Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for April 2023.
Here in my USDA hardiness zone 6a garden in central Indiana, we are having a bit of heat wave as we hit mid-April which means some gardeners are going to think they are in the clear, frost-wise, to start planting out tomatoes, peppers, and other garden plants.
Not so fast, I say, and so do the people at the local greenhouse who put up signs to alert people that we are not yet officially frost free, and all the plants inside the greenhouse are tender and won’t tolerate frost.
They’ve done their job by informing people… I watched as people still bought those plants.
Anyway, my crabapple, a variety called ‘Guinivere’ is blooming right on schedule. It almost always blooms around April 15th.
Flowers around the rest of the garden? Well, I think they are all blooming about the same time as in previous years. Here’s a litany of them.
Blooming side by side is a pearlbush (the white flowers) and a flowering quince (the red flowers). Underneath grape hyacinths have been slowly spreading (the blue flowers).
The ‘Lady Jane’ tulips are blooming with abandon in a garden bed I call Birds’ Blanket because soon the honeylocust tree will leave out and give the entire area partial shade while providing good spots for birds to sit and rest.
Underneath the crabapple tree in front, another tulip, Tulipa sylvestris is also blooming.
Let’s leave tulips for a bit and gaze upon the Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica.
Back to tulips. I don’t know the name of these tulips anymore but I know they are species tulips and are only about six inches tall. (Okay, my best guess is Tulipa humilis ‘Violaceae’ because I found that name on an order form from 2012, which tells you that this tulip, if that’s what it is, hangs around for a while.)
I never quite get rid of these summer snowflakes, Leucojum aestivum. They aren’t native and can be a big aggressive so be careful where you plant them. I dig them up when they show up where I don’t want them and have been known to toss out th bulbs.
Speaking of aggressive, I have lots of violets blooming around the garden now. I leave them be and just yank them out if they get to be too much.
(But really, can violets get to be too much? Not in my garden!)
Finally, let’s wrap this bloom day post up with one of many containers I’ve potted up with pansies and violas, and a bit of alyssum. They don’t like these hot days so I hope we return to a few cooler days before real summer arrives next month!
And that’s what I’ve got to show for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day.
We’d love to have you join us with you own bloom day post—on a blog, on instagram, wherever—showing what’s blooming in your garden on or around the 15th of the month. Then leave a link and a comment to let us know what you have to show us.
“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence
Carol-your garden is alive with blooms and all so pretty! We’ve had a heat wave here as well with temperatures in the 80’s for the past few days and the garden is coming to life with lots to see with Magnolia, Ornamental Plum, Hellebores, Pulmonaria and more!
You garden is gorgeous! I really love your red flowering quince, have never seen one quite this shade. I’d love to see some larger photos of your garden, it’s very hard to picture the over-all effect from the close-ups of the flowers.
So many beautiful blooms. Weird cold to hot to cold weather, huh? Thanks for hosting, Carol!
Thank you for hosting again, Carol. All your blooms are beautiful, and I especially liked the Virginia bluebells. I always look forward to the 15th of the month.
Wonderful to see so many blooming flowers in your garden. Mine are all still tucked inside.
Beautiful pictures and thank you for hosting Bloom Day again!
Lovely blooms! The Mertensia looks so delicate, what a beauty!
Wow, spring’s gone from 5mph to full speed in no time in your part of the country! You’re warmer than we are in Southern California right now. I’m enjoying the cooler temperatures, though – my spring flowers are lasting longer. Despite the cooler temperatures here, spring is in hyperdrive after receiving ample rain for a change this year. My own ‘Lady Jane’ species tulips are just finishing up but luckily Jane’s cousin ‘Cynthia’ arrived in time for this GBBD. Thanks for hosting, Carol.
Hi Carol and all,
Your quince is a standout color. Nice to see all the blooms! It’s like going on vacation to a warmer zone.
You are right that all the early bloomers bloom together, once they start. Plants aren’t fully convinced of spring here yet but the rain over the weekend helps.
Thanks for sharing the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!
We’re enjoying some extra warm days in central Ohio as well. It’s pretty reinvigorating.
I featured my blooming crabapple as well. I just love them. Violets have nearly taken over my yard, but I’m fending them off from the beds so far.
I love your species tulips. That’s something I need to put on my wishlist.
Thanks for hosting as always, I find these virtual visits inspiring!
Hi, I came across Garden Bloggers Bloom day via the A to Z challenge. I have never thought of myself as a garden blogger but I will from now on, can’t wait to join in next month.
Happy Bloom Day, Carol! I wonder if my NOID species tulips might be the same as the ones you show here. I’m jealous of your warm spells; here in the PNW, we are still shivering and waiting to dry out. Thank you for hosting!
Hi Carol, thanks for hosting. I have to tell you that your pictures of bluebells prompts me to shared that bluebells grow all over my woods and when I actually put some in the perennial bed they expanded their presence enormously. Apparently in gratitude.
Carol, It’s a treat to see all your colorful flowers. At this time of year, your Indiana garden is far ahead of my Maine garden. (I think I will catch up with you in July.) But the last of the snow melted from the garden this week and spring bulbs are blooming — a wonderful time of the year.
The warm months are on their way! We were lucky to just miss the century mark this past week–and even luckier that it’s cooled back down for now.
I love seeing your species tulips! And your crabapple is magnificent.
Thanks for hosting GBBD each month. I’m certainly posting late, on the “about” part of the fifteenth, but April only comes once a year!
Oh, yes, wild violets can get too much! I noticed I have a whole slew of seedlings in my herb garden! So pretty though.
I miss having the eastern Virginia bluebells. We’ve got a lovely western species here in western Oregon, but it just isn’t as lush and colorful as M. virginica. Great start to Spring 2023!