2016 Spring Flower Pictures
Is it too early? March 12?
All I know is the prediction today is high of 72 degrees with 100% chance of crocus and tulips in the near future.
GC GC -
Not too early. I just planted a huge herb garden (see today's post):
http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/734215
Weather reports predict above freezing for at least two weeks, and then we are only a week away from April. Go for it.
DannyC 
3wbdwnj 
Grascal
I've said it before, but it seems like the forget me nots come and go and some years are not as good as others. This year seems to be an extra super bonanza. At least 4 times bigger than last year. And twice as many of them.
We have more lilacs than I have seen in years. Looks like a second round of buds tried to set themselves late in the year because of the warm weather. In this pic you can see the small unopened buds in front of the ones that bloomed. I doubt that they'll open, but these are all over the the bush, I've never seen this happen before and we've had lilacs all my life.
hktownie 
The lilac I was given a few years ago is finally big enough and healthy enough for a full bloom. Last year was the first time for a partial. It's not quite ready for a picture, but I do know several lilacs in the neighborhood are not only open but enormously fragrant.
In the mean time while the columbines and irises are getting close, this is the bachelor's button/corn flower that's come up fantastically this year.
I've got a bumper crop of Solomon's Seal, another plant exchange item. There's a white tulip in the middle of it all, still trying to hang on and not drop its petals.
Now if the poppies care of joyful will only open up. There's quite a crop of those too.
The irises are getting buds! The tulips and even the daffodils are now almost gone.
This Pasque flower is out even though it's technically about a week late. ;-)
GC - beautiful flower pics! Patiently awaiting blooms from a now healthy climbing rose which the morons employed by PVPOA cut down early last year, after over 15 years of growth. Against the advice of some, I did not cut down last year's growth and it is now not only just leafing out, it is also shooting out with strong red branches, six feet up. I have done nothing yet this year, but I suspect some good fertilizer may be needed. Any advice on climbing roses? If there are blooms, pics will follow. Thanks.
DannyC - Don't expect a lot of flowers this year. If it's now growing back, let it finish growing and then wait for the flowers. While it's growing, don't prune the big long branches, fertilizer for sure but never over do it, use rose specific food, and keep well watered while growing. If they cut heavily last year, expect it take 3+ years to come all the way back.
GC - Thanks for the advice. Still hopeful for a few flowers this year, as the rose looks so healthy now. What do you recommend as the best rose specific food? Thanks again.
DannyC - I don't worry about brands, it's more about making sure the N-P-K mix is right. Miracle Grow, Scotts, Sta-Green or what ever you want to buy. Just make sure it's rose specific on the package, I think most of the rose food concentrates on more "N" than other fertilizers.
GC - Chemistry rules, and Nitrogen is the key, as confirmed by research on the net. Now if only I could find other hardy perennials for the low-lying garden. Dianthus and Shasta daisies survived the winter and are now growing well, but that's it. Lost the blue Astor's and black-eyed Susan's, and not sure if they will be replaced.
DannyC - Are they just things that will grow later in the season, or just didn't work out? Besides daisies, cone flower and black eyed susans will grow just about anywhere. I've had excellent luck with heliopsis and bee balm as well. Other than rocks or in a river, those plants will grow just about anywhere.
I sent out an email about a potential plant exchange like we've done in the past, but response is only one or two people. Even if there isn't a swap, folks can arrange things privately. If there are specific plants you want, I know where to get quite a few every day things from other gardens.
GC - I am an amateur gardener, and must have done something wrong to have lost the black-eyed susans and blue astors, or bought and planted the wrong varieties last June. Like the optimism about corn flowers, heliopsis and bee balm. A plant exchange - now that is most interesting. The only problem is, I may not have much to contribute in the way of plants this year, just starting, but more than willing to buy into the program in some way. Time to plant. Please pm me with any details and suggestions. Thanks.
Tracy (mobile) and speaking of irises - if you've never visited the Presby Iris Gardens in Montclair - you may want to.....spectacular.....
4catmom Danny C - I can give you some black-eyed susans if you would like. Mine overwintered quite well and need to be thinned. PM me.
Dansker Dansker - Very generous offer, but I must pay you something for the black-eyed susans, since you spent money for fertilizer, water and time to raise them, even surviving the winter. Also looking forward to learning from you how to grow them successfully. Got to love perennials! Sent you a PM, hope you got it OK.
Dansker - How about some herbs (Italian parsley, purple sage, rosemary, thyme, big leaf basil, oregano, cilantro, dill, chives, plus several varieties of mint) in exchange? Babied them all winter indoors, and they are growing and spreading very nicely outdoors now.
Also thinking about tomatoes this year. After all, it is New Jersey!
That would be good. Don't have parsley or cilantro. My dill isn't up yet but tends to reseed itself every year. Think my sage is russian, but don't remember. Am trying to root some now, to pass on. Heard you can root in water. Have lemon balm,peppermint, tansy. May have extra purple echinacea later, also perennial hibiscus (flowers are about 8-12 inches) but they're not up yet. Have montauk daisies which they say you can root directly into the ground, the way you do forsythia or euonymis.
And a nice surprise right next to it. Only a couple of very small flowers, but looking forward to the bleeding heart getting much bigger. It took quite a while before several tries to get one of those.
Big thanks to joyful for both the poppies and the bleeding heart.
jennymc 
Tracy - When your iris does eventually open up, don't forget that these powder blue ones have a fragrance!! It's very light, grape like, and unless you have a whole section of them, you might not notice. But go up close to one and breathe in deeply. ;-)
MG 
Alot of things are going to be blooming soon - amsonia, penstemon isn't too far off, more of the later blooming irises, pin cushion flower, and salvia.
The baptisia has actually started but isn't ready for a picture. For some odd reason it doesn't seem like it's going to be the giant 6 ft plus this year. It's still a healthy 4 ft, but not the same as the previous record breaking years.
In the mean time, the dianthus around is ready for it's close up. ;-)
Thanks Tracy - I have many iris... but not too many are open yet...and I need to replant after the season
MG - Do you have light blue ones like my pic? I'd be very happy to trade some of those for the yellow one. I have a very large dark maroon iris too, that's not open but there are pictures from other years. I could give you some of those if you wanted as well.
I do have a few lighter yellow irises (thanks Hopeful in H-town!!) but not a lot.
GC - I believe I do, they're the old fashion ones, AMAZING smell!! I would be open to trade some iris... I do have a couple I need to thin because they're a faster variety.
Let me know if I could check out hour iris, I'd know more by seeing then not... once some of the others open I can let you know!
Iris 
I love the whimsy of bleeding heart flowers and the vibrancy of poppies in my garden. The lily of the valley is so fragrant, but somewhat shy and hard to photograph. Here is my best shot.
Chickadee mobile 
if you haven't been to the Presby Iris Gardens in Montclair, now is the time - they're in full bloom
This is the yellow iris I mentioned, the same that is at cbel's garden that come from Hopeful in Hackettstown. I do not believe this is the same as the Honey Dipped - it's all yellow, not yellow and white.
MG - They all look great. I did a quick search on "San Francisco iris" and it looks just like that.
In the mean time, the baptisia is in full bloom now. It's not as tall as the fence so it's probably just 4 ft tall when it's been over 6 ft in past years.
Got a nice surprise yesterday afternoon as the last iris I have opened up in the front yard. I was afraid this one was going to die out so I moved it from where it used to be. Nice to see its still going to be around.
Is it me, or is it about time to start "summer" pictures? If it's not just the heat, the holiday weekend is only two days away!! And things like salvia are now out, and I've got coreopsis that may well bloom by Monday. Should I start the new thread?
Tracy - no, it's just a hanging basket in the way to take the picture which is why they're out of focus. It's a big nasturtium from Godlewsky's.
Beautiful pictures everyone - I hope the heat does not destroy all the beautiful flowers - here is a pretty pink Columbine.
We just moved into this house at end of Oct. I was going to rip out the gardens and start over bc I thought it was mostly weeds.... I'm glad I waited because I'm getting some nice surprises
Nosila 
Nosila - If you like it, then don't worry if its a weed or not. It wouldn't be me, but some people like to grow dandelions on purpose. Your first one does look interesting, almost like a yellow version of "cupids dart". However, it really is basically a weed and considered invasive. Just happens to be some kind of European relative of dandelion. I remember seeing that as a kid and thinking "yikes, mutant dandelion".
But if you ever have any hint of pulling out all of those peonies, call me first so I can be there to whisk them away to a safe place. ;-) They don't grow like that over night, there's some serious work put into what you've got there. Hint for next year - when they're just getting small buds, check to see how there is one central bud and maybe two small ones per stem. Pinch off the small ones and the central one will get even bigger.
"invasive" based on how many are popping up you are right. I'm going to start pulling some. It would be good for someone who has woods that doesn't mind it just popping up.
Some apparently call it "Goats Beard" and it only blooms in the morning and they close as soon as the full sun is out.
I figured out the name by downloading this awesome flower ID app.
midnightgardener1 I don't care who you are, it's too hot... It's after Memorial Day. And June. Tomorrow anyway. I think it's time to start the new thread for Summer Flower Pictures. ;-)
I know it's not spring any more, but this is a spring iris.
Look MG!! - This took so well it actually put up a bloom even though it was probably already done. Thank you very much for it.
GC the blue flag iris are actually still going, they're later to bloom then the bearded/non bearded German iris... they start and the siberian...the Japanese are usually the last to bloom... glad they're doing well.
Introducing Cinder, resting after a hard days work of naturally inspired making moles an endangered species.
DannyC - I see now why your dianthus is still going while mine is past prime. Not only a rock garden, but very shady. What you call buttercup I think I call evening primrose. A very prolific spreader.
My beautiful Tiger Lilly, finally blooming. I think these were replanted from a HL flower exchange 2 years ago. They're beautiful. Thank you to whoever shared them with me.
Bessie If they're the ones I delivered to you Bessie, then you can thank 'Ladyvee' for those. ;-)
GC - Yes, this is just a rock wall, mostly shade, perhaps the secret to success with dianthus and what you call evening primrose. Whatever, I love them all. The green plants in the foreground are blue asters and shasta daisies, both from last year. Hope they bloom soon, while the others are still in bloom. Will post pictures in any event.
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