Flaunt Those Flowers Fertilizer Friday

Today is Tootsies Flaunt Those Flowers Fertilizer Friday. So head over to Tootsie Time and see who's showing off their flowers today.

Looks like a Peony doesn't it?

It's an Armeria like this.

This Dianthus Floral Lace Violet has one bloom on it - it's just starting and will
bloom all summer I believe.

A Pink Hardy Geranium just starting to bloom.
Pretty isn't it - the purple one is starting too but I didn't get a picture yet.

Here's another Columbine blooming and I don't know it's name.

The Phlox are doing good - in spite of a kazillion fir needles.

My pink and white Lupine is opening - can't wait to see it - to see if it's the
right color for starters!

This one was new last year and apparently doesn't grow very fast. It's Rock
Jasmine Androsace Sarmentosa. Anyone familiar with it? It's pretty and in my
color so I had to have it.

My Spiderwort is starting to bloom. One of my favorites - in the fuchsia color is
my real favorite but I love the 2 colors together even better.

One of my Weigelas is opening and I don't know the name of this one. It's just
getting started.

Jacobs Ladder is finally blooming and I can smell the grape scent. It took long
enough.

I thought it was kind of interesting that this cone fell from clear up in a fir
tree and landed right in the middle of the Crocus looking like it was a big
bloom. I guess this is a Crocus - I thought it was the one that bloomed early
then layed around on the ground all summer looking like crap and then bloomed
again in the fall. Maybe not.

What's Happening In My Gardens II

Flaunt Those Flowers Fertilizer Friday

Today is Tootsies Flaunt Those Flowers Fertilizer Friday. So head over to Tootsie Time and see who's showing off their flowers today.
Looks like a Peony doesn't it? It's an Armeria like this.
This Dianthus Floral Lace Violet has one bloom on it - it's just starting and will bloom all summer I believe.
A Pink Hardy Geranium just starting to bloom.
Pretty isn't it - the purple one is starting too but I didn't get a picture yet.
Here's another Columbine blooming and I don't know it's name.
The Phlox are doing good - in spite of a kazillion fir needles.

My pink and white Lupine is opening - can't wait to see it - to see if it's the right color for starters! This one was new last year and apparently doesn't grow very fast. It's Rock Jasmine Androsace Sarmentosa. Anyone familiar with it? It's pretty and in my color so I had to have it.
My Spiderwort is starting to bloom. One of my favorites - in the fuchsia color is my real favorite but I love the 2 colors together even better.

One of my Weigelas is opening and I don't know the name of this one. It's just getting started.

Jacobs Ladder is finally blooming and I can smell the grape scent. It took long enough.
I thought it was kind of interesting that this cone fell from clear up in a fir tree and landed right in the middle of the Crocus looking like it was a big bloom. I guess this is a Crocus - I thought it was the one that bloomed early then layed around on the ground all summer looking like crap and then bloomed again in the fall. Maybe not.

Blooms At Last

Imagine my surprise when backing out of the driveway I see some purple on the front bank. Yes, we have a bloom on the property - FINALLY! In fact I have two flowers blooming and a couple showing colored buds. First my Periwinkle or Vinca Minor is blooming.

Then I did a real double take when I saw my Brunnera Jack Frost. There were little tiny sprouts of blue showing that I almost missed

And my Armeria has some pink buds just waiting to open up into pink balls on long stems.

Last is the flower I've had a love/hate relationship with for years. Actually that isn't true - I didn't love or hate it - I ignored it. I'm sure this Helleborus Niger Lenten Rose was pretty once or it wouldn't have come home with me. But later it seemed so blah and washed out and of course the stems and leaves just lay on the ground. Then a couple of years ago I heard about nothing but Helleborus and how beautiful they were. I just kept my thoughts to myself and bit my lip rather than asking if everyone was nuts. Since then I have started seeing some really pretty ones online at peoples posts. So the other day I went out and looked at it and ya know what? It's getting prettier with age. In fact this picture looks beautiful. Of course it's leaves are still all over the ground and it doesn't hold it's head up so we can see it but when I propped it up for a picture it was really pretty

I suppose if I quit ignoring it and gave it a haircut and some food it might do better. So I guess it's a keeper after all it is blooming at a time when nothing else does.

What's Happening In My Gardens

I think since I have so many plants coming now I’ll just do half. I don’t want to bore everyone with too many little sprouts and tiny blooms all at once. They’ll get bigger cause we’re getting sun this weekend to make everything grow.

I was very excited to see some new growth on my Hardy Fuchsia Santa Claus. I already had spotted some on Double Otto. Now I have 2 more to check on and hope they come back. They are on the graves of our two little dachshunds Prissy and Schatze. Up there I have Phyllis and Brutus. Phyllis has the slightest bit of growth starting to show so I'm pretty confident that Brutus will too. They are in a lot of shade up there so they take a little longer to bloom. But this was their first year so I was especially anxious to know if they made it through our harsh winter. I've also planted Columbines around our two little friends graves and they are doing well. We lost Schatzee last year and I wanted to make changes to the flowers up there.
Hardy Fuchsia Santa Claus

Another plant I was concerned about was not having seen any Hostas yet. Guess I was needlessly anxious about them because they are all peeking through in three different places. One we moved last fall and it wasn't looking good then so I'm happy to see it's back.

The Calla Lilies are finally peeking through and there's a viola that popped up next to them. I eventually plan on having Callas line the whole front of the house to cover the foundation and they will make a nice backdrop for other flowers.

My Japanese Painted Fern is also showing now.

Around the corner from them still in a shaded area I have Brunnera Jack Frost he's getting bigger but his leaves are still a lot smaller than usual when it's blooming. Usually they are around 6" long or more but this year are only half that size. Hopefully he'll be full size soon.

Pulmonaria Smokey Blue

Jacobs Ladder Blue Pearl

Dicentra Spectabilis or Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart

The Columbines in here are looking good and so is my Heuchera Plum Pudding - just a wonderful wine color with silver in the foliage.

Down a little farther where a little more sun comes into the bed is an Armeria loaded with blooms.

Down that side of the house are also some other plants I started and planted last year that are showing green. A Weigela, Abelia, Red Valerian, Sedum Linda Windsor, Sedum Autumn Joy.I was concerned about my Spirea Little Princess because she looked brown and pretty lifeless but she's got new growth on her so I can relax now.
Spirea Little Princess