Garden Bloggers Bloom Day April 2010

The ONLY thing, and I do mean the ONLY nice thing about April 15th, aside from being alive, is GARDEN BLOGGERS BLOOM DAY!  Because I finished my taxes EARLY (as in, five minutes ago), I can build my post.

This April’s bloom day is so special because I’ve been out of town for 8 days.  You might think “Well, no matter? A week’s a week, right?”  Let me tell you: In Wilmington, NC, in April, missing a week in the garden is like missing a MONTH any other time of year.  When I left on April 6th, my hosta were still MIA, the Azaleas were just THINKING about blooming, and my ornamental mustard was still just a mass of leaves.  I came home, 8 days later, to this:

My own Azalea Festival

The First Rose Bloom of 2010

A Tumble of Lady Banks Roses

Fragrant Holly Blooms

My Husband’s New Magnolia

Salvia

A Star-Anise Plant

Mustard, bolting

Heuchera, oh how I love heuchera

A little Mishmash in my Butterfly Border

Ornamental Cabbage, bolting (view of garden in background)

Another, semi-wide shot of the garden

I don’t think my garden looks all that interesting when taken as a whole. It is only two years old (this will be its third summer), and it is still filling in.  I can’t WAIT to see what the ornamental grasses do this summer. I’ve added a bunch to the front garden. Should improve the texture.  But, I included two wide shots this time to give you sort of an idea of what I’m working with.  Basically, I dug up half of my front yard.

I had a fantastic time in Idaho (more pics of that to come), but I’m SO glad that I didn’t ENTIRELY miss the spring bloom in Wilmington.  This city is truly a magical place, this time of year.

A BIG thank you to Carol, over at May Dreams Gardens for dreaming up Bloom Day and hosting its headquarters on her blog! Visit her here.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day March 2010

Today’s Bloom Day!

It has been a BONKERS busy day here at The Garden of Words. HOWEVER, my new peach trees are blooming.  Here’s a pic!

It is kind of blurry.  I took it with my phone.

Visit Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for the rest of the Bloom Day fun!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: February 2010

Technically, these aren’t true Bloom Day photos, because I took them on Saturday.  Saturday morning, all of Wilmington, NC woke to a snowfall that comes only once a decade in our little southern coastal metropolis.  And, as the ONE bloom that I planned to highlight in my bloom day photographs, come Monday, was hanging on, in the snow and ice, I went ahead and snapped away.  That flower’s still on the plant today, but it is much less interesting, hanging there in the mud, now that the snow is gone.

The snow was perfect for making snowmen.  The dusting we got last year didn’t even compare.  So, those who were brave enough to drive around on Saturday morning and afternoon, saw a snowman in every single yard, in front of every single business, and made with every single skill level and accessory.  The kids who made snowmen on Saturday might be married with their own children by the time we get another snow like this.

Lucy in the snow

Trees in the back yard

Our garden hose

The Front Garden

The Bloom in Bloom Day: a Camellia covered in ice and snow

Bloom Day is a virtual garden tour put together by Carol, over at May Dreams Gardens.  Check out her blog for other Garden Bloggers Bloom Day posts.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day January 2010

Here’s a picture of what’s blooming in my yard on this bloom day:

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Yeah. NOTHING.  NO-THING.  I don’t think this has EVER happened.  EV-AR. I don’t even have any PANSIES blooming.  We’ve had the worst awful cold for Wilmington, NC over the last few weeks.  It has been in the teens at night.  That never happens.  So, my camellias are frozen.  My honeysuckle is frozen.  My fatsia is frozen.  Because I neglected to feed my pansies with anything, they are tiny, unable to deal with the cold, and DEAD.

Happy Bloom Day, folks in CALIFORNIA 🙂  I don’t even have anything blooming inside. Some orchids that might open, eventually, but OF COURSE, not today.

For a probably equally depressing list of bloom day posts, please visit Carol over at May Dreams Gardens, who started Bloom Day to prevent exactly this kind of malaise.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day December 2009

Happy Bloom Day! This month, the real stars of my garden are the Sasanqua Camellias. They look like lovely ballerinas in my garden. But first, all of the plants that are STILL BLOOMING as of December 15th. We’ve had a long, LONG, warm fall here in Wilmington, NC.  Now, here’s where I alienate all of my gardening friends.  All of them.  ‘Cept maybe those who live in California or Florida.

Flowers that Won’t Quit

Clockwise from top Left:  Knockout rose, Marigold (planted from seed this spring), Coneflower, Cosmos (planted from seed this fall), Mexican sage, Butterfly weed, Pentas, Zinnia, Honeysuckle, and Tibouchina (center).

Lovely Ladies

These beauties are sheer miracles, as far as I’m concerned.  Yes, I have some hangers-on from the summer, but Camellias are in their gorgeous glory, November-April.  When other plants look like they’ve stayed at the party too long, Camellias are in their glory.

My Current Favorite Plant Combo

I think I had a picture of this last month, but this is a better pic.  Here we have Panicum ‘Dallas Blue’ with a regular ol’ Loropetalum.  The copper color of the grass and the purple of the shrub is just AMAZING.  Especially in the afternoon, when the sun shines on it.  Now, if only the rest of my garden could look that good.

Raspberry Carpet Lives Up to its Name

And, lastly, my raspberry carpet ground covers are growing and looking good.  They have a gorgeous fall color.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is brought to you by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.  Don’t miss the other blooms!  Head on over to her garden now!  Visit May Dreams Gardens

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day November 2009

Happy Bloom Day!

The theme of this post is “Here Comes the Sun!” After five straight days of rain and wind, and the only tropical storm this season, and some houseguests from Idaho looking for warmth, the sun has FINALLY come out to play.

Because my garden ends up with some of the same plants blooming for, oh, about nine months, I’ve decided that my bloom day posts will highlight only the most noteworthy that are still blooming since last month (they’ve had a color change or something), a new combo I’ve noticed with new eyes, or things that have just come into bloom over the last month. Enjoy!

Fatsia

Sasanqua Camellia

Ligularia

Swamp Hibiscus

Loropetalum and Panicum ‘Dallas Blue’-nice combo

Luke, my Nephew.  I found him in the garden this morning!

There you have it!  If only it was as easy as going out to the cabbage patch to pick my own sweet baby!  (I’m NOT pregnant.  Let’s not start any rumors!  😉

A big thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for concocting and hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom day.  Now, make sure you visit her site and take the big Bloom Day Garden Tour!

Thanks for visiting!

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day October 2009

This post is themed “The Rain in Spain Says Mainly in Katie’s Garden”

Butterfly weed still in bloom.

A volunteer annual vinca.

Panicum ‘Dallas Blue’

Mexican sage.  The plant I look most forward to seeing.

Loropetalum,  which many people think looks like a pink witch hazel

Don’t forget to visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens for the big Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day tour!

Also, today is Blog Action Day, with a theme of climate change.  As Susan Cohan, an awesome garden bogger and designer put in her BAD post, you can do a lot by planting a tree.  Read her great post here!