What's Blooming: Early Crocus, Forsythia

Bloom day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month and I confess, I missed February. I didn't have a single bloom, but that's not to say I didn't drop by and visit to see what was blooming in your garden. 


This month however, I do have blooms! Outside the early Crocus continue to open. The Daffodils seem to push up from the soggy ground by an inch a day. The Lamb's Ear and Bee Balm are greening up.

Crocus peeping through Thyme

Indoors Forsythia is blooming in many vases all over the house. It needed a good pruning and although not native, I do love this shrub come Spring, especially when I can use any left over clippings for cheerful spring arrangements!

We had our first Spring thunderstorm here early this morning. More blooms are sure to follow the booms.

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Fall Foliage

This fall, I have more trees, though still very young; shrubs that are beginning to fill out; grasses that have become masses and new beds and perennials all with changing foliage and interesting seed heads. Since it is the foliage and not the blooms that is now the star of Northeastern gardens, I thought I would attempt joining Pam at Digging for Foliage Follow Up! (Hopefully, I will stay organized enough to participate regularly in this monthly blog event.)

I like to journal (through blogging) my garden each fall. I enjoy looking back through the years to see how my garden has changed and grown. Here is my garden (forever in the making) this Fall of 2011.

In the Bird & Butterfly Garden you are seeing Evening Primrose Oenothera, Mints (still green), Miscanthus 'Morning Light', Panicum 'Dallas Blues,' perennial sunflower Helianthus Microcephalus, Joe Pye Weed, Forsythia 'Meadowlark.'

Garlic Chives in the Potager

Bluecrop Blueberry in the Potager

A new bed behind the garage workshop. The tree (facing to the left) I believe is an Amur Maple, not native and invasive so I cannot recommend it, but I cannot part with these trees. They were on my lot in Maine and two of them sprouted in a window box I brought with me – just look at this one now. I loved these trees in my Maine garden and keep them because they remind me of my home and garden there. Their fall foliage is always beautiful. Facing to the right, a Red Osier Dogwood.

Red Osier Dogwood

In the new Woodland Edge, much is happening. This Cardinal Dogwood's stems have turned and look rich before the Blue Spruce. In the foreground is the nearly purple foliage of Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Alice.'

Leaf of newly planted Red Maple (here, most of the Maples did not turn red this year)

Newly planted Pagoda Dogwood

Ligularia 'Desdemona'

Maidenhair Fern

Virginia Creeper

Leaves of young Tulip Tree in backyard

Daylight Leaves

Just as daylight savings time ends, so have the leaves left. I managed to freeze the leaves (in timeless photos) before Frosty Morning. As my garden grows, now at three years, I find I am rewarded with a little show of fall color and interest.

Cardinal Dogwood

Geranium and Evening Primrose (Oenothera)

Forsythia 'Meadowlark'

American Witch Hazel

Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Alice'

Snowball Hydrangea

Young Amur Maples with Red Osier Dogwood in background.

Pin Oak

The Witch Hazel I just planted this past spring from a bare root purchased at Prairie Moon. The Forsythia has grown from a cutting I took with me from Maine when we moved here. The Amur Maples showed up as seedlings in a window box I also brought with me from Maine! It is exciting to watch them all grow each year. The Pin Oak put on some weight this year, but nothing can compare to a beautiful, mature tree come fall. Following is a mature Pin Oak in nearby Grass Point State Park. Following that mature Oaks and Maples throughout the park.

Look at this carpet of leaves.

This Birch's branches and jewel leaves dance in the sunlight.