Who's on First?

Reminds me of the Abbott and Costello routine!  I have been experiencing a lot of firsts this year in the way of blooms.
This siberian iris came from a yard sale 2 years ago...well worth the $1 I paid for the pot.

It's not a bloom yet but I am excited to see what color this peony will be.  I bought it when it was a little whiff of a thing about 3 years ago. It was a Fred's dollar store plant in the moss baggie!

First bloom on another "found rose" from last year.  This has been a vigorous little thing to have started from a stick last year!

Lastly, not a flower picture but another installment on the "Stairway to Heaven" project as I like to call it.  I sure do have a wonderful and handy hubby!

Ladies and Gentlemen I Introduce to You the First Rose Blossom of 2010!

First a little background about me and roses.  About 3 years ago I had an interest re-kindled in heirloom roses.  I say re-kindled because I have always loved roses-- even as a child I have memories of them.  I just didn't know the differences between the heirlooms and the hybrid teas till recently.  I had all but given up on roses until I stumbled upon some people on the garden web who were chatting away about finding them in old home places, cemeteries and even roadsides.  Then the fever hit.  I started propagating in a simple mist system and had whopping success.  Even Glen has been hooked!  Every spring we combine our beloved back road drives with my passion.  I swear Glen can spot a stem with briars on it at 1000 yards!  I am not someone who simply MUST have an ID for every rose although you are welcome to tell me what you think I have. I just name them according to where I found them.  So it is for this posting.  I just know this rose was found in Alabama at Wesley Chapel church and cemetery.  It re-blooms all summer and is white with pink edges.  The blooms are small and not fragrant, the leaves are healthy all season.  It was near a grave from the 1940's. 

Here is the mother bush:

I'll be glad when the other roses join in-- but until then I'll enjoy the sweetness of these first blooms.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day April 2010

Garden Blogger's Bloom day sure did sneak up on me this month!  I'm sure everyone has been busy as bees since the last bloom day--so have the flowers!

White Iris passalong (a first bloom for me this year yay!):

Chocolate chip ajuga earns its keep in the garden at this time of year:

Lily of the Valley:

Archangel Lamium:

Catchfly:

Next months preview:  Roses, peonies and iris oh my!

Be sure to visit May Dreams Gardens to view the other beautiful blooms featured on Bloom Day.

http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Here a Bloom there a Bloom

I have been enjoying the sights of spring and have been pleasantly surprised by some new blooms not before beheld by these eyes.  Are your ready to take a peek?
I'm always "verklempt" by the first iris bloom.

Native columbine procured at last falls Middle Tennessee Plant Swap.

Lamium Archangel- surprise I didn't know it bloomed a lovely lemon yellow!

Solomon's seal has surely sealed it's place in my garden.  Also a last year's plant swap find.

Other than enjoying my blooms I've been really working myself into the ground every evening after work and the weekends.  Today I had Glen dig up 4 forsythia bushes that have only caused me grief since I planted them in my perennial bed (before I knew it was to be a perennial bed).  I am passing those along to a coworker.  Now I have 4 nice holes to put something in that I really do want!

Wisteria Hysteria

Yes 'tis true that certain things will drive a gardener mad ie:  a plant that seemingly will not bloom.  Did my wisteria hear the mutterings under my breath or threats of shovel pruning?  I was afraid to even hope that these buds were the ones I had anticipated for approximately 7 years, the fledgling blooms of my dreams.

Oh the suspense...

Do I hear Carly Simon in the background??..."anticipation is making me wait"...

Zip a de doo dah!  My oh my what a wonderful...er...bloom!  Yes I am quite hysterical over this as you can tell.  Those who are blessed enough to have experienced this for years in your garden you surely must know the euphoria I am experiencing.  (along with the bees who are covering every open blossom).  I think wisteria is God's way of teaching us patience. 

A final parting shot...

Fast Forward Through Spring

Don't y'all feel that way?  After waiting so long for event the tiniest speck of green all of a sudden things have been exploding like fireworks!  Hard to believe how many flowers have come and gone already.  I would miss so much if I didn't check the yard daily now. 

My bleeding heart is looking quite regal already:

Creeping Jenny has been doing more "leaping" than "creeping!"

 the upper garden

The lower garden

My little shady corner.  I am especially loving my brunnera "Jack Frost"  I have wanted this plant for a long time.  It was a souvenir of my Huntsville trip to Bennett's Nursery.

My new red/orange gazing ball will look better when underplanted.

So this is where my help went to!

So hold on to spring while you can.  In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."  Well said.

April Foolin'??

Well I'm wondering if mom nature is trying to April fool me??  I was thinking I would not see any blooms from the snowdrops I just planted last year.  Look what I saw today!  I thought they were called "snowdrops" for a reason!

Another surprise I found was on my wisteria.  It stubbornly has not bloomed for probably 6 years now and I'm wondering if these are bloom buds?  I am always disappointed to see them leaf out with no blooms so I'm not getting my hopes up.  I can't remember what the buds looked like before the leaves emerged. 

My catchfly is blooming too, love its early pink blooms.

Lamium "chequers" has a nice purple surprise for me.

Looks like I'm not the only one that is loving these 80 degree temps and that's no April foolin'!