From the Ashes of Winter Comes April Bloom Day!

Welcome to Garden Season 2014 at Idyll Haven!  I know I've been remiss in my blog posting.  Truth be told, time and inspiration are in short supply around here in January and February.  Work is busy and I'm not a huge winter fan.  What little time I did have was spent hiking with a great group of people I met on Meetup.  Winter hiking is fun in small doses.  Given the choice I'll take spring, summer or fall.  In the name of balance I do plan to continue to hike with this bunch through garden season.  Stay tuned to see how that goes. 

Usually I can start getting out in the garden in March but not this year.  Winter went out kicking and screaming and took the month of March down with it.  Fortunately April has been somewhat kinder.  Temperatures are starting to moderate.  A few plants have started poking their heads out of the burrows but not many..

Out of morbid curiosity, I went back and took a peek at my 2013 April Bloom Day post.  The garden was most definitely further along but most notable was the abundance of heavily blooming Pieris.  For whatever reason that will not be happening this spring.  Maybe I forgot to toss Hollytone on them last year or they are just pouting over the late cold in March.  'Valley Valentine' appears to be the only bloomer and is sporting about half as many flowers as last year.

Every spring I vow to plant more bulbs come fall.  Every fall I get too busy with leaf and garden cleanup and never follow through.   Remind me in August to place an obscenely expensive bulb order.  That way the skinflint side of me will kick into gear and never allow them to go to waste even if I have to take a vacation day to plant them.  I will plant more bulbs this fall.  I will.  I will.  I will. 

Years ago I had this great idea to naturalize Chionodoxa in the front lawn.

It has since colonized in a few of the garden beds.

After they bloom I plan to scatter a few around the back gardens and hope for similar results.

Hellebores are reliable standbys in the early spring garden.

Pansies are not a garden staple here but who can resist their cheerful faces?

Big Blue Foot gets the prize for being the first planter out of the garage this season.

 

A lone daffodil tries to decide whether to take a chance. 

Forsythia 'Fiesta' is also slow to shine this year but the good news is now I can hack back what's left of my token roses.

My favorite and earliest grape hyacinths.

 A few shy Pulmonarias have seeded under a weeping Acer palmatum 'Viridis'.  In a few weeks they will no longer be visible.

Bare ground is still abundant leaving few opportunities for wide angle views.  Better luck next month.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting my most favorite blog meme.  If you get a chance, head on over and and check out what is blooming today in gardens all over the world.

Happy Spring!

Sue~