Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day–April 15, 2014

For Upstate gardeners, and others in our region, it appears to be a matter of enjoying spring blooms while we can, as weather experts are predicting a hard freeze for tonight. Fingers crossed that the cloud cover moves out later than expected, thus improving conditions.

On this wet and windy day, here’s some of the best of what’s blooming in the ornamental garden…

Front garden including white & pink dogwood trees, azaleas, Spanish bluebells, Lenten roses, Japanese maple, and Chocolate Chip ajuga.

Front garden from opposite direction.

Container gardens on front stoop.

Rainbow euphorbia

Variegated Solomon’s seal

Iris cristata

Epimedium grandiflorum

And in the woodland garden…

Sweet Betsy trillium

Wild blue phlox

Carolina silverbell

Sweetshrub

If you have time to visit other gardens around the world, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, the host of GBBD.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day—February 15, 2013

I saw my first (and probably only) snowflakes this winter on Saturday, February 2, but the precipitation turned to rain within the hour. The Upstate has had plenty of gray days and moisture since January’s Bloom Day posting, with temperatures fluctuating from the 20s into the 70s. I’ve heard, but haven’t been able to confirm, our most recent cold weather destroyed much of this year’s peach crop. Fingers crossed the sad news isn’t true. More cold is on the way this weekend, however, as Saturday’s forcast predicts a low of 24 degrees F.

Even still, there are blooms in the garden. The vignette below is inspired by Ellen HoverKamp‘s stunning botanical photgraphs in Natural Companions: The Garden Lover’s Guide to Plant Combinations by Ken Druse, a favorite Christmas gift I simply can’t put down.

Vignette inspired by Ken Druse

Flowers include several Camellia japonica (top) and various Helleborus hybrids (bottom). The rosette of yellow near the center of the photo is Edgeworthia chrysantha (Chinese paper bush), and the yellow fringe at the bottom is Hamamelis mollis ‘Wisley Supreme’ (witch hazel). The pansy is ‘Dynamite Wine Flash’, while the smaller viola is ‘Sorbet Antique Shades.’ The early yellow daffodils draw attention to the ‘Gold Dust’ Aucuba japonica (aucuba), and the slightly smaller leaves of variegated Gardenia jasminoides (gardenia). The red-veined foliage is Rumex sanguineus (bloody dock), and the silver-veined is Saxifraga stolonifera (strawberry begonia).

Even better, here’s what’s blooming or almost blooming in the woodland.

Erythronium americanum (trout lily)

Trillium cuneatum (Sweet Betsy)

Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot)

To discover what’s blooming in gardens around the world, visit the host of Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens.

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day—January 15, 2013

Today is my first post for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day and I’m excited to join a group of plant enthusiasts who share the excitement of what’s flowering in their gardens on the 15th day of each month.

After a cold start to 2013 in the Upstate, with nights dropping into the 20s, January has flip-flopped to provide a week of spring-like conditions with lots of rain and daytime temperatures reaching into the 60s and even 70s. The recent unseasonable weather, coupled with a milder-than-usual winter, has provoked many plants into early bloom.

I find the camellias, which predate me in this garden, to be especially cheerful this year. I’m only sorry I can’t provide their names.

Camellia japonica

Camellia japonica

Camellia japonica

Camellia japonica

Camellia sasanqua

The garden is sweetly scented thanks to this trio of fragrant woody plants.

Hamamelis mollis ‘Wisley Supreme’

Prunus mume ‘Peggy Clark’

Osmanthus fragrans

And wouldn’t winter be lackluster without these seasonal favorites?

Helleborus orientalis

Helleborus niger ‘Jacob’

Viola ‘Sorbet Antique Shades’

Mixed container including ornamental kale and pansy ‘Dynamite Wine Flash’

If you’d like to see what’s flowering today in other gardens, visit the site where Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day began—May Dreams Gardens.