Monday, April 14, 2008

GBBD April 2008

Having gardened in the same place for almost 28 years I have the remains of many gardens in my yard. So there are many flowers that I have a few (or one) of and only a few plants that are in larger swaths, if they could even be called swaths! The shasta daisies (not yet blooming), cranesbill Biokova (blooming), iberis (blooming) and fortnight lilies (blooming) are the only things that are really in bigger clumps. Mostly I've tucked things in here and there...sometimes in desperation when I've suffered a loss of impulse control at the nursery. As sun exposure has changed and my time and financial constraints have eased or increased the garden has evolved. Add in a few obsessions (perennial geraniums, succulents, daylilies, salvias, working on lilies) and you have quite a menagerie. In any case, what that means is that I have a fair number of plants in bloom this month...some that will continue to bloom for another 8 months or so and some that will be gone by next week. Some, like the Chater's Double Hollyhock, are (in an unusual turn of events) still blooming from last summer. Granted, the stem is rather long and convoluted but how could I get rid of such a trooper? The Berries and Cream rose is quite pretty now with lots of 'berry' due to the still somewhat cool weather. As it warms up we'll see more 'cream'. The yellow columbine seemed pretty common in Austin (from the photos I've seen) but it's a first for me. I'm hoping it continues to survive here in Davis. The sweet peas are from pass-along seed given to me by a friend from HER friend who has grown them for 20 years. And yes, Kim, they do smell wonderful! So with no further ado...here is the rest of the list for April in Davis...

Sweet Peas…pass-along seeds
Sugar Snap peas
Marguarite Comet Pink
Blue marguarite
Dutch iris blue, white, lavender (ending)
Bearded iris lavender. blue, purple, white (beginning)
Peruvian scilla (at top of page)
Bush mallow
Pelargoniums
Pansies
Bearss lime
Improved Meyer lemon
Tulbaghia fragrans
Scabiosa Butterfly Blue
Iberis
Rosa Climbing Cecile Brunner (beginning)

Rosa Flower Girl (beginning after a couple months off)
Banksia rose Alba Plena
Banksia rose double white
Salvia Blue Hill (beginning)
Salvia May Night (beginning)
Salvia Dancing Dolls
Pink pandorea (beginning)
Lavandula Wings of Night
Lavandula pinnata buchii
Polygala dalmaisiana (sweet pea shrub)
Pink alstroemeria
Dwarf Carnation Evermore
Carnation white
Dianthus bright pink
Borage
Culinary thyme
Anisodontea Hibiscus Bits
Anisodontea Very Cranberry
Anisodontea Elegant Lady
Alyssum
Nemesia Bluebird
Forget-me-nots
Freesias (ending)
Wax begonias
Snap dragons yellow
Lobelia blue
Verbena
Various succulents
Gladiolus yellow
Erodium reichardii ‘Bishops Form’
Geranium Staghorn Oak
Scented geranium chocolate mint
Scented geranium Citrosa
Cranesbill Biokova
Geranium endressiiPenstemon heterophyllus Blue Springs
Heuchera Lillian’s Pink
Black stem pittosporum
Wisteria
Photinia
Abutilon Pink Parasol
Abutilon light pink
Dietes
Solanum jasminoides
Solanum rantonnetii
Raphiolepis
Italian parsley

10 comments:

Carol Michel said...

Wow, so much blooming in your garden... even if they aren't big swaths of bloom, it has to be a pretty place right now. You really can have flowers year 'round in your garden. I'm envious.

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Ki said...

I don't think I've seen an Allium with such blue flowers. Quite a beauty. I love the subdued but full look of your iris. The picture of your yellow coloumbine reminds me that we have planted many and are eagerly awaiting their blooms but they are still just newly sprouted plants though they are growing quickly. Lovely photos.

Annie in Austin said...

The Peruvian scilla is wonderful, Leslie, but Paghat's Garden says the leaves smell like cat urine! Have you found this to be true in your garden?

I like wandering around with you - so many lovely plants to look at so you're never bored. Swaths may be overrated for cottage gardeners!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Unknown said...

Wow... what a list! I'm with Carol--when you have that much beauty, who needs swaths of bloom?

And I am now absolutely in love with your "Staghorn Oak" geranium. I googled it to see what it was all about... wow.

Sue Swift said...

Wow - IƬ've got some of the same plants, but they're only just starting to wake up after the winter. Your post has made me impatient ...

gintoino said...

Lovelly Peruvian Scilla. They grow as wild flowers over here. I colected some seeds last year and the are now sprouting. I will have a few of those in my garden :-)

Katarina said...

Wow, you've got so many blooming plants aleady in your garden! And you've got the lovely rose Cecil Brunner...you must be months before us! Thanks for sharing.
/Katarina

growingagardenindavis said...

Carol...congratulations on another (even more) successful bloom day! Thanks for bringing us together.
Ki...that's actually the peruvian scilla which I have learned from other comments grows wild in Portugal and I will have to move 'cause it needs a drier spot! Hope to see your columbines in May!
Annie...it looks like that's only if the leaves get cut or bruised and I've only had it since last summer without incidents...however I see it needs to go to a drier spot when it can be moved so thanks for the info!
I had quite the obsession with scented geraniums, Kim, so here and there I've got a few...that one seems pretty hardy and I like the leaves!
Ciao, Sue...we had such a mild winter that lots of things out there are very happy right now!
Hi Gintoino! Hmmm...grows wild? Well...I didn't pay TOO much for them!
Katarina...This is the first year for Cecile to bloom...I just got it last summer.I seem to be able to grow climbing roses and miniatures but not others!

Connie said...

Enjoyed viewing your wonderful blooms. We had 1/2 inch of snow on the ground a couple of days ago...unheard of in April. Hoping for warmer days soon!

Meems said...

Leslie: All your blooms are amazing. Swaths or not... you have got a wonderful array of flowers.Imagine hollyhocks blooming since summer...
meems @Hoe&Shovel