Things have finally started to bloom! Like most gardens in April mine has daffodils...
...and this lovely hellebore (passalong from Mr. McGregor's Daughter).
The pasque flowers (Anemone patens) are huddling together for warmth. In typical Chicago fashion, April has taken a turn back to cold and windy weather.
The inflorescences on these Pennsylvania sedges (Carex pensylvanica) are "blooming." I'm happy to see these doing so well and even spreading a little along the berm of the rain garden. The ones in the basin and along the other berm are not as vigorous; a consequence of less-than-ideal siting for these sedges which prefer dry shade. Now that I know they're thriving in this location, I think I might add a couple more because that side of the rain garden needs stabilization, and if there's something that wants to grow in that mostly-very-dry-occasionally-flooded-shade, then be my guest!
And the forsythia is making a valiant attempt at blooming. Trapped in dry shade, this shrub is doomed to a lackluster existence since it grows directly on top of the electric and cable lines (this is why you should call the utility people before digging!!). But it's doing the best it can with what it's got.
New foliage and buds are everywhere, and it's both exciting and nerve-wracking to see what made it through a long, cold winter. If the weather would just stabilize a little, I would have my lettuce and broccoli seedlings in the veggie garden since they're exploding out of the seed starting tray. Hopefully this weekend it'll happen!
For more Bloom Day posts see Carol at May Dreams Garden!
4 comments:
Yippee~real blooms! I am so excited. Love the pasque flower! In fact, I dream of being able to grow it! You are so smart to add native carex. They are perfect for shady nooks and even sunny ones. I must send you Penstemon calycosus (Penstomen X) It can take wet feet and dry. gail
Isn't it great to finally be able to share some real blooms on Bloom Day?! Daffodils always make me happy because I know that spring is finally here. I don't have any seedlings ready to plant in the veggie garden, but I do want to direct sow some lettuce and spinach as soon as possible. If I tried today, the seeds would all blow away:)
I'm so glad that hellebore is blooming. Want any more hellebores? I've got some dark ones I can spare. My Pennsylvania sedge is almost ready to bloom, but not as far along as yours. They are cute little things. I direct sowed some lettuce & spinach, but they haven't come up yet. The self-sown lettuce is coming along very nicely. I hope you can get your seedlings into the ground soon.
So right about Chicago style springs! Yesterday and today look exactly like you described! Beautiful blooms for you!
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