Spring Flowers for April ~ GBBD April 2016

Welcome to Havenwood!

It has been such a roller coaster spring, as I am sure you know or have heard from many other eastern US gardeners. We had more buds in January than ever before, as our true cold did not arrive until February. Then a especially mild March, with more snow and cold in the first two weeks of April. And now it is 70 degrees again today.  This is not totally abnormal for our zone 5 garden, but the high temps have been much higher than usual. This has brought the garden further along than it normally is at this time of year.

Many flowers that were doing so well, so soon... too soon... did meet a cruel end with the frost.

The star magnolia blooms were blackened after one day of blooming all around our town. The taller daffodils did not stand up as well to the snow that covered them soon after they were full out, but the shorter ones have stood the test. The pretty star of Bethlehem, that I recently posted, were soon snuffed out with cold. But still, the garden and the gardener marches on...

There are still a few pretties to see today for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day in our western PA garden.

A Few White Spring Flowers...

Lenten rose, Helleborus orientalis, comes in a plethora of beautiful colors and patterns.

We have had some beautiful spring weather! And also some more snow. That is spring here in Pennsylvania, with its immoderate temperature swings and hour by hour changes. But then much of the interior US is like that. Only the coastal areas benefit from the moderating effect of the ocean.

And yet, we can still have beautiful flowers that hold up to these extremes and come out on the mild days. Here are a few beauties I can recommend!

Crocus tommasinianus for Early Spring

The bees are out drinking it up in the spring sunshine.

This is undoubtedly my favorite early spring crocus, as every year it spreads its cheery purple all around both of my gardens, here at Havenwood and Gilmore as well. I cannot get enough color at this time of year. Inevitably, I think, "Why did I not plant a few hundred more?"

Are My Bulbs OK in the Snow???

Crocus tommasinianus in the snow...

People always ask, "Are my bulbs are going to be ok coming up in harsh winter weather?" 

"My tulips are poking up and it is only January! Are they going to be ok?" 

Scenes from Havenwood, June 2015

The Rose Garden at just 9 months old.

Welcome to Pennsylvania in June! Flowers are popping out every moment, so it is hard to even keep up with seeing what is new, let alone sharing it. (Though I have been doing a better job on Instagram / Twitter !) These are the days when every walk through the garden reveals new delights... everything growing like crazy.

This is RHS testing week for me, so I am busy reviewing my list of 300 plants that I am supposed to know backwards & forwards. :) But I could not let this week get away without share a little of what is blooming here at our new garden, Havenwood....

An Egg Hunt and our Bunny...

Iris histrioides 'Katharine Hodgkin' in the Birch Walk

Our bulbs have been a great success so far at Havenwood this spring, even though they were covered in snow just a week before Easter. The snow melted and they made the perfect little hiding spots around the garden for colorful eggs on brown leaves... Can you find them all? ;)

How to Choose a Tulip Combination

Tulip 'Princess Irene' and Tulip 'Cum Laude' at Gilmore Gardens in May 2012

I have put much thought this week into what bulbs we should start at Havenwood for our first official spring season next year. There are crocuses, snowdrops, rock irises, daffodils, fritillaries, grape hyacinths, anemones, summer snowflakes, camassias, allium and - not least - tulips to think about. That is a lot to hold in ones head!

When it comes to choosing tulips in particular, I have found a trick that really helps me have a good idea about what the finished planting is going to look like: just Google it. (Isn't that the answer to many of life questions in our modern world!) Any browser (Bing. etc) with an image search capability will do.

Colonial Williamsburg ~ Governor's Palace Garden

Bluebells by the Wall in the Governor's Palace Garden in Williamsburg, VA

Last May we took the kids to visit Colonial Williamsburg for the first time. It was a lovely experience! They really enjoyed it. And of course, our family spent a nice long time just enjoying the most beautiful garden in the place at the Governor's Palace. Here are a few shots of one wall and parterre at the back of the house.

Ornithogalum magnum... and studying for the RHS!

Ornithogalum magnum

Ornithogalum magnum is a new flower bulb to me. I decided to try some from John Scheepers after seeing a similar variety at Phipps Conservatory for their Spring Show 2011.