Mid-March Blooms Are Way Ahead of Schedule

As others in various parts of the country have been noticing, this was the winter that wasn't. At least where I live it wasn't was;~}  Many of my plants are at least 2 weeks ahead this year. Others seem more like months ahead...

Dicentra, Brunnera and Pulmonaria did not bloom until April last year...but not this year! 

Dicentra spectabilis (Bleeding Heart)

Dicentra spectabilis 'alba'

Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian Buglose)

Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' (Lungwort)

I have barely been able to keep up with the blooms that pop daily out of the ground and begin to show off their colors. Every day I walk through the garden and take photos--and without fail, the very next day, there is something new. Sometimes it all happens within the same day: I'll go for a garden walk in the morning, and again in the afternoon--and there is frequently something new that has emerged or opened up within a span of a few hours. It's overwhelming at times, very surprising, and wonderful!


Mertensia surprised me about a week ago...

Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells)

...and Hepatica has been blooming for at least a week and a half--again, weeks before last year as shown in my March 23, 2011 post.

Hepatica acutiloba 'f. rosea'

Hepatica nobilis 'v. acuta' (white)

Hepatica nobilis (Liverwort) pink

This has been the best March I can ever remember! (Of course, February was pretty good, too. Plants were surprising me then, as well). It's just that this month, some of the plants that have opened don't usually bloom until later on in the spring. So it sometimes feels as if I've hit the jackpot when I do a walk-through! Look at my Bloom Day post from mid-March, 2011. There wasn't much blooming last year! This year things are definitely different.

The Kerria opened on the 15th--my post on Kerria from a year ago showed it opening the last week of the month (about the 27th).

Kerria japonica

Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose) started blooming in January, which is normal...but many Helleborus hybrids were blooming in February, and by early March, all were blooming. (Except for those gnawed off by squirrels. Luckily I have found a way to keep them at bay and have been spraying with Bobbex regularly. It seems to be working!).

Decided to beat the squirrels and pick off a few blooms before they could get to them!

                                       
Buds are ready to pop on the native Rue Anemone:

Anemonella thalictroides (Rue anemone)

In fact, on one of them, they already have:

Just planted Fritillaria bulbs (in January--very late!) so this is the first I've had one coming into bloom in my garden. I don't know if it's early or not, but I'm happy I 'Bobbexed' it before the critters could get to it:

Fritillaria meleagris  (Checkered Daffodil, aka Snakes Head)

Lots of Heuchera are up and have small blooms already (such as Heuchera 'Georgia Peach', and others). Heucherella is also blooming in my garden:

Heucherella 'Day Glow Pink' (Coral Bells and Tiarella combo)

As are the Tiarella...many are leafing out and sending out blooms:

Tiarella cordifolia (Foam Flower)

The Arabis has taken off, as has the Creeping Phlox (both lining the driveway):

Left: Arabis 'Snow Cap' (Rock Cress) and Right: Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)

Iberis sempervirens 'Purity' (Candytuft)

Euphoria 'Blackbird' with blooms opening:

Euphorbia 'Blackbird'

Blooming for a couple of weeks, with plants opening at various times, are Hyacinth:

Hyacinths...Blue and Pink  (Surprisingly few of the pink varieties have bloomed at this point...
but that's ok, since the blues are my faves)

...and of course, Narcissus.  While some daffodils bloomed early and are finished, others are still in full bloom, with yet my newest varieties just now popping their foliage through the soil. I'll upload the newer ones when they start to bloom, but those that have been in bloom and are currently blooming are:

2 unidentified Narcissus varieties, with Hyancith 

Narcissus--unidentified smaller bloom, many have still not flowered yet.

Narcissus 'Jetfire'

 Pieris 'Valley Valentine' has really increased her blossoms since my last post:

Hydrangea is really budding out...

Hydrangea is really filling out

The Trillium haven't bloomed yet but are above ground, fairly early;  I just hope I can stay ahead of the squirrels with the 'Bobbex'.  So far, so good:

Trillium recurvatum (Bloody Butchar)

Trillium luteum (Yellow Wakerobin)

More T. recurvatum 'Red Trillium'

Trillium pusillum (Dwarf Wakerobin)

I was surprised over a week ago when Polemonium began to bloom...

It just gets more lovely each day:

I just planted light blue Muscari (in January, when I planted other bulbs) and they are coming up nicely:

Muscari 'Valerie finnis' (light blue)

3 crocus varieties have been blooming for a couple of weeks:

Crocus 'Blue/White Striped'

Crocus 'Romance'

Crocus 'Ruby Giant'

Many Iris reticulata are still blooming--but I think they are about finished:

I was really surprised to see Golden Groundsel already in bud...it was not this early last year (I got it last year at Carolyn's Shade Gardens in April and didn't bloom until late April)!

Native Senecio aureus (Golden Groundsel, aka Squaw Weed) *The blooms will be bright yellow.

With several Forsythia varieties, 2 have been in bloom for about a week, with one type a much later bloomer. It's funny to see in person, as they are planted right next to each other:

A 3rd variety is planted in a different location, with about half of the branches in bloom:

Creeping Speedwell and Lamium are really pretty on one side of the house:

Veronica (Creeping Speedwell)

Lamium maculatum (spotted dead nettle)

Bloodroot was another plant that I posted for Bloom Day last year in mid-April...this year, it bloomed  before mid-March!

Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)

Another batch of Bloodroot, in bloom

I am linking this with Garden Bloggers Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens. GBBD is on the 15th of each month, and features garden bloggers around the world who show us what is blooming in their part of the planet.  Even though I am a few days late, my photos show a pretty good 'mid month view' of my Virginia garden. After I publish this, I can guarantee something will have changed in the garden. Another bud will have opened up, another plant sprouted. I'll walk outside and hosta leaves will have shot up a quarter of an inch from where they were this morning. It is truly a season of change!

Well, that's all for now. I hope you are discovering gifts every day in your garden of life, too:-)

Words and photos ©Thanks for today.™, by Jan Huston Doble @ http://www.thanksfor2day.blogspot.com/

Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without express permission of the author.