Flirting With Freezing

4/28/15

Kwanzan or the rarer Hizakura cherry?

     I postponed planting flower seeds and plants in the yard last week after looking at the weather report.  We were down in the 30's at night last week with a frost warning one night.  The beautiful Yoshino cherry trees in the front yard only lasted a week.  But now the later blooming  kwanzan is loaded with flowers.  The flowers on this tree look like flowers on the rarer Hizakura cherry in a photo from a book I got from the National Aboretum. Whatever it is, it is beautiful.  Here are some photos of what is happening in the yard.

The tulips finally showed up!

The hosta plants seem to be getting high quickly.

The two dogwood trees finally bloomed.

This is a miniature rose bush my husband gave me on Valentine's Day.  After staying on my kitchen table for six weeks, I put it out in the back yard garden at the end of March.  It just produced a bloom.

The Asiatic lilies are pushing through the soil.

The azaleas finally opened a few days ago three weeks late.

     The leaves on the trees are slowly coming out.  Most of the leaves are small, and some trees still don't have any leaves in our neighborhood.  This week I am planting flower seeds in the back and side yard gardens, and I am going to put plants in my deck pots. It is going to be May 1 on Friday, and  I am tired of waiting. 

Hooray! Blooming Is In Full Swing

4/16/15

Cherry trees lining my street

     What a difference a few warm days make.  So many plants suddenly appeared this past weekend.  The cherry trees finally bloomed this past Sunday.  This is a photo of the trees lining my street.  My house is out of view on the right.  Here is what is happening in the yard.

The side yard garden daffodils are in full bloom awaiting the appearance of the perennials there.

The back yard garden daffodils and hyacinths bloomed.  The tips of the perennials are just peeking through the soil.

The perennials on the other side of the back garden are filling in faster.

Here's a close up of one of the brunnera plants whose tiny blue flowers appeared three days ago.

The astilbe seemed to push through and leaf out quickly in the back garden.

All the hosta plants have started comng through the soil.

Finally, the grape hyacinths showed up two days ago.

     The buds on the pink and the white dogwood trees in the back yard look like they will open in the next day or so.  Still waiting on the azalea bushes and the tulips.  Although it is possible, it's rare to have a frost here after April 20.  I can't wait to buy annuals next week and start setting them out, and planting my zinnia, gomphrena and sunflower seeds.

The Calendar Says It's Spring

4/5/15

primrose

     Although the calendar says it is spring, botanically I am still waiting for it to happen in my yard.  After such a cold March, we finally have had a few warm days, and a lot of plants should pop into bloom in a few days.  But the only thing blooming in the yard is a yellow primrose plant and a few hellebores.

dogwood tree

     There is nary a flower on the azalea bushes, the dogwood buds are in wait mode as are all the cherry trees.  Here are some photos of a few things that have emerged in my backyard garden.

tulips

daffodils

brunnera plants

But overall the backyard garden looks pretty bare.

hyacinths

     Everything is two to three weeks behind this spring.  I did see some forsythia in bloom just yesterday in the neighborhood.  So while I am waiting, I bought some hyacinths at the grocery to tide me over till blooming starts.