Time Marches On-2009 Bloom Day

The day’s blooms begin with Salix discolor, now beginning to flower from the furry catkins. Photo taken at offspring Semi’s garden, but ours are also blooming now. Seed grown wallflower, Erysimum is just opening. This might be Cloth Of Gold, I can’t find the seed packet. It has reseeded in the gravel extravagantly. In another year we should be awash in gold cloths.Helleborus orientalis ‘Blue Lady’. Crocus vernus ‘Pickwick’Let us rest our eyes with a little bit longer view of those. Heuchera ‘Brownie’ in the back.Blue on blue, Hyacinth on grape hyacinth, Muscari armeniacum Still more blue, Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’ in the knot garden. Narcissus ‘Audubon’ N. ‘Ice Follies’ N. ‘Jetfire’ Another eye rest period with a shot of cute little N. ‘Tete-a-Tete’ along the garage deck upper wall.Oriental poppies, Papaver orientale in background, from neighbors Mae and Mickey. Daphne odora is like a very fragrant miniature bouquet. The small shrub is covered in blooms this year but most of the leaves look appalling or there would be a whole plant shot included here.Another passalong from neighbors Mae and Mickey, flowering quince, Chaenomeles speciousa.Also from M and M, purple leaf peach, Prunus persica? Mickey grew several of these from cuttings and gave them to the neighbors up and down our street. He even planted this one for me.Erica no ID. Just to let you know there are still several of these around and about the slopes that were not removed with the big heather upheaval. There were several small pots of Callunas and Ericas purchased at a nursery near Chattanooga that was selling them as ground cover for $1.75 a pot. I bought them all, seven or eight, even without tags. All have been good performers. The one gallon sized Erica darleyensis Mediterranean white and pink from the big box store grew too large and were removed from the heather bed to make way for a more diverse planting there.The final portion of today’s show will be the orchids. Newly opened for this month are Paphiopedilum Onyx ‘Fancy Cherry’ x Paph. sukhakulii, and Mtda. Bartley Schwarz ‘Highland’ , one of the few non Paphs here, a gift from friend Laurie.This might be the most orchids blooming at the same time for us ever, a little orchid show. From left using shortened names is Paph. Denehurst ‘Surprise’, P. ‘Fancy Cherry’, P. ‘Oriental Mystique’, Mtda. ‘Highland’ and Paph. ‘Quasky’. Thanks for the blooms you guys! (To the curious, no, the orchids cannot be outside yet. They only made the short jaunt to the pond wall for their portraits, then were whisked back to the warm humid greenhouse/sunroom for a few more weeks.)Well, that’s the end of our show. Wave bye bye, kiddies. Little high pitched squeaky voices emanating from the violas, “Bye bye, friends!”
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For yet more colorful flowers go visit the founder of Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, the vivacious Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see posts from around the world.
Frances