I thought I would take a walk down the path while it was a little rainy. I wanted to take a closer look at everything. As usual I was surprised at how many plants had buds on them. All of a sudden it seems like it's all growing so fast. It's strange after having such a long cold winter to finally see buds and flowers on so much.
It was overcast and so difficult to get very good lighting. Here are a few things I saw on my walk:
Astillbe, love that color!
Tiarella 'Neon Lights'
Ocean Spray (holodiscus discolor) Commonly grows in the forest as an understory plant. It will get clusters of white, slightly fragrant, drooping flowers.
Pulmonaria and Muscari
Deciduous Huckleberry (vaccinum parvifolium) also common as an understory shrub. It will grow to 3 - 5 feet and produces tart, but delicious small berries. These remind me of hikes in the woods with my family when I was younger.
Hosta 'Love Pat'
Starwort was what this was labeled, but I don't think that's what it is. It grows as a small clumping ground cover.
Teza helped to correctly identify this one. It's Omphaloides verna also called Navelwort.
Camellia japonica 'Marie Bracey'
Ribes sanguineum - Pink flowering currant. The hummingbirds have been fighting over this one. Both Rufous and Anna's are trying to claim it.
Dicentra spectabilis - Common Bleeding Heart. I have both pink and white ones growing here. I've been looking for dicentra formosa, also called Western Bleeding Heart.
There are still many plants that I'll share on another walk, but these are some of the ones looking really nice now. I'm trying to gradually plant more native plants along the path. I still am attracted to a lot of other types of shade plants too, so for now it's a mixture. Eventually I would like it to feel like a walk in the woods, very small woods. I guess I've still got many years to work towards that.
You have some of my favorites and the pictures are lovely. I had to drive to the neighboring town yesterday. The dogwoods, both pink and white, azaleas, etc. were so pretty. I wish I had taken my camera along for the ride.
ReplyDeleteCatherine everything is looking so pretty. And as usual your pictures are great. Love the path!
ReplyDeleteI went out in the rain yesterday and thought I'd try my hand at getting some raindrops on flowers. OOops then I remembered I had no flowers. How silly of me. But as I was doing some leaves I caught something out of the corner of my eye and just about fell over - holy crap! It was a bloom!!! It actually made me jump. LOL Guess I'd better do a post. ha!
I'll just keep coming and enjoying yours 'til mine start blooming!
Lovely pictures. Everything looks so fresh! I think all the pictures look better if taken on a rainy day.
ReplyDeleteCatherine, can you recommend a dicentra type that grows tall and is hardy for our climate?
Hi Catherine
ReplyDeleteThe starwort type thingy is very nice.
My Dicentra are flowering now.
Enjoy Easter. Have you ever been to Greece at Easter. I've heard it's quite something
Rob
People are interested in the rest of the garden. People interested in the garden is more compassionate and happy. Good wishes. Regards.
ReplyDeleteYou are way ahead of us in the growth of flowers and leaves. I like your walk with the flag stone.
ReplyDeleteCatherine Lovely photos. Thje bark of the tree sort of complements the paving and the ribes looks so fresh. I like the simple combination of Pulmanaria and Muscari.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is about the same stage of growth as mine in South of UK. Astilbies and hosta emerging nicely.
Mildred - It sounds pretty. I haven't really seen any azaleas in bloom yet, but they should be soon.
ReplyDeleteRain Gardener - You always make me laugh :) I'm glad you spotted that surprise flower. I'm going to look for a picture of it on your blog.
Tatyana - Thanks, and I agree they do look pretty after a rain. The dicentra spectablilis (pictured above) is a very good one for here, it gets to about 3 feet. Mine will also send up new plants from the roots after they get established and they are easy to transplant. I think they are the tallest ones that grow around here. I see that d. chrysantha gets to 4 to 5 feet, but they are native to California and have yellow flowers.
Rob - Isn't it pretty? I wish I knew it's real name, it has spread and has lots of blooms and buds on it.
I haven't been to Greece for Easter, but my in-laws celebrate Greek Easter. They do it quite a bit differently, not so much of the chocolate and egg hiding. It's a very important day in the Greek Orthodox church, probably their biggest holiday, and it's next week I'm pretty sure.
istanbuldailyphoto - I agree with you, I think gardeners are compassionate people! Thank you so much for visiting :)
Abe Lincoln - Thanks, everything is growing so fast right now.
Joanne - I think the bark behind the ribes looks really pretty too, it just goes together. I look forward to seeing all your new flowers there too.
Absolutely love the Tiarella. I have that one and it's blooming like crazy.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos, your garden is very happy with Spring... I think the starwort is also known as Omphaloides verna..... a wonderful charming groundcover in my garden... such a happy face it has!
ReplyDeleteThey all look very nice. I would've thought the astilbe was a J. maple. Such a lovely color foliage. Must be red flowering. The starwort is so neat-never seen it before. And I can understand why the pink currant would be your plant of the month. Have a Happy Easter and weekend.
ReplyDeleteThose astilbe leaves look lovely - what a glorious colour! The rain seems to bring out deep colours. I've always loved the sight of hostas coming up - they unfurl like little rolls of material!
ReplyDeleteOK, I have to get a ribes for next year! I tried it in my old garden from bare root but I think I jinxed it by not planting it right away and it didn't stick around. Yours is amazing! I love your woodland path idea, it will be a long and wonderful project to get everything you want in there just right.
ReplyDeleteDia de los diy - It's really a pretty one isn't it? I've got a couple and they are loaded with buds.
ReplyDeleteTeza - Thanks, that's it. I found the common name isn't even Starwort, it's Navelwort. They really mislabeled it. It's a great plant for the shade!
Tina - Isn't that astillbe color pretty? I think it's a red one, but I have so many I can't remember which is which. I wish I could get a better picture of the currant, it's just full of flowers.
Phoenix - Hostas do look neat coming up. It's hard to believe those pointed things open to the most pretty leaves.
Karen - I think you should try again. I've had this for quite awhile, it took a few years to get going. Now it's just prettier every year. This is the first year I've seen the hummingbirds in it.
I enjoyed that walk with you Catherine. Gardens always look so refreshed after rainfall. It looks as if you share very similar flowering times to me and we have several plants in common. Do you grow the white bleeding heart as well as the pink ?
ReplyDeleteGood morning, dear Catherine, your garden is looking so springlike! Perfect for this Easter morning! I have many of the blooms you show (and the photos are wonderful!). I loved your garden path walk. Here's wishing you a happy Easter
ReplyDelete;-)
Isn't it amazing how everything seems to "op" at once in spring. I swear some things come up over night (and others are chewed off during the day!). I think Tiarella are the perfect plant for a fairy garden!
ReplyDeleteAnna - Thanks, they do look nice after some rain. I do have a couple of the white bleeding heart as well. I love how they look with their little hearts hanging from the stems.
ReplyDeleteJan - There is a lot of really pretty flowers in the spring, many of my favorites bloom now. Happy Easter!
Monica - True, it seems like they do grow overnight. That's why it's always so fun to see what is happening outside everyday. I think tiarella would be great too. Even the name sounds like a fairy!
You have such delights in your garden. What a lovely walk!
ReplyDeleteNon-green foliage always attracts me, like your Astillbe. Do those Tiarella glow at night? They almost look like they would! Ah! The Grape Hyacinth! They look like neon bulbs even during the day! Always excited to see the flowers in your blog. Great photos as ever, Catherine!
ReplyDeleteChandramouli - The astillbe foliage really is just so pretty now, it takes on more of a greenish color as it gets bigger. The tiarella doesn't glow, but wouldn't it be pretty if it did!
ReplyDeleteNot only does everything Look Wonderful, but the path really caught my eye, too! :-) That path project will soon be on my agenda to finish (after completion of a couple of other projects soon to be started!) yea!
ReplyDeleteCatherine, everything is so beautiful! The Navelwort is especially nice! And the camellias of course (which we can't grow here). I'll just admire yours!
ReplyDelete