FIRST FLOWERS OF SPRING!!! Mid Spring Edition

Sequoia - I'll hire a crew.

Thanks for the link to the Pink and Sweet. Looks lovely, as does their Nacoochee Princess. Like we needed more temptations!

Just this morning, we've added to our wish list of plants, with one of those azaleas and Terri's Venus calycanthus. And thankfully these are realistic for our shady yard.

Haha!

Those sound like beautiful choices ecnalg :)

Greenthumb and Ecnalg, if you have any additional Thalictrum to share, I'd love to try some.

David is waiting to hear back from the grower from whom we got the thalictrum. We'll keep you posted. Our other plants have not multiplied yet, unfortunately.

Paul, the Little Lanterns most definitely produce seed, and they self-seed prolifically. (Little Lanterns are what I have as well). I would be glad to save seeds for you (also) if you like.
I'd started out with one plant year before last... and now I have 7 or 8 plants in 6 different pots... they really self-sow easily!

Jeff, I need another deciduous Azalea? OK, I'll work on that. =) I also need Abelias, I just NEED them. You understand how that is. LOL!

Of course! You don't want to start getting the shakes now....LOL

Sounds like we'll have seeds for you, then, Paul. LOL on Speedy's shakes.

LOL!!! Thankfully I get quite the "fix" at work daily; the only shakes I get are when I start thinking about all my "wards" that SHOULD be coming home with me... but aren't. < =(
I wander the yard singing "Abelia.. you're breakin' my heart, you're testing my confidence daaaiilyyy.. Oh Abeliaaaa..."� ♫

Speaking of abelias, my dark leafed noid abelia has turned 100% green.

Is it going to turn dark later in the year? Or has it reverted?

thanks, Ecnalg!

Paul, I have a Little Lantern, too, so you might end up drowning in Little Lantern seeds! ;-)

"Oh Abelia you're breaking my heart'--LOL Speedie, I remember that song!! :-) A couple of us got new Kaleidoscope Abelias last season (from Coleup's Ace?), so maybe there will be babies at some point??

SSG, that's interesting about your dark-leaved abelia. Is it possible new leaf growth is green and then turns darker?

Don't know about Abelia, but some plants develop their reddish coloration as the season progresses due to increased solar exposure.

Oh OH, Kaleidoscope!?!?! May I pre-adopt a baby please? Pretty please!? < =D

Ssg, it's possible that it's reverting... it's also possible that that's just new growth, and as the leaves mature they will get lighter... as the season progresses into Summer and then Fall. Maybe it's "Glossy" is coming out! :)

Speedie, first baby my Kaleidoscope has is *yours*! :-) It's leafing out nicely right now.

Oh shoot I meant weigela, not abelia!

The abelia's still looking fabulously variegated!

Mine is just light green leaves so far. Do you think it needs more sunlight?

Catmint, mine might just be a couple of weeks ahead. It's very lightly variegated at this point.

oh, good point SSG--I swear you're in a different zone than I am, despite being only a few miles away... ;-)

Oh THANK YOU Catmint! =) I promise I will give her a bright sunny home and love her to life! =)

Hmmm... not as well-versed with Weigela Ssg, I'm sorry. =(

Woo OK. Man columbines coming out of the wood work! Awesome.

hey, Terp. I was wondering if I could make use of your azalea-identifying skills? I'm still trying to figure out the names of the azaleas I have (even a species name would be good). There are 4 different colors in bloom right now (light pink, dark pink, white, and purple). I also have a few that are later blooming.

Here are photos of the 4 I have. Each one seems to be different--they do not seem to be different colors of the same variety. I've spent time looking at a page of native azaleas and I'm not sure they're even native. Any ideas you or others might have would be helpful!!

Here they are:
1) white
2) dark pink
3) light pink
4) purple
5) one blossom from each sitting on my night table :-) (where else does one keep azalea blossoms??)

I just realized I have a 5th azalea variety on the side of my house. It is a small, medium pink. So now I have five unknown varieties!!

Other interesting treasures I found in my garden today:

1) the aforementioned 5th variety of noID azalea
2) all five types of azalea blossoms next to me on my nightstand while I puzzle over them
3) a small noID hosta from Gita last year. It's very interesting with the wavy, thin leaves and seems to have some variegation. Any idea what kind it is?
4) My little umbrella plant (Syneilesis palmata)! I got it last year because I thought it was so interesting looking, but could never find a spot quite shady enough for it. I gave up on it for dead and lo and behold here it is!! Just the tiniest of babies now--I moved it into the shadiest spot I could find in my entire yard, and it seems to be growing now. hooray!
5) My baby Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), which I got as a tiny plug late last year. It made it through the winter, has been growing well, and has its first tiny little blossom!!

New blooms on my walk around the garden this evening:

1) Dianthus finally taking off
2) My Mainacht/May Night sage back and blooming robustly. The pollinators loved this plant last year and I'm hoping it's a hit again this year.
3) First lily of the valley just beginning to open--I wanted it in my yard that first year because I loved it so much, not realizing it would take over in a flash. ;-)
4) Peach Flambe heuchera just about to bloom
5) Kira Green Tea heuchera just about to bloom

Other buds are ready to open soon on my wisteria, sweetshrub, one of my rose bushes, Jacob's Ladder, and others--and my glads have sent up their very first shoots!!

Catmint I was just looking at my umbrella plant and thinking I need to move them as you don't really see them tucked back behind on of the huge Hellebore.

Here are a few from my walk around the gardens tonight.
Couple pics of the Red Buds, one of the Quince this one has a very different color flower, One of the Rhodes we got last year from Coleup I believe, Euphorbia Bonfire.

Catmint, I have no idea on the azalea ids - they sure are pretty though. It is neat how you can see that the pinks are actually such different shades when the blossoms are placed side by side.

Nice blooms popping up in our gardens. Glad to see all the pictures.

I am dog sitting the neighbor's little dog Tinker. Mike left a whole sleeve of cookies on the night stand this morning. When he came home, the foil sleeve was in shreds and all but one cookie was gone. How that little dog jumped up on the bed and got to them had to be quite a feat, and it is a wonder she wasn't sick after eating that many. And why leave the last one alone? Here is a picture of the little stinker among the daffodils.

Here is a few more, Just love the color of this two tone green hosta, some of it would be up for grabs at the swap. Brunnera, like this combo of the yellow wood poppy and dark purple helle, a few small daffs.

Cat it is tough because there are sooooo many cultivars and everybody wants to name their cross. It has really diluted things and often there are more than one that look similar. I am far from an expert. Your best bet is to post the pictures on the azalea/Rhodie forum. Try to post a close up of a bloom or multiple blooms along with an overall shot of the plant.

The other thing you can do is cruise the azalea society database.

I wish I could help more. If it helps most of mine are unnamed. I just say oh that is an early red or late purple.

Cat--

I do not remember that Hosta at all. I think, last year, I shared some mini Hostas--
and also some of the "Green Fountain" Hostas.
I also know I bought a bunch of different, variegated Hostas at the HD. They were so amazing!
There were names.....long forgotten.
I planted 3 of them and they are coming up nicely. They seemed smaller and had
nice variegation.

I would have to go back to search for last year's Swap---was it Spring--or Fall you got them?
Is it also possible that your Hosta has some deformity? The wavy edges????

Besides--don't ask me for names of anything---I am NOT a plant names person.
When you all talk about plants using Horticultural names--I am lost...and have NO clue
what you are talking about. have some mercy on us plain ole regular gardeners...OK?
G.

Very nice blooms, you guys!

I especially like that Euphorbia bonfire, Holly. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for that one in the stores.

Catmint, I love your azaleas! I have May Nights that are in part shade so they're not flowering yet.

Holly, that euphorbia Bonfire is gorgeous! Did it stay evergreen for you this winter? That's going on my shopping list. :)

Terri, that's an innocent looking dog! LOL

After looking at all those photos of beautiful flowers, I realize I need more spring-blooming perennials.
I was really happy to find that one of the Virginia bluebells I planted last year had come up and was looking very healthy and I was really looking forward to flowers, but something ate half of the plant. I suspect rabbits. I put netting around it in the hopes that it will live and flower.

Speedie, I have Gold Mound Spirea and can check for offspring if you like that kind. I have no idea how or if they spread, but if they do you (and anyone else) can have some.

Edited because I realized after I logged off that Speedie wants Abelia, not Spirea.
I love that Abelia song, Speedie!

This message was edited May 8, 2014 1:22 PM

Holly, the Euphorbia Bonfire is gorgeous, and I love the color on that quince! The hosta is beautiful. If you have some up for grabs at the swap, I'd like to be one of the grabbers! :-)

Aspen, the dog looks so innocent in the photo next to the daffs! LOL! Guess he had a full tummy after chowing down on all those cookies. ;-)

thanks, Terp. Sounds like it is difficult to ID them. I would just be happy with a species name, or even to know if they were native or not, but failing that, 'early pink azalea' works for me, too. ;-)

Gita, this would have been from the fall swap--or perhaps from the iris dig at your house. I'm pretty sure it just has crinkly leaves and the poor thing is not deformed in any way! :-) Besides, I like its cute crinkliness.

thanks, Typ and SSG. Muddy, that is too bad about your Virginia bluebells! Marigold worked for me last year to keep the rabbits away from my herbs. Now, something is chewing on my hostas in the back--but not a good spot for marigold. :-( Maybe I should start with some sluggo just in case slugs are the culprit?

hehe aspen, that is a cute little dog. Tinker, stinker! :)

The only native azaleas are deciduous azaleas.

If you want to be able to better describe your azalea there are some terms you should know.
Http://azaleas.org/azaleas.html

SSG, No I am pretty sure that it wasn't evergreen. This is the 3rd Euphorbia Bonfire I have planted guess I finally got the location right. I am so excited with it.
I grew that two toned green hosta in a shallow pot last summer and it overwintered in the pot.
Cat I will put you down for some of it.

Thanks Holly that would be great!

Thanks Terp that is good to know.

Hey friends
got this a couple years aho i thought from aspenhill or hollly. Has a faded tag in my writing says Tiny Monster. Well TM is Cranesbill which this aint. I didnt find it in any of oue journals. Anybody know? Planted in part shadr and see its qyite small next to a red clover and deadnettle. Please snd thank you!

Aaaaggggghhhhhpic wont load from phone

Aaaasgggghhhhh dg didnt show me it loaded every time
!!!!!!!!!

Stachys? but not lamb's ear

This message was edited May 8, 2014 7:30 AM

Tinker left one to share. Hehehehe