Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day–March 2015

After surviving a week of cold, wet weather in Washington, DC, I’m back in my office this morning, window open, relishing bird song, blue skies, and a warm day, with temperatures predicted to reach 80 degrees F (26 C).  Best of all, look what I found blooming in the garden when I returned home.

Flowers & Foliage, March 2015

The collection of Camellia japonica includes (top, left to right) ‘Jordan’s Pride’, ‘Memphis Bell’, unknown white, (bottom) ‘Glen 40’, ‘Memphis Bell’, and an unknown red.  All of these cultivars were likely planted in the 1950s and/or 1960s.  The other flowers are forsythia, Helleborus orientalis (Lenten roses), Edgeworthia chrysantha, Veronica ‘Georgia Blue’, pansies, violas, Pieris japonica ‘Temple Bells’, and Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ (miniature daffodil).  The foliage is Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’, Rumex sanguineus (bloody dock), Asarum (Chinese ginger), Nandina domestica, Aucuba japonica ‘Gold Dust’, and Gardenia sp. ‘Variegata’ (commonly called “double variegated”).

The millefliori-style photograph is inspired by the work of Ellen Hoverkamp, but my process is much simpler.  Here’s another inside peek at my studio…

To see what’s blooming in other parts of the world, visit May Dreams Gardens.

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.