room to run (if you have it). Both are lovely plants.

I have worked a bit tonight with an on-line database that I can acces from any computer that I use. This is just the beginning of my idea, and I hope that people will look at it, tell me if it works for them to download and manipulate, and then help me build it with input here.

My very very very start of a bloom time database can be found here:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsRR3qr3szUAdFVhdDZj...

When I make better progress, I will post it in an easy to find location on our PNW website. Please let me know how it works for you to play with as I have never used this program before!

Thanks!

This will be a very useful chart, and great cross reference. I joined yours just last night.

Full bloom in my yard, mid to late February: crocuses, hellebores, primulas, lonicera fragrantissima (a rangy, ungraceful shrub, but the flowers smell so good--lemony)

My bergenia, which I inherited with the house, is good now.

My favorite crocus (I think it is Pickwick") with some of my also favorite perennial primulas that I just planted next to the crocus.

And the only rhode that I have blooming right now....Rosamundi. It is in pretty much shade in my yard but is still ahead of Julie's, about 100-200 feet lower in elevation tnah my 700 feet.

Wow Mountain Girl. My rhody is just sitting there with buds. I doubt it will bloom till May. Love your crocus. I think crocus are not given the credit they should. They are gorgeous little reminders that the days are getting longer and the temp warmer. They're small but they make a big statement. "ALMOST TIME!"

Rhody PJM & Ribes 'Icicle' coming on strong. There was a native Bumble circling my head this afternoon, checking me out. I introduced myself, of course. They're protective of the Ribes.

So much happening earlier than normal - My Edgeworthia bud blossoms are toast: too soon & too cold.
Weeds are starting to flower, too. And Creeping Ranunculus still wants to rule the world.

In full bloom here on top of Beacon Hill in Seattle I have little blue Iris reticulata, crocus, wood anemone, my evergreen clematis (which smells heavenly), that ground covery bush with small white snow-in-summer type flowers (that I always forget the name of since it was here when I bought the house), pieris japonica, and my rosemary, which has been flowering for at least a month!

And at least one bee sighting. Thank goodness for an early spring!