Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for April 2025.
Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, I would describe our spring so far as “slow with wild storms mixed in.”
We’ve had just one or two days I would consider warm. The remaining days have forced me to continue to wear long-sleeved shirts, even sweatshirts.
And we got eight inches of rain in one week!
But the garden blooms on!
After some deliberation, I decided to feature some wild violets in the top spot. Weeds, you say? Then we cannot be gardening friends. I’m sorry, but I cannot abide by such ill-informed opinions of a wonderful wildflower, nor do I want to take the time to convince you otherwise. Ha!
The rest of us will carry on to see what else is blooming in my garden in mid-April this year.
Another wildflower, the spring beauties, Claytonia virginica, started blooming a few weeks ago. They have multiplied nicely since I transplanted them into my garden a few years ago. I am happy to see that they are blooming more profusely now.
I am also pleased to see dog tooth violets, Erythronium spp. —because I don’t know which one it is— blooming in a spot in the garden a little ways away from where I planted them. I guess they found a better spot and took advantage of it.
In case you think my garden is all wildflowers…
The ‘Lady Jane’ tulips are flowering like crazy now. Behind them you can see the summer snowflakes, Leucojum aestivum, in bloom. They’d take over if I let them. I dig up clumps of them every spring but never get them all.
Elsewhere in the garden, I see shrubs like pearl bush and flowering quince in bloom, not to be outdone by redbuds, crabapples, honeyberries, and serviceberries. Even the buds on the pawpaws are just starting to open. Daffodils are fading but tulips are going strong. And of course, there are pansies and violas in all the containers.
It is truly is spring everywhere I look.
Pictures? I might make a reel and put it on Instagram to highlight some of the other blooms. But here’s one last picture for this post.
A little clump of self-sown violas has decided to make an appearance in my garden, nestled in amongst some tulips. That pleases me!
What pleases you in your garden as we reach mid-April? I’d love for you to join in for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and share whatever is blooming in your garden on or around April 15th. To participate, simply post about your blooms on your blog, Instagram, Substack, or wherever you post online, leave a link where we can find them in the Mr. Linky widget, and then add a comment to tell us what you have to show us. Easy!
“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence
I love those dog tooth violets and the spring beauties. Nothing wrong with including wildflowers – they are flowers, after all! You have a nice spring selection.
Thanks, Alana. It’s taken years and gets a little better every year as they grow and multiply.
I love your wild violets, the tooth violets are very pretty and your masses of Lady Jane’ tulips are a delight for bringing in spring. It has been cold and rainy here too, with yesterday hitting 68 degrees, which felt like an heat wave after the cold temperatures! There are signs of spring to be seen, so come for a visit!
Yes, it is decidedly spring now!
I’m glad to know we can remain friends, my Johnny jump ups cover a foot of my path and a third of one of my raised beds! Oh well, I had seen them when my cousin Johnny passed away in 2016, they can take over all the paths.
Me, too!
Wow, those Lady Janes are amazing!!! They must return for you? We are still behind a bit where we are usually but it is so lovely out I hardly care. Hoping to get into some more weeding this after when the rain stops. <3
Yes, the Lady Jane tulips have been reliable returners and they are multiplying. I even had one come up in a crack in the patio which makes me think they are not only producing new bulbs, but also self-sowing a bit!
Gosh, Carol, I’m so envious of your eight inches or rain! Could you send some my way? I love your wild violets and Spring Beauties–so full of flowers! My wild violets haven’t bloomed much this year with the drought in our area.
Sorry to hear you have drought, Elena. Honestly, though, eight inches in a week, a lot of that just rolls off into the curbs and eventually ends up in a creek!
My brain short-circuited when I read you got 8 inches of rain in one week. I’m well below that for the “water year” to date, counted from October 1st. My own display of ‘Lady Jane’ tulips, which fell far short of yours, was quickly taken out by a short flash of heat but Jane’s cousin ‘Cynthia’ was more resilient. Thanks for hosting GBBD, Carol!
Well we are thoroughly in the midst of Spring though if I look at the images from a year ago I realize that we are nearly two weeks behind last year. In Maryland we are in drought mode but there has been enough rain to keep things looking pretty satisfied. It is nice to see your tulips acting like weeds. In the right situation they can be as reliable as daffodils.
I thought of you when including a photo of some of my wild violets, Carol. They are all over my lawn. I used to think I just was just lazy (I don’t use fertilizer or use weed killer), but it turns out I was just an accidental environmentalist. Ha! I love your big clumps though, I might have to transplant some to try to achieve that.
Also love those Lady Jane tulips, so pretty!
8″ of rain in one week! Oh my gosh, the ground must make squishy noises when you walk over it. Your flowers are beautiful, I love those Lady Jane tulips!