2019 Spring Flowers
Yeah, I know it's just shy of April, but still a 70's day brings out the flowers. Crocus are here. And there's lots of signs of other things just around the corner.
GC Was outside this afternoon and spied a new crop of Lily of the Valley already in bloom along side the sheds in the back yard.
joyful Does anyone have a lilac bush they would be willing to make a cut from?
Would love to smell their sweet scent this year.
Joni Sattely 
4catmom I need to clean up the front garden where I just planted Willy Nilly, now it’s messy. Problem is I don’t know what to pull and what to leave. Going to Google that for myself and look for advice.
Bessie If you want advice Bessie, first step is a picture. The first bit of advice I would give is leave hydrangeas. They don't like being moved. Some things like peony are the same way, they take a couple of years to get comfy in their environment. Day lilies don't mind a bit. They store nutrients like bulbs and are very resilient.
I got some orange Tiger Lily’s from at one of our swaps and would like to put more of them in. I love those! I’ll post a picture or send it to you.
GC I consider you the expert - with one exception - I moved a hydrangea and it bloomed the next season - and far better than the one we didn't touch ---
Thanks 4catmom - it only goes to show that any individual plant could always behave differently. Not moving hydrangea is traditional wisdom and definitely my own experience. Who knows if it just got better sun, better soil or something else it liked. But what ever works for you, go with it.
Bessie - Collette. Talk to her if you want more of those from the swap. She has a whole long line of them and should definitely be able to help get you more.
We've got all kinds of fun coming up in the gardens.. love this time of year...
4cat - that probably means you put it in a spot it really liked! I have one that's HUGE now not sure what to do with it...
MG 
3wbdwnj Thank you 3wbdwnj!
When we bought our house 10 years ago I hoped we had scored a weeping cherry! When I came home.from a family visiting it was just the most glorious thing ever! One of my favorite parts of spring in the yard
Sorry I haven't been keeping up with this thread. Daffodils have been great this year. Gave up on tulips last year with too much deer activity.
The off and on rain has not only made the grass grow really well, best in years. But now I see signs of some irises as well as the poppies with buds. I see good signs of peonies all every where too.
Poppy as promised. (Thanks joyful!!!)
Rain has made a number of things open up. First of the irises are open, bachelor buttons, bleeding hearts, yellow archangel, probably more. It's not going to be long for summer flowers either.
Your poppies look better than mine, GC...Rain beat them down but so many yet to bloom so may be hope for them yet..
Thanks again joyful - I've still got plenty to go too. I just picked the best one currently open for the picture.
Here's my white bleeding heart doing well. (Thanks iris!!)
Oh I LOVE the poppies!! How beautiful!!
@Joni Sattely, I have three lilac bushes, which I actually call trees cause they're crazy big for bushes, and you're MOST welcome to come over and cut slips. I do not know how to do it, but would be glad to learn. Let me know! I'm in Oxford, by the way.
MYD 
Kurt Vanden Brink 
Great irises. Mine have started but only the hum drum blue ones. Pictures will follow when more of them are out.
In the mean time yellow archangel has very much grown incrementally and found its spot. (Thanks 4catmom!!) So much better than pachysandra for a shade ground cover.
GC - I have checked this yellow archangel to plant under my front yard tree. It seems that is invasive and impossible to get rid of: https://www.kingcounty.gov/services/environment/animals-and-plants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/yellow-archangel.aspx
Lena 
Lena - Yes, I understand out in Oregon and Washington where that link comes from they have a problem in the forests with that plant. At least for me, it's not growing and taking over everything. The particular variety (I believe it's call Hermann's Pride) was designed to be a bit better behaved. It also seems to clump together without going out of bounds. The only thing it has displaced so far is creeping charlie. So at least for me, it's behaved.
GC - great! I am so afraid of invasive plants after planting regular "groundcover" liriope in a flower bed. I removed it 3 years ago and it still pops up. I can't Round-Up it completely because it appears practically inside other plants but at least it's in the area that is surrounded by tile path and doesn't go beyond it. The variegated liriope was much better behaved (actually didn't survive winter a few years ago).
Iris 
I know it's not the focus of this thread, but can anyone help identify this? Came from a tree that is full of branches like this, at Heath Village.
Kurt - How about a red horse chestnut? I recently saw one of those being discussed on line. That looks similar.
Besides the blue iris, this one is now out. (Thanks MG!)
Speaking of the blue iris, it's not just one or two now, it's a whole lot. Enough for a picture.
GC, I was starting to worry about mine because I got a bunch of buds but nothing was opening. Well the first one finally opened Sunday night and the rest all suddenly shot up even taller and I expect they will open soon too.
Tracy 
Tracy - Someone else told me the same thing on Sunday. They're like that. All of a sudden they just all come out.
Amsonia (blue star) is having a banner year. So is bee balm but that'll be full summer before it's open. So when do we start "Summer Flowers"? Mine are getting close. The dianthus is opening, I know coreopsis isn't far away...
Baptisia, a variety called Purple Smoke. This will get even more flowers but it's oddly much shorter than other years. I'm suspected that one late frost we had is the culprit. It has often gotten to a very impressive 6 feet tall. This year I'm not sure it's even 4. Shouldn't complain. That's actually about the size considered normal for it.
GC - thanks for the tree identification, I think you nailed it! Someone had asked me about it and I had no idea, but I knew where I could find the answer! Thanks again!
Kurt - You're lucky some people had just been talking about that very thing on a different front. ;-)
Columbines have been out for a while. I'm very happy I just got a trade for a different color than this deep maroon. The new one is small so I just hope it hangs on.
Skippy 
I need one of those to magically appear. Mine either get eaten by deer or suffer a bit of frost or something else. They never seem to get big enough to bloom for me.
I'm glad I got a picture of all the poppies together. They were already starting to drop petals and then last night came along...
Your poppies are beautiful this year, GC. Just in time for Memorial Day... That is how mine used to look but this year they were not a full bed as in the past. Enjoy!
Any thoughts on those roll out flower seed mats ? Are they worth it or do they not operate as expected
The peonies are extra large this year.
I'm starting to get salvia, veronica, and even spider wort. Saturday is June 1, Memorial Day is now gone. I think next up is going to be the start of "2019 Summer Flowers". ;-)
My iris have opened really well this year and purchased NINE more!!
My peonies are opening really nicely even made a couple bouquets.
MG - Nine? I already think you're the local Queen of the Iris. ;-) I think I have four different ones from you. On the other hand I've seen the peonies on the side of the house and think you have those as good as anyone else around.
Anyone know where I can get Rocket Snapdragons? Donaldson's doesn't have any this year and I haven't been able to locate any.
Bill Conforti 
The only place I've seen snapdragons this year is Godlewsky's. I don't know what variety.
Our foxglove have come in beautifully...I planted a foxglove plant 2 years ago and it died, I was so surprised to see all of these seedlings pop up in its place.
Honestyseasy 
Honestyseasy - That looks great. My foxglove is healthy but no where near as far along as buds on it let alone blooming. I have a cream color that definitely grows quite a bit every year. As long as it's healthy your plant should produce lots of seeds for the years to come. Look for smaller plants 2-3 feet away from the main one where stalks will land when it's done blooming.
Any chance you want to trade some of that for some cream colored? I'm just looking for diversity.
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