The star magnolia blooms all face the sun.		I need to divide the scilla under the magnolia on the front lawn so it blooms in a sea of blue.		Hosta's are beginning to poke up around the tree trunk. They will replace the hellebores and daffodils for summer's blooms.		The checkered lilies just opened.

 

Cornus mas blooms with pushkinia and daffodils at its feet.		Virginia blue bells are beginning to open.		The bleeding hearts haven't spread their wings yet.

 

Hyacinth bloom in the cutting garden.		Bulbs bloom beneath the shrubs and trees before they leaf out.		The red species tulips compliment the coral bark maples.

 

Hellebores and daffodils cavort on the bank of old roses.		For a decade I scooped up hellebore seedlings and moved them about to create this hellebore playground.		Spike witch hazel is elegant even blooming among weeds like the March marigolds.

 

 

April 12, 2009
Spring Awakening

Along the woodland path, bulbs are racing into bloom.

 

It isn’t the calendar that announces spring. It’s the blaring trumpet of the first daffodil that starts the race of spring bulbs. Yet it’s the demure beauties, glory-of-the snow, checkered lilies, Siberian squill, puschkinia, and primroses that garner my attention. When it comes to bulbs, bigger is not always better. Many tiny spring bulbs are among Mother Nature’s most carefree plants, undemanding and adaptable. Their ability to roll with the punches and go forth and multiply is just short of a miracle. In my garden they are encouraged and utterly at liberty to roam.

 

Siberian squill have naturalized on the bank to the water. They mimic the blue of the sea as they swim between the daffs, primroses and hellibores.

 

Siberian squill even bloom in the cracks of the stone path.		Siberian squill are scatter rugs of bloom.		As the bulbs fade hosta, astilbe and daylilies appear.

 

The Siberian squill planted along the lilac path seeded themselves at the lilacs feet. I could never have planted them so close to the roots.

 

Daffodils blooms with Siberian squill under the bare legs of lilacs.		Siberian squill bloom and depart before the lilacs leaf out.

 

Even the bare rose bushes get a lift from bulbs blooming between them in the spring. The red peony shoots delight in pushing up among the squill as well.

 

Glory-of-the-snow and hyacinth have been blooming under the bare roses for a decade.		The red peony shoots make a colorful display mixed among the Siberian squill.