Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: I’m Back!
I haven’t done a GBBD post since October. And because we are having such a cold spring (or Sprinter, as Rachelle at Talking to Plants puts it), I don’t have much to show yet. Plenty of stuff getting ready to bloom, not much actually blooming.
In terms of bulbs, the snowdrops (Galanthus) are pretty much played out. There are lots of crocus, however.
Also the Siberian squill (Scilla sibirica) is just beginning to bloom in both the back and front gardens.
Normally at this time of year we’d have daffodils and species tulips showing their stuff, but not now. To counteract the shortage of color, I’ve been buying pansies and violas by the flat. I bought mostly white, with a bit of blue, for the planters and containers in the back garden. This is something I do most years.
Also, for the first time, I’ve bought spring annuals for the driveway border. I planted a patch of stock by the front door, mostly for the fragrance. And at the far end I’ve planted about a flat and a half of violas, mostly yellow but with patches of blue. They should go nicely with the daffodils, celandine poppy, and grape hyacinths when these finally get around to blooming. To really fill this bed, I’d need at least one more flat, but I think I’ll hold off. I don’t have all the locations of all the perennials marked, so I have to cautiously make planting holes by hand. Fortunately, the soil is nice and soft.
In terms of other stuff, we are being tantalized by the promise of future blooms. The container tulips are making nice progress.
And you can see the daffodils are getting ready.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of little nibbles of color. I want the main course, and I want seconds!
Has your appetite for color in the garden been satisfied yet?
gardeninacity 
The crocus are lovely, and the other bulbs will be coming along soon!
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
Same to you! Hope you are right about the other bulbs!
Hi Jason, even if you have less blooms yet, at least i’ve seen my favorite purple crocus. I wonder why you don’t have snowdrops. I used to see in blogs that they are normally growing together, haha! But those blue ones are lovely too.
Oh, I do have snowdrops. The flowers are done for the season, though.
My squill seems very late this year. I fear I may have disturbed it with other seasonal plantings.
Mind if I ask where you get your stock? I love it, but haven’t had much luck with it — perhaps because I relegate it containers.
I bought plants at the neighborhood garden center. Not cheap, but I couldn’t resist.
Everything was taking ages to bloom here too, and then after just 2 or 3 milder days with some good rainfall it’s all happening at once…. we’re on the main course now! So hope you get some warmer days very soon and you can tuck in!
We’ve had plenty of rain but not much mild weather. We are expecting snow on Friday!
Hi Jason! My appetite has just started being satisfied, I guess I am a little ahead of you. But I like your crocuses, I have to buy some for next year, I always avoid short plants but I shall change this habit of mine, especially for spring plants.
Crocuses are an old favorite of mine, ever since I was a little kid. And though I love big plants, i definitely think there is a place in the garden for diminutive plants.
I’m not sure that my appetite for color in the garden has ever been completely satisfied.
Good point! I’m with you!
Not much color here except shoots of green, and I’ve still got a couple of beds of leaves to rake off.
That’s tough! I need reminding there are colder places than Chicago.
In the last week my garden has found its colour and we have warmer weather forecast this week so am hopeful that we have left sprinter behind.
I hope we can all soon say the same.
I have crocus too and not much more. We finally have the rains which will jump start the gardens. The little violas are making an appearance too. Our gardens are running about par. I just edged the beds yesterday and I see your beds are freshly edged. It is great when spring finally comes around and the sun is shining, but I will take the rains. Oh do we need them.
We had rain, and a little snow, through most of last week. This week is also expected to be pretty wet, with snow on Friday. What we need is sun and warmth!
I assume that you get your stock at the stock market, right? (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.) The blue of siberian squill is heavenly! Once the crocus start, the riot of spring color isn’t far behind. A few warm days and you’ll have technicolor magic!
No, at the stockyard! Yes, I also love the blue squill.
I’m glad things are moving in the right direction for your Jason. Now there is a bit of heat your potted Tulips should come on leaps and bounds, I know mine have!
I don’t particularly have an appetite for colour – just some spring growth on a few things that I’m hoping haven’t died! I keep looking in a few empty spots willing them on 🙂
I want color and the green growth also. I want it all!
Today we had 19 degrees C here and it was just wonderful. I have lots of crocus, but you´re right, we want more… It seems to take forever for the tulips to grow and the perennials are just showing above ground.
This year it’s taking forever, last year we had lots of tulips blooming by this time.
I feel the same way exactly – come on spring, hurry up already! (I will surely regret saying this, when winter suddenly changes to summer overnight, as it loves to do here.)
By then you would have forgotten this part of the year.
Colors have not got satisfied yet but they have already started coming and I am waiting patiently for all the various colors to come and go till winter :-). Your beds will really look nice when all those colors emerge
Yes, I can’t wait!
Nope, my need for masses of color is not yet satisfied! I’m hoping that a lot of the crocuses and bulbs I planted last year spread and give me larger areas of color next year. Must remember to fertilize them once they’re done blooming!
Lots of stuff on its way, though–oodles of daffodil buds, the candytuft, basket of gold alyssum. . .
I find that crocus and Scilla are good naturalizers. Some species tulips also.
Welcome back! I, too, am impatient for the full show. Spring is such a terrible tease.
It is indeed. Clearly it is without a conscience.
Welcome back and Happy GBBD! Looks like you may have some tulips for us next month. I will have to adopt the term “Sprinter” for our slow moving Zone 6a spring this year. It is a good thing, preferred over the sudden spring last year, but I am craving that color as well.
I’m in 5b. I agree, last year’s spring was disastrous.
Hi Jason, I’m right with you in wanting all of spring to be here. I’m so tired of highs in the 40s, that I’ve even said I’d rather have it be 80 than this. Still, it’s always nice to have some 60s and 70s in the spring. Thanks for visiting my last post. I do seem to have more blooms than you so far, but I like your larger patches of things. I’m also needing to be careful of not digging where perennials are that haven’t come up yet.
I’ve already probably killed one of my butterfly weed by digging it up accidentally .
Did you replant the butterfly milkweed? It could come out of it. Mine aren’t up yet. We’re still waiting for a warm up.
It looks like spring is just about to spring at your place. It will be worth the wait.
I’m sure it will!
Well, the virtue of starting late is that you still have lots of spring to see yet…
Yes, but it will go by so fast!
Spring is in full force here. And soon you too will have the color that you are waiting for. I can hardly wait to see photos of those tulips!
Me too, I’m very excited about the container tulips I’m growing for the first time.
It has been a few months since I participated in bloom day too! Great you are back. Watching life emerge through the leaf litter is encouraging. Spring started slowly here too but it is in full swing now. I am sure you won’t be far behind. Your crocuses are beautiful!
Thank you!
Love the colour of your crocuses. The squill is new to me, such an intense blue.
Yes, I love those purple crocuses, the color is so bold.
Main course, seconds, dessert, and a very fine coffee. I’m with you!
Satisfied? Spring has barely started although I do have some daffodils flowering. Very little else is out but we are having a few dry and sunnier days so things will start moving.
Very eager to get started, but there may be a frosty night yet.
The more given, the more is wanted- My hunger isn’t satisfied, but my appetite is whetted):-
That’s true. Most gardeners, like most people, are rarely satisfied.
No not even close to getting my color fix….but the daffs have started in the front…they have a ways to go out back. And the hyacinths and grape hyacinths with other early bulbs are just starting…
Sounds like your garden will be lovely very soon.
Me too! Bring on spring, full on spring.
Have you tried those new wave pansies..they are all the rage here, and they are wonderful.
Jen
I’ve heard about the new wave pansies, but my neighborhood garden center doesn’t carry them. They sound great, though.
Love the crocus! I am beginning to think that a spring area would be wonderful to have – with all the spring blooms concentrated so that the bed looks completely full. Like you, I rarely buy annuals, but sometimes they are worth their weight in gold. I think this year is one of those times!
I was blown away by giverny in April, which filled in among the bulbs with annuals.
I see hope and anticipation, you are going to have a beautiful garden this year.