Monday, March 19, 2012

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - March 2012

GBBD Geranium macrorrhizum
Geranium macrorrhizum
Yes...I'm unbelievably late in posting this. Another crazy week at work meant that I pretty much ignored the internet all last week. I figured better late than not at all, right?

The garden is just not starting to really wake up in earnest, and every day brings new surprises. I can hardly wait to get outside to see whats up. There isn't a whole lot, boom-wise, in my garden at the moment, however. I sort of feel like once I get the bulk of the garden to a good point, I can focus on adding some of those spring ephemerals. The Geranium above surprised me by blooming a few weeks ago. I had no idea they could bloom this early...even if it's only a few blossoms right now.

GBBD Oxalis oregana
Oxalis oregana
The little patch of Oxalis on the north side of the house continues to expand, and now provides a leafy green matt for the Hostas and Rodgersias to emerge from. Their blooms aren't the showiest, but hey, I'll take what I can get!

GBBD Forsythia
Forsythia
This Forsythia is one of the plants we inherited with the house. It seems to be one of those plants that almost everyone has in their yard...whether on purpose or not! Of course, I'm clueless about pruning them, so this poor shrub looks a bit sad.

GBBD Erysimum Bowles Mauve
Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve'
I've grown Erysimum since moving to this house, but they are really unhappy in their present location...I'll either move them elsewhere or try to give them away. It's too bad, they are absolutely glorious when they are happy.

GBBD Daffodil
Daffodil
Another inherited plant...and one I have very mixed feelings about. I love the blooms...but that foliage that yellows and sticks around all summer is awful. I know, I just need to move it back further (right now it's right up front) so it gets hidden later in the season. This year, I'm GOING TO DO IT!
For more blooms around the world, head over to May Dreams Garden! Happy GBBD All!

41 comments:

  1. Hi Scott,

    Lovely to see the Geranium blooming :) None here yet, but I did divide one of my large, mature ones so I'm doubtful I'll see any blooms this year and the others are in shady spots so it'll be a while yet.

    I hope work has calmed down for you a bit now!

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    1. Don't you just love Geraniums...it seems there really is one for any situation. It does seem the ones in more shade tend to bloom a tad later, doesn't it?

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  2. Love Wallflowers! 'Bowles Mauve' is such a pretty one.

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  3. Great pictures. Thanks for sharing and yes, better later than never. Amazing how many geranium types are out there. Can't never have enough of them. Let me see, should I start a new collection? Hmmm? Yes.

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    1. Hahahahaha...that's what I thought too :-) I agree...every time I see a new Geranium, I want it!

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  4. I understand about busyness. My post was definitely last minute.

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  5. Nice things blooming already. The Forsythia I would probably do the 3 year regeneration pruning. It will get it back in shape for you.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. You're so right, I really need to just commit to getting it back in shape...it's such a mess right now!

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  6. Spring has sprung! Happy Blogger's Bloom Day!

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  7. Great photos Scott! You can prune the forsythia right after blooming.

    Eileen

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    1. Good to know...I'm not sure why I'm such a disaster when it comes to pruning!

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  8. Happy Belated GBBD :)I feel like we are getting hosed out of a spring again. Cheers, Jenni

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    1. You too, Jenni! I'm hoping this last week or so is the end of the snow and hail...rain I can handle...hail, not so much!

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  9. Our G. mac.'s suddenly bloomed in December. I think they are just happy little souls sleeping and blooming on their own timescales :)

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    1. Hahahahaha...you're probably right, they seem to do whatever they want, don't they...gotta love 'em!

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  10. hi scott, re: forsythia, prune out the oldest canes each year after blooming. cut them all the way to the ground. that will keep the shrub airy and pretty. don't cut the canes shorter, that kind of ruins the shrub...that's my two cents, anyway. love that geranium...have planned to add 'biokovo' to my garden when i find it this year.

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    1. Good to know...I'll have to do a pre- and post-trimming post...if I'm brave enough! I hope you can find 'Biokovo', they are such great, hardy plants :-)

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  11. Gorgeous blooms! I saw my first daffodil bloom yesterday. I hide my daff foliage w/hostas. They come up at the perfect time here in NY to cover the yellowing leaves.

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    1. Thanks! Yeah...I really need to move them this year to cover up the foliage...I've been so lazy about doing it in the past, but last year it drove me crazy!

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  12. Hi Scott. What a pleasant surprise to have a geranium bloom already.I love the bright yellow blooms on forsythia. It is one of those shrubs that spreads like crazy. I think they were a one of those pass along plants and are easy to propagate because they are all over the place here too.Have a wonderful week and enjoy the warm temps.

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    1. I know...it's it crazy! I agree...I think almost every house on our block has a forsythia...they are just so darn fool-proof!

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  13. Lovely blooms. I have been wondering about daffodil foliage. This is the first year I've planted daffodils, so I'll see how much that foliage bothers me. I read where one gardener braided her old foliage! Sounds like something to do if you have a lot of time on your hands!

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    1. OMG...I can't imagine doing that...then again, maybe it would make it not so sad-looking. Maybe I'll try it...after I move them ;-)

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  14. Beautiful shot of flowers in your garden! I love daffodils! It's expensive flower over here!

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  15. I decided i'm not following any meme this year, I have already so many deadlines at work, I don't want to post following the agenda program in my blog too! So you are right, post whenever you can, whatever you want! We could make a new random post, random day meme... do you think it's going to work?

    It's funny I've inherited the same yellow daffodils with my house. I didn't get any forsythia though... and I feel lucky about that! :)

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    1. OMG, Alberto...you are probably wiser than the rest of us...I do tend to forget about them, then rush around like a crazy person at the last minute! I also have the bad habit of letting work get to me...when it's crazy at work, I kind of stop doing anything at home that requires any amount of brainpower ;-)

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  16. I'm where you are with wanting to add more spring ephemerals. Sorry to hear that the daff foliage sticks around all summer, that would drive me nuts too! Here it has the decency to go underground pretty quickly. The geranium bloom is lovely.

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  17. Hi there! Beautiful photos esp with the little rain drops...Yes, I know what you mean with moving bulbs. I HATE DIGGING BULBS AND MOVING THEM! I need to move some lilies in the wrong spot but each year I put it off! :) Love 'Bowles Mauve' too, just bought one yesterday!

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    1. OMG...you totally reminded me of the Lilies I need to move this year...eek! I think moving Lilies scares me more than anything...I don't know why, they just seem so delicate! Yay for your 'Bowles Mauve'!!!

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  18. I love forsythia - mine is just now blooming though everywhere else in town the blooms have already faded.
    Beautiful images!

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    1. They are pretty much unbeatable for that shot of early-season color, aren't they!

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  19. Ah - forsythia. One of my fav spring blooms.

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    1. They really are a herald of the season, aren't they!

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  20. Hi Scott, You may not have much but what you have looks wonderful. As for the Erysimum, I've found [as well as heard from others] that they bloom themselves to death and need to be tossed out and replaced when they get all woody and gnarly. Fortunately they're easy to find and inexpensive. I don't even grow it anymore because I don't have room but it's sure a nice plant when it's in its prime.

    We got a foot of snow yesterday so about the only photos I can show would be boringly monochromatic. I'm so ready for spring already.

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    1. You're so right, Grace...that's exactly what mine do...they bloom like an annual...unfortunately, that means they are about as long-lived as one! I just saw your post on the snow...CRAZY. I'm hoping this past week has been the last we'll see of this crazy weather...I'm ready for spring too!

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  21. I have my daffodils planted with gladiola and lilies and stuff which take over and hide all the unsightly mess. Or I cut the leaves back when they go chlorotic (shhhhhhhhh!!!).

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    1. That's exactly what I need to do...they just look so nasty, all front-and-center where they are now...literally, they drive me crazy!

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