I know that April is late for an indoor Amaryllis.
‘Benfica’ has put up its THIRD stalk of blooms.
I am usually pleased to see a second stalk, this is my first for a third.
I hope it does this well out in the garden.
Flower
Amaryllis in April?
Another Darling Baby
My other “Darling of Spring” is a tiny Columbine, ‘Little Lanterns’ Aquilegia canadensis.
It is always the first Columbine to bloom.
I have it right by the path into our house because it is less than 10 inches tall.
It will not be overlooked, however, because if its “fire engine red” blooms.
I have many varieties of Columbine that I will share later,
but this one is my most precious.
I have one more itty-bitty plant to share, but you will have to wait several weeks for it.
Every day is an art show in April.
I hope you are out and about. It’s a beautiful world.
Flower
The Darling of Spring
I do adore all my plants, especially the tiny ones.
This yellow Epimedium always stops me in my tracks when it blooms.
I have to go sit on the ground beside it.
It is so complex and delicate.
It needs close examination to have a full appreciation.
It is one of my two “Darlings of spring.”
Stay tuned for the other tomorrow.
I want to add a photo of my male bluebird friend who now comes to visit me as I work.
I LOVE spring!
Flower
Who’s the Fool?
For an April Fool’s Day joke, we sprinkled Ruth with glitter.
She thinks it was pixie dust.
I hope she realizes those wings aren’t real.
Guess not.
I’d better find myself a really good lawyer.
Flower the Fool
Fascinated by Fungi
It’s not all flowers here in my garden.
I found this little colony of cup fungi while weeding.
I have looked in all my books, but there is no perfect match.
The white stalk and jelly inside do not fit with all the photos.
Anybody out there know their name?
FLOW
My Coffee Tree
My friend Maria gave me a Coffee Tree.
It has tripled in size.
Now it is covered in beautiful white blooms.
Will there be beans?
That’s up to the bees.
Flow
Mellow Daffodils
For those of you that do not love sunny yellow, there are mellow daffodils.
Ice Follies Narcissus has a pale yellow fluffy cup.
Thalia is pure white and pointy.
I found a ’60 Days of Daffodils’ by Simple Pleasures that has many varieties.
This one with pink cups was a surprise mixed in a pack of others.
Love this double!
These Tazetta cultivars have a mystery source also.
If you are too mellow for yellow, there are many other daffodil colors.
Mellow Flow
Oh, Alberto!
These tiny, tough little flowers are showing off right now.
I love the lines down the back of the blooms.
Starflower: Ipheion uniflorum has the extra bonus of being deer resistant.
This is ‘Albert Castillo’.
It has done well and doubled it’s numbers each year.
The white blooms are especially lovely mornings, evenings and on rainy days.
FLOWER
My Only Quince
I have a shrub circle down the hill from the house.
The shrubs are planted around a huge oak tree.
I have included one special specimen of each of my favorite types of shrubs.
I planned each to bloom in its own time.
The first to bloom is my one and only Quince.
It is the Quince of dreams.
Chaenomeles ‘ Double Take, Orange Storm’.
I found it while plant shopping with my sister.
It was in a too small pot full of weeds. I had to rescue it.
I told the worker that I was reporting them for abuse and neglect.
He gave me a discount.
My ‘Orange Storm’ has recovered nicely.
Stay tuned for more from the shrub circle.
FLOWER
floweralley 