May Bloom Day in April

Malus 'Prairiefire'

If you didn't look at the calendar while out in the garden, you'd swear it was mid-May. The scents of crabapple, Phlox divaricata, bearded Iris and Calycanthus floridus 'Athens' mingle and waft on the breeze. As the above photo shows, the crabapple is in full bloom. The girl saw a hummingbird visiting it yesterday (of course I was too late to see it).

There is so much in bloom right now, I wish I could share all of it. The redbud (Cercis canadensis) is still in bloom, while Daphne burkwoodii 'Silver Edge' is in full swing.

I'm not sure I like the scent, but the ornamental qualities are outstanding.

Also loaded with promise are the little blueberries I grow in pots, 'North Sky' and 'Northern Blue'.

I can't wait for the fruit.

Just coming into "bloom" (actually bracts) is the kousa dogwood, Cornus kousa 'Beni Fuji'

This is the reddest the bracts have ever looked.

Turning from woody plants to bulbs, it's surprising how much is still hanging on. This big mystery tulip (ID please?)

has been blooming for weeks.

Making its Bloom Day debut is a new bulb for me from my friend Leslie of Growing a Garden in Davis,

Leucojum, the so-called summer snowflake.

There are still daffodils in bloom and daffodils to come.

Narcissus 'La Vie En Rose'

Narcissus 'Stainless'

The woodland garden is nearing it's climax for the year.

Dicentra 'Bountiful', Phlox divaricata 'Clouds of Perfume' and Tiarella 'Iron Butterfly'

Phlox divaricata 'Lemon Slice' has the same fragrant flowers,

but the foliage makes it really stand out.

Still blooming from last month are Stylophorum diphyllum

and Mertensia virginica

The look-alike flowers of Pulmonaria are also in bloom.

P. 'Roy Davidson' is paired with a seedling hellebore (Helleborus x hybridus).

Opening just in time for Bloom Day are the Dodecatheons.

This is a disappointing year for Trillium. T. flexipes has no bloom, while one of the other white Trillium got damaged by the freezes. This T. grandiflorum survived just fine.

It is paired with the non-native Brunnera macrophylla 'Hadspen Cream'.


My new favorite Brunnera is 'Diane's Gold',

seen here with the labrador violet.

At the front of the woodland garden, Epimedium 'Lilafee'

and Anemonella thalictroides (Thalictrum thalictroides) 'Oscar Shoaf'.

Nearby, is a lone variegated Lunaria from seed my friend Helen Yoest of Gardening with Confidence gave me.

There was nothing wrong with the seed. The fault is mine; I accidentally weeded them out.

To finish, the newly opened blooms of the bearded Iris.

As always, thanks goes to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting Bloom Day.

Also in bloom:
Anemonella thalictroides
Anemonella thalictroides var. rosea
Anemonella thalictroides 'Cameo'
Arisaema triphyllum
Asarum canadensis
Brunnera 'Looking Glass'
Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine'
Dicentra 'King of Hearts'
Forsythia
Geranium maculatum
Geum triflorum
Muscari
various hellebores
Heucherella 'Burnished Bronze'
pansies, violas and violets
Polemium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven'
Pushkinia libanotica
Tiarella 'Pink Brushes'
Tiarella wherryi