"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Buds, Bald Eagles and buddies.

We are nearing the end of the kids Spring Break from school.  So far our weather has been anything but spring like.  Yesterday alone we had sun, rain, hailstorms, thunder, lightening and then snow.  It's still been close to 10 degrees below normal.  Finally today we had a break in the rain, although very cold, I still wanted to see what the garden was looking like after all this crazy weather.  I was really happy to see that despite the weather the garden is still moving right along, a bit behind, but it's still going.

The first year for me to have the Greigii tulips bloom.  Are they usually this short?  The yellow is so bright.

Lots of tulips getting close to blooming.

One of the new Frittilarias from last year is close to blooming.

More Fritiallaria or Checkered Lily.

One of my new plants from the Northwest Perennial Alliance plant sale is this Tulipa turkestanica.

Magnolia 'Vulcan' is finally going to bloom.  This is it's third year in our yard.  Last year the buds were damaged by a late freeze.

Camellia japonica 'Kumasaka' with it's first flower opening.

Old-fashioned Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis) are about a month behind, but they are finally close to blooming.

Yesterday I saw two Bald Eagles flying above our yard, today there were three and one seemed a bit smaller than the other two.  They appeared to just be soaring around and then eventually flew off.

Poor Gracie and Cookie haven't had much time to play because it's been so wet.  Sweet Pea got Cookie out to at least hop around the deck for awhile.  Gracie has gotten so good being around the rabbit, mostly just following Cookie around to smell him.

Tomorrow looks like the one and only day of sun this week so we'll be finding something to do outside.  Hoping that some of you are getting some spring like weather and enjoying the sun.
All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress. Pin It

37 comments:

  1. I am sorry you are having such up and down weather. I am concerned because they are predicting temperatures in the 80's on the weekend. This is not good for spring flowers.

    It is so cute to see the Gracie and Cookie together. Those tulips will elongate as they grow.

    Eileen

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  2. drying out and weather in 50s going up 70 this weekend..hope your weather continues to improve...

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  3. I did see on the national weather that the people west of you are getting stuff that you don't want. Hot and cold here also. I love your white poodle and also that bunny. We need to get our poodle groomed. Your flowers, even though they are cold do look so beautiful.

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  4. Roller coaster weather here also, Catherine ... love your florals, awesome. Anxious to see the checkered lily open.
    On the wings of eagles ... I always think of that lifting song when I see them ...
    BEAUTIFUL share.

    Have a beautiful weekend ~
    TTFN ~
    Marydon

    FUN NEW GIVEAWAY ends 4/10

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  5. There is so much going on in your garden despite your bad weather! I love your tulips and I am very fascinated by the Tulipa turkestanica. Never even heard of the latter. The Bold Eagle photo is great. Your are so lucky that they are around in your area, what majestic birds they are! Love the pic of your dog and the bunny!
    Christina

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  6. nice bunny, brings me back memmories of my house bunny Buddy. He would chase the cat and great big golden retriever around the house, over the couches, all around. It was the funniest thing.

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  7. Cookie and Gracie are so cute!
    I don't think they're the same as yours, but I planted some new tulips last fall (have to find the tag for the variety) and they're short like that too. Considering the wind we've had lately, I'm kind of glad.
    So wonderful that you have bald eagles soaring overhead.

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  8. Oh, this weather has just been crazy, hasn't it? We had hail yesterday and snow here this morning.
    Hope there are no more late freezes to nip those magnolia (or other) buds this year!
    Nice eagle shot; pretty pup and bunny buddies, and lovely buds!

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  9. Our plants are more resilient than we are, aren't they? I love your blossoms. Weatherman is predicting a frost for tonight and tomorrow morning. I hope he's wrong.

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  10. Cookie and Gracie are so adorable! Have you seen the Decorah eagles? They are so cool. I would love to see one flying overhead. Watch Cookie and Gracie.

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  11. WOW, what great shots, all of them. Much more than buds and awfully cute buddies. The eagle shot is amazing. I never saw one in my area. You were lucky to have your camera.

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  12. I am looking forward to getting out in the garden tomorrow to get some real work done. I was out there off and on today, potting up some starts that I'm taking to a swap in a couple of weeks. But I had to keep coming in to get my hands warm, they were so cold they ached.

    I love your tulipa turkestanica, the nodding flowers are very delicate-looking and pretty. I planted checkered lily too last Fall, but mine is nowhere near to blooming.

    Cookie and Gracie are so cute together!

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  13. Spotting Eagles - how fun! It's been almost a year since I've seen kites around here.
    Lovely blooms, as usual, Catherine.
    Your pets look so adorable together.

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  14. Such unbelievable weather all in a day! Wow! Yet, your garden still looks so gorgeous and becoming more so with each passing day. Your plants are truly stunning, Catherine...I remain aghast at the sheer variety you grow in your garden. Gracie and Cookie look so cute together! How super that they relate quite happily!

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  15. Thank you so much for voting for Romeo!!!

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  16. Last year was a good year for bulbs, I think. It seems that mine really multiplied.
    nellie

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  17. *gasp* those frittilarias are wonderful! In the first photo, the bud is hanging so elegantly. The checkered lily is gorgeous.

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  18. I had a tulip bloom real close to the ground like that too. The only one that bloomed this year (they were planted already blooming last year). Not sure if something ate them or what.

    I've been seeing more and more bald eagles. Pretty awesome that they are multiplying again!

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  19. How I wish Tulips would grow here..well they will, but have to be planted every year after 6 weeks of fridge time. We used to have a litter box trained bunny in the house and she learned to jump on the funiture like the cats did. It was the quite intertaining to watch. I do hope you have some good getting outside weather this weekend.

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  20. How delightful to find your blog (via Awake with Charm)... I am also a gardener (that may be an understatement; my husband calls me a 'plant slut...' Your photos are magical; esp the fritillary!! and its sweet to see your pets; we used to have a little bun too.

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  21. Maybe, if we both wish really really hard, we can push this cold front back up to Alaska where it belongs? I hope you get a prolonged break in this dreary weather soon.

    Your Fritillaria really is checkered! Unlike our wild Fritillaria, which was mostly blotched. Both are beautiful though. I'm hesitant to plant any of the cultivated varieties now in case they cross with our wild ones.

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  22. At least your up and down weather has been warmer than ours, Catherine. Things are looking quite lovely in your gardens. Some of the greigii tulips ARe quite short stemmed, so maybe it's just the cultivar you bought. They're delightful, tall or short.

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  23. I am going to need to see plenty of pictures of your Magnolia 'Vulcan' this year!
    I have an unknown Magnolia that is only 5-6 yrs old in a pot(stunted) that I have been trying to guess its name for years!
    I have yet to figure out the checkered lily obsession--do share?

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  24. It sure has been a fickle month so far. We are warming up a little and I am loving it girl.LOL! I have been wondering how the bunny was. Such a pretty one. I would be so excited to see an eagle. They have reintroduced here but I have not spotted one yet. I would probably fall all over myself getting to the camera. Your camellia is so pretty.This was the first year for tulipa turkestanica too and I love them.Free bulbs are good. LOL! The checkered Fritiallaria always amazes me with its blooms.Have a wonderful weekend. Hi Little Gardeners!

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  25. Don't think I ever seen a Bald Eagle...must be amazing.
    Checkered Lily is Wild !
    Haven't seen our bleeding hearts yet, maybe next week.

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  26. Well we did get some sun today, what a nice change!

    Tina - I've seen a little of the Decorah eagles, I was listening to one of the people that films them on NPR the other day, said they've had more viewers than ever this year.

    April - not too sure of the obsession of the checkered lilies, I know some people are very into them. I have just the one that's come up this year, but it is pretty cool to see a flower with markings like that. I've noticed that a lot of Magnolias are just starting to bloom. I wonder if you brought a flower into somewhere like Molbaks if they could id it for you?

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  27. Wonderful photos of the Spring flowers. And the Eagle, I often see them here along the lake. In fact I think I just posted a photo of two of them setting in the tree here in the gardens. They were a part of my Photo Essay on Winter earlier this month. They are such a majestic bird. Fortunate to have them here year round. Jack

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  28. I can relate to having unpleasant weather cutting into playing in the dirt time. Would love some of that rain you mentioned, we've only gotten high, dry winds. Your bunny is so cute. Makes me miss my lopsa bunny. And I can't decide which I like best - the pink tulip or the checkered lily. Both are so lovely.

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  29. Such variety of colours... fun to see modest buds looking down, some flowers stay cheerful looking up!

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  30. Very nice bloom, Catherine! Love your tulips! I didn't go to NPA sale this year, and the reason was - not to buy any more plants. Need firstly plant what I have already in the pots.

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  31. Catherine..wow..everything is looking Fab!! I love that soft pink tulip..gorgeous...so many beautiful blooms you have to enjoy...i am still waiting! AW..your pets are absolutely adorable...sweet souls! Beautiful post...always a delight to see what magic is sparking in your garden space!
    Kiki

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  32. I hope you enjoyed the sun yesterday! It killed me to spend the day working :( You have so many beautiful blooms coming up! The first tulip you pictured, the yellow one..yes, they are usually some of the first blooming tulips and have short stems to survive the wind and rain March brings. It looks like it's going to be a beauty!

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  33. You hooked me with that first picture. Greigii, you say? These are exactly what I have blooming down here near the Columbia, but they are not what the box said! Mine are super short too, so maybe it really is normal for them.

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  34. Nice tulip photos. Mine are really poor. They didn't come up very tall, maybe because they were planted late? Who knows. In the south tulips are not reliable.
    I do like the Fritiallaria, maybe I should try some of those.
    Glad to see you have a bud on your Magnolia.

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  35. I don't know if you saw my recent yellow tulips, but that's exactly what they are! Greigii tulips, I had forgotten their name. Mine are short too, but oh so pretty!

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  36. I would love some of those checkered fritillarias. I've never been able to get them thru the winter to bloom once tho. Love the other one ~ sometimes I almost miss them in my garden they are so small. We look like we're about the same place bloom-wise this year??
    I hope your weather improves. I would be sitting under a sun lamp about now!!

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