Lots of Color

The area is getting lots of color now, from tulips, daffodils, redbud trees, fruit trees, etc. It got a bit too warm for a couple of days, but now we have a stretch in the 60s again, so the spring flowers will have a few more days before wilting from heat.

 

Spring has been slow this year, but the plus side to that slow warm up is that blooms on trees and shrubs never got set back by a frost or freeze. We only have a redbud tree, but in the general area I've seen flowering almond, rhododendron, and lots of flowering fruit trees, and they are all really full of flowers.

My favorite daffodils are always the ones with the dark center cup. 

 

The bicolor tulips in front here were added a few years ago, and only have blooms every so often. The tulips in the background are darwin hybrids. They started out as a bulb mix with red, pink, and white. Now, almost 20 years later, they've reverted to mostly yellow, but they are still a cheerful sight.

 

Spring Ephemerals

 We have a few spring flowers showing now. I think everything is going to bloom at once this spring, because of the cooler temperatures holding the earliest flowers back.

 

 

This is my first year with some iris reticulata, and it certainly is a beautiful vibrant purple. 

Snowdrops are finishing. I have some new crocus that still haven't bloomed yet, although the older crocus I have has come and gone already. Scilla and glory-of-the-snow are looking gorgeous right now. Daffodils are showing buds, but only a few are showing yellow yet, and only one flower of my earliest type has bloomed. Bluebells have buds. 

I can see the beginnings of the bleeding hearts, and the species tulips all have leaves up, but no buds yet. 

I have definitely lost some things this winter as well. The garden that the turkeys kept digging up has several dead plants. I planted my first hydrangea last summer, which is supposed to be okay growing with black walnut, and I don't see any budding on it yet. On the plus side, the Sweet William is coming back in both areas where I planted it, and I'm hoping it will take over in those places!

Also, I had to chase my first stupid rabbit out of the garden this morning. So far no obvious damage though.