Mid-April Blooms
The plants around my farm are growing so beautifully. There are gorgeous spring blooms in every garden.
Every day I see something new. Trees are leafing out and flowers are bursting with color and energy - Fritillaria, Leucojum, Muscari, Epimedium, the trout lilies, the Mertensia with their charming blue flowers that open from pink-tinged buds, and of course the daffodils.
Here's a look at what's blooming this week.
-
- There is so much growth in the gardens. My long and winding pergola is just full of lush green foliage. Soon, it will display a palette of blue, purple, and lavender Alliums, Camassia, and Spanish Bluebells.
-
- Muscari, also known as grape hyacinth, is a genus of perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia. Muscari produces spikes of dense, blue, urn-shaped flowers that look like bunches of grapes in spring. I have them growing by my pergola, under my allée of lindens, and various other locations around the farm.
-
- Commonly known as Guinea Hen Flower, Checkered Lily or Snake’s Head Fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris is an heirloom species dating back to 1575. It has pendant, bell-shaped, checkered and veined flowers that are either maroon or ivory-white with grass-like foliage on slender stems.
-
- These are the flowers of a Korean Spice Bush, Viburnum carlesii, which blooms from early spring when its waxy dark pink buds open to white and light pink petals. Up close, one can smell its strong spicy scent.
-
- The delicate blooms of the trout lily, Erythronium, resemble turks cap lilies and stand out in the dappled light. These are planted in a bed outside my chicken coops, but many others also grow in the woodland.
-
- Mertensia virginica, or Virginia bluebell, is a perennial that is native to North America. Its buds are actually pink, but the flowers are blue. They can grow in any garden and bloom in early to mid spring and continue blooming through early to mid summer.
-
- These are Snowflakes – not to be confused with Snowdrops. The Snowflake is a much taller growing bulb which normally has more than one flower per stem. Snowflake petals are even, each with a green spots on the end, whereas Snowdrops have helicopter-like propellers that are green only on the inner petals.
-
- Dicentra spectabilis, or bleeding heart, is a genus of eight species of herbaceous plants with oddly shaped flowers that look very similar to hearts. These flowers are native to eastern Asia and North America. The flowers have two tiny sepals and four petals. They are also bisymmetric, meaning the two outer petals are pouched at the base and curved outward at the tip. They are shade loving woodland plants that bloom in the cool of spring and stay in bloom for several weeks.
-
- Dicentra cucullaria, or Dutchman’s breeches, is an herbaceous perennial of the Fumariaceae family. It has feathery foliage that is fern-like, and grows to about six to 12 inches tall and wide. Its most interesting feature is the flower, which resembles a pair of pantaloons hanging upside down.
-
- Epimedium, also known as barrenwort, bishop’s hat, fairy wings, horny goat weed, or yin yang huo, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Berberidaceae. The majority of the species are endemic to China. The plant leaves are made up of leaflets, which can range from three to 50 and in size from tiny to six inches long. They are generally heart-shaped, but can vary from round to arrow-like. Epimedium flowers are small and held below and among the leaflets.
-
- All around, I also have lots of ostrich ferns growing. Matteuccia struthiopteris is native to North America. Once established, these grow to a height of three to six feet. Ostrich fern grows in vase-shaped clumps called crowns. The showy, arching, sterile fronds are plume-like and reminiscent of the tail feathers of – you guessed it – ostriches.
-
- The Syneilesis is also coming up. Syneilesis aconitifolia, commonly called shredded umbrella plant, is an herbaceous perennial of the aster family that is native to hillside forest margins and slopes in China, Korea, Japan and eastern Russia. I am so fond of the foliage. The leaves are narrow, dissected, and cascade downward like an umbrella. Emerging foliage is covered with a unique white fur. White flowers on mauve pink calyxes will tower above the foliage midsummer.
-
- There is a lot of forsythia blooming this time of year. They are among the first plants of spring to burst forth in the garden. These specimens like at least six hours of sunlight a day, and well-draining soil. Yellow blossoms cover each elegant branch, producing arches of color that can be seen from a distance.
-
- These are white Anemones. They push through the ground with lacy fern-like foliage topped by cheerful snow-white flowers in mid-spring.
-
- Trillium is named for all its “threes” – usually three leaves, three sepals, and three petals on each stem. This purple trillium variety grows unbranched, begins growing right towards the end of winter, and becomes one of the early harbingers of spring.
-
- Tulips are grown for their graceful leaves and bright, cheery blooms. Some are traditional and cup-shaped, some have fringed petals, others have pointed ones, and some are full of fanciful ruffles. Some varieties even carry a soft, subtle scent. Tulips normally begin emerging from the ground in late winter or early spring. These are in my flower garden, but I have beds of them growing elsewhere – wait until you see those in bloom!
-
- The first azalea is also blooming. Of all the shrubs that flower in spring, azaleas provide some of the most brilliant displays. I have hundreds planted outside my Summer House and down the carriage road to the stable.
-
- Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. Growing as large shrubs or trees, they produce showy, fragrant flowers that are white, pink, red, purple or yellow.
-
- And the daffodils just keep coming – look at these crisp, white beauties.
-
- And here is a view of my long daffodil border – this section is under the allée of lindens. So many flowers are pushing through, and there are so many more to come. Happy Spring!
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
