Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - March 2011

Thank goodness spring has arrived! OK, so technically the vernal equinox is four days away, but you know what I mean: it's warming up, birds are nesting, and our plant friends are looking alive again, so I'm calling it. I'm so happy winter's over, I'm even trying to accept losing an hour to Daylight Savings Day more gracefully. (Trying. Normally, I whine for weeks.) On to the blooms! First, the roses.

'Lady Banks' was the first to bloom. She's covered in buds, but this cluster's the first to open. She's planted in a spot she could quickly outgrow. I fear massive trellises and pruning will be in order soon.
'Lady Banks' rose

'La Marne' was the second to bloom. I love her sweet, simple blossoms and her red-tipped leaves.
'La Marne' rose

'Old Blush' was the third to bloom. I spotted this blossom after dark on Saturday and shot it on Sunday.
'Old Blush' rose

I have six other roses that have no flowers--yet. 'Mutabilis' has buds but no blooms, and 'Carefree Delight', 'The Fairy', 'Chrysler,' 'Dame du Coeur' and 'Buff Beauty' have yet to set buds. All have put on tons of new growth, though, and look positively fantastic after winter's freezes (my, how I love my hardy, antique and Earth-Kind roses!). They'll be featured in April's GBBD.

In my garden, no March GBBD would be complete without a vegetable gone to seed. This year I have a lovely red bok choy that never produced enough choy for a proper stir fry. In fact, none of the bok choy I've planted ever has, but I plant it every year nonetheless. Aren't its blossoms lovely?
Bok choy flowers
(We're eating the rest of the cruciferous veggies, particularly the 'Packman' and 'Green Magic' broccoli, quickly, before it bolts.)

Next up, the bulbs. The Southern grape hyacinths were the first, but they bloomed last month, so they don't count toward this month's GBBD. 'Erlicheer' daffodils were the next to bloom, and while they're on the tail end of their short season, they're still going, as this picture testifies. I'd like to plant a million more of these--if I win the Texas Lotto, maybe I will!
'Erlicheer' daffodil

The summer snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant') were the second to bloom, and this is the first of the bunch, a teenager in nearly full shade. The newbies in full sun and the oldsters in dappled shade have foliage, but no blooms.
'Summer snowflake'

Last but not least, we have "the rest." The '"May Night' salvia (Salvia nemorosa 'Mainacht') is remarkable in that it's the first of my many, many salvias to bloom. Given its name, I guess you could say it's two months early. This is a passalong plant that's done very well, from my mother-in-law in Northern Virginia.
'Mainacht' salvia

The coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is fully leafed out and blooming. Hummingbirds will be soon be passing through on their return flight from Mexico to parts north, and this vine never fails to attract them. Unlike Japanese varieties, this honeysuckle won't attempt to take over your entire universe, or your neighbors'.
Coral honeysuckle

The four-nerve daisies, also known as hymenoxys (Tetraneuris scaposa) are back in full force after a brief winter lull. They've re-seeded everywhere and will bloom nonstop to the first hard freeze.
'Four-nerve daisy'

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Visit her GBBD page and look at what's blooming in March gardens all over the world.

Words and photos © 2009-2011 Caroline Homer for "The Shovel-Ready Garden". Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Comments

  1. What a great assortment of color here...beautiful. Aren't passalongs just the greatest? I would like to learn more about the four-nerve daisies....they are so happy looking I just had to smile.

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  2. You have some beautiful blooms this spring, love the roses. Too early here for those yet. :)

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  3. Happy GBBD Caroline. The four-nerve daisy is such a pretty flower and bright welcome to spring. You have a nice selection this month. So, so pretty.

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  4. Great collection of blooms. I forgot to put in my photo of Leucojum vernum which I have for the first time this year--exciting.

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  5. Lavender: I have found to plant it in a container with really fast draining soil and only water when droopy.....

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  6. I love the Erlicheer narcissus as I particularly like the smaller multi flowered types. Must look out for that one. Isn't Lady Banks marvelous? She seems to take all kinds of abuse and severe cutting back has to be one of those. She has become a little large for my small entry garden too.HAppy Bloom Day.

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  7. Pretty pretty pretty! I do like your Lady Banks rose...it looks magical. :) Still a few months until I can hope to see roses here!

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  8. What wonderful spring blooms Caroline! Your roses are fantastic!

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  9. Your collection seem pretty unique to me. I see snowdrops and daffodils in many posts. I love your Lady Banks the most.

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  10. Your roses are amazingly early! My mutabilis have lots of buds but all the others are only just beginning to leaf up. The only time I had any success with pak choy was the very first time I tried when I was a new allotment holder; htose I sowed in July or August, I'll try again here in Italy as for sure I can't buy them here. Christina

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  11. Love the first rose, never seen it before.You have lots of beautiful and colourful blooms. Happy Blooms Day!

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  12. Hello Caroline,
    I'm so happy to meet another roselover ! Your photos are stunning !
    Greetings from Belgium !

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  13. Oh, so much to see at your place! I'm anticipating roses any time and the foliage is marvelous. Erlicheer flopped all over the place but the fragrance was incredible. Happy Bloom Day.

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  14. Oh my Caroline, Do we live in the same country??!Very jealous, esp of Lady Banks, which is not hardy here in CT. Notice you're going to Seattle also - should be a fab gardening weekend. Happy GBBD!

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  15. I had to include some bolted vegetable flowers, too. Your roses are particularly dramatic--how cool!

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  16. Your roses are beautiful and it is so nice to see your 'Maynight' Salvia blooming. We're about two months behind you here so the anticipation is building! Happy GBBD!

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  17. How wonderful that you have so many things blooming! You are a bit ahead of me. Still waiting for that first rose to bloom. Love your Old Blush.

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  18. Those roses are so beautiful and I just love the hyacinths. I wouldn't get to see them if it wasn't for Blooms Day. Thanks

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  19. Your summer snowflake are precious, your other blooms are spectacular too!

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  20. I really enjoyed your photo of May Night. Salvias are such a wonderful and varied genus! I've almost given up on cruciferous veggies. I always get lots of flowers, not much in the way of leafy edibles. Maybe I need to treat them as ornamentals in the landscape...

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  21. What wonderful blooms for this time of year. I'm amazed to see roses in bloom at the same time as the daffodils - it will be June before I have roses in flower.

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  22. Gorgeous! A gardener/painter once told me that she always let her broccoli flower for the beautiful yellow against her roses! On Lady Banks, you can trellis if you like, but it'll be lovely as a cascading shrub rose. Just keep nipping away at it after it flowers.

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  23. I spotted the words "full shade"! Good to know that your Snowdrop is blooming under those conditions - I've been considering adding them to my garden. May have to take the plunge.

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