Bloom Day - April 15, 2008

High 59 F
Low  30 F

Finally a bloom day with outside blooms!  How gratifying is that?  A big thank you to Carol over at May Dreams for uniting us all on Bloom  Day.  There are a few plants in bloom in the garden today.  The overview of the East Border looks a bit bare with just spots of color as the Rhododendron mucronulatum 'Cornell Pink' starts to put on her pink petticoats and the Scilla siberica continues to shine black light blue by the crabapple near the fish pond.  The Helleborus foetidus is still putting on the green display and next to it the Pachysandra procumbens is blooming with it's cream and brown spikes. It is amazing how interesting it looks close up while going unnoticed from a distance.  Not too far away the Japanese Andromeda, Pieris japonica, is blooming in spite of the deer damage to its' tops.  This is listed as a deer resistant plant but no one told my deer.  It does have a pretty lily of the valley flower which is fragrant. Grape hyacinths are adding their bits of color to the garden in both purple and white. Around the corner in the left entry border, the Helleborus  x 'Kingston Cardinal' is blooming. This flower blends in with the leaves a bit too well and came dangerously close to a major raking incident. Daffodils and Chionodoxa make a great combination but mine are not planted together.  This is something I hope to correct in the future.  In the front by the walkway the violas are planted and Tucker looks over the garden trying to find a squirrel to chase.