Monday, April 14, 2008

Homecoming

I was out of town this weekend. I must say I missed all my blogging buddies. I have lots of blog reading to catch up with too. I was busy helping a friend celebrate her birthday. It is always so nice to get away for a weekend. When you come home, especially this time of year, it is such a joy to go around in the garden to see what has popped out to greet you when you get home.

I was thrilled to find this little clump of bloodroot. I had one these two blooms last year. These were the original planting. You can see how it has multiplied this past winter. I was so afrain that the drought last year would kill them. Then the drenching it has taken so far this spring was a worry. This delicate looking wildflower has stood up to all the exaggerated weather conditions that has been thrown at it over the past year.

Another little surprise was this clump of Grape Hyacinth. I have threatened to thin and move it to better surrouondings for years but haven't done so as yet. It just hangs in there for me.

There are all kinds of pop ups since I have been gone. It is just amazing how quick the garden responds to the longer spring days. I just hope the freeze predicted tonight doesn't put a stop to all the blooms. I hate the thought of losing all of the apple blossoms and hydrangeas like last year. Keep your fingers crossed. More later when I get myself back into routine.

21 comments:

  1. What a pretty flower! I am going to have to check this one out. Hope you enjoyed your weekend. It is so good to get away once in a while. This should be a great week for gardeners.

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  2. Gee, your plants sure know how to welcome you home!! Such beautiful flowers.

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  3. I am just desperate for bloodroot. I've been thinking about bloodroot all winter long. I understand that the flowers fade fast and the foliage disappears in summer. Has that been your experience? i'm thinking of interplanting it with some ferns or sweet cicely so that by the time the bloodroot is gone, new foliage will take its place.
    irena

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  4. How nice that you had a weekend away with a friend! I hope that freeze tonight doesn't damage your plants.

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  5. Oh, I hope you don't get a freeze tonight. Those little blossoms are adorable. The grape hyacinths look like they are plastic, they are so perfect-looking! Sounds like you had a nice weekend away -- it's good to do that now and then. Then when you come home, surprises await in your garden.

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  6. It's great you were able to get away and celebrate your friend's birthday this past weekend. Your Bloodroot must be a double one - it is gorgeous. So are your grape hyacinths. They seem happy in this location.

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  7. Welcome back, Lisa. Your bloodroot is stunning, as are the muscari. I have found that the muscari love to be divided and will reward you with loads of clumps. I even will just put one bulb in a spot, it multiplies so fast. I think it can crowd itself right out of the ground here. I would be afraid to touch the bloodroot though.

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  8. We have frost this morning, but it only got down to 38 thankfully. Whew. Hope everything tender survived. Enough already! It's spring, Mother Nature! :c) Glad you had a fun weekend away Lisa.

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  9. Beckie after the freeze last night I hope to go out and find all survived. I think it will be ok if we don't have severalmore nights like this.

    Hi Teri, I loved finding new flowers blooming.

    Irena, I have found that the flowers last until it starts getting hot. The heat is what makes them fall apart and you are right about the foilage, it disappears. It would be good to interplant it with somehting so you don't have a hole in your garden.

    Hi Robin. I hope to get out a few minutes before I have to go to work to see what the garden looks like this a.m. Lots of frost here.

    Hi Diana, I did have a good time this weekend. Going away is wonderful. It reallly makes you appreciate coming home.

    Kate, I guess it is a double. A friend gave me the start so I hadn't even thought about that.

    Frances, I will try to remember to thin the Muscari this fall. I would love to have some in several places.

    Jayne, it is 32F on the thermometer by our patio doors as I type. There is frost everywhere. I hope this is the last of the frosty mornings.

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  10. Wow that Bloodroot is spectacular. It looks like, well not double, but triple bloodroot!

    We had grape hyacinths pop up as a surprise in the back yard this year. I've never planted them, but some years they pop up in unexpected places - it's a treat! (I can't understand why people would ever consider them weeds.) I was so excited that I had to get down on my hand and knees to sniff the grapiness. :)

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  11. Lisa, I hope the freeze didn't hit your flowers too bad last night. We, too, had frost last night, but I don't think it was too bad. Thankfully, I don't have much blooming yet, so as long as it didn't hurt my lilacs again this year, I will be happy. Glad you enjoyed your weekend.

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  12. Our grape hyacinth is just beginning to pop through the soil. We had a heavy frost last night but warmer temps are forecast for later in the week.

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  13. Having a bloodroot increase like that feels like a complement from Mother Nature, doesn't it Lisa?

    I need to follow the advice from Frances and move grape hyacinths around to sunnier places. Hope you stay above freezing now.

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  14. Dear Lisa,
    I adore the Muscari! My favorite spring bulb. I transplant mine any time of the year. Even when they are blooming! Wonderful little flowers that are beautiful enmass. I do think they do best in full sun but I have some in partial shade and they do okay.
    Nice you were able to get away for a weekend. Always a delight to spend time with friends.
    Hope the frost did little damage. We also have had hard freezes. So far everything is just fine. Hopr the same for you.
    Sherry

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  15. Welcome back, Lisa ... glad you had a great weekend ... Greenbow certainly had some gifts to present upon your return ... awesome bloodroot.

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  16. Never heard of bloodroot Lisa, now that is very very pretty.
    Glad you had a good weekend.

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  17. Double sanguinaria! Beautiful...I have only the single so far, and there's a pinkish flowered one I'd love to have, but it was pretty pricy in a catalogue a couple of years back. It's a tough little wildflower despite its delicate appearance.

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  18. Pretty blooms to welcome you home. I love walking around the garden this time of year and checking on the progress of things.

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  19. It's so nice to see a preview of what we can expect in another month or later. These flowers are so perky and promising! Enjoy your spring garden.

    Diane

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  20. I like your serviceberry. I'm thinking about planting one. Do you get a lot of birds?

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  21. I'm way behind on reading blogs, too. I got behind reading all the bloom day posts first!

    Anway, I love the double bloodroot. That's a great wildflower.

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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