I’m finally getting on the bandwagon. It’s time for a Bloom Day post. What a great way to “catalogue” the history of my garden and simultaneously help me commit to memory/document the botanical names of my plants. While I’ve never met you, thank you to Carol from May Dream Gardens for bring this monthly event to life! I hope my contribution does it justice.
In the spirit of The Mardi Gras Gardener, I present a taste of my purple, green and gold world currently on display. Full disclosure, due to this season’s ridiculous weather, a significant relocation program from last fall and the addition of early spring interest plants and shrubs, things aren’t quite as Mardi Grasish as they have been in previous years.
Interestingly enough, upon first glance, my garden does not look or feel particularly “floriferous”. In fact, I kind of love this time of year because one can really appreciate shape, color and texture without distraction.
The full sun “mixed border” suffered the least amount of damage from the harshness of the winter and seems to have benefited from all the rain!

view from the street a week ago

same side looking down…yesterday
Is it weird that I want to push the pause button so I can savor this for a little while longer? Soon the flowers of the peonies, lupine, checkermallow, iris, yarrow and sanguisorba will provide a beautiful distraction to the foliage.

Driveway side and view from the hell strip. Here the foliage really gets to stand out with pops of fabulous electric pink coming from the lorepetulum ‘Zhuzhou Fuchia’ and the Cercis canadensis ‘Covey’ Lavender Twist.
But, after all, this is a “Bloom Day” post so without further ado….
I’ve always believed that sense of discovery is important and I guess it’s what best describes where my garden is this time of year for blooms. Most of the flowers featured here are small and tucked here, there, around a corner or under somewhere so you’re not necessarily going to be hit in the face with them – I’m going to make you work for it a bit!
I am absolutely crazy for columbines and I have been since day one. I don’t have the tags for the majority of them because it wasn’t a “thing” for me back then. I did find the tag for this show stopper buried in my garage last year.

Aguilegia Origami ‘Red and White
One more time for good measure!

Auqilegia ‘Long Spurred’
My first year with trying iris… several more are JUST about to bloom!Not sure why I waited so long!

Iris ‘hand me down’ from the bf last year
From my very first Hortlandia!

Enkianthus
For a while I thought this was dead…boy, was I wrong!

Loropetalum c. ‘Zhuzhou Fuschia’
I want these everywhere!

Antennanaria dioica ‘Rotes Wunder’ or Red Wonder “Pussy Toes”

Grevillea ‘Mongolo’

Polemonium cameum

Polemonium caeruleum ‘Brise d’Anjou’

Geranium cinerium ”Lawrence Flatman’

Geum ‘Herterton Primrose’

Helianthemum ‘Henfield Brilliant’

Tradescentia – first bloom about a month late!

Centaurea montana ‘Black Sprite’

Solomon’s Seal
Not quite ready for prime time this month…film at eleven…

Beschorneria

Anchusa from a plant swap

Baptisia ‘Cherries Jubilee’
There sure seems to be a lot of pictures considering it looks on the surface as if I’ve got nothing in bloom right now! June should be a DOOZY!
Till next time!
Welcome aboard ! Plenty of lovely blooms !
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Your garden continues to impress, a Beschorneria bloom? Wow.
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And blooming despite being repeatedly run over by a friend’s mother’s car trying to off road the driveway.
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Shhh…don’t tell Lance. He gave it Matthew and he gave it to me! My hellstrip from hell seems to have the magic touch.
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Welcome to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! A red pussytoes! I love it. I had similar thoughts when I went out to take pictures for Bloom Day. Right now — before everything flowers, before things get really big and floppy and start to spread into each other — the mounding and spiky and various shapes of green are very soothing to look at.
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Thanks! It’s like a shade garden without the shade!
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The anticipation and ultimate seduction of flowers will get you eventually.
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Eventually they will know me as the Painted Whore of Hillsdale!
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Black Sprite!!!!!
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Welcome to Bloom Day!!! and your kicking it off with pussy toes?? I love it. I also love the color of your baptisia…and of course there is an echo of the rich burgundy in the background. The views of the beds overall is quite stunning. Happy GBBD!!
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Thanks! I had no idea my pussy toes would cause such a stir! I was so excited when I found that baptisia! Orange is my favourite colour and I was looking for baptisia to add to my garden too!
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Where is this garden? It is lovely.
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Thank you! I’m in Portland, Or
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Lucky you. Do you follow annamadeit/flutterandhum? She I s there also.
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Yes…she is a friend of mine!
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Lucky you, again. She is great.
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