The only proclamations for Earth Day in my garden were made by more flowers blooming and birds singing in the trees.
The first of the viburnums is in full bloom today!
If you want to forget that odd, slightly bad smell of the flowering pears (Pyrus calleryana), stick your nose in the bloom of this Korean Spice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii).
These flowers smell like… spring. Fresh, floral, not too heavy, just good old fashioned flower smell.
This viburnum is a good deciduous shrub for any garden around here, topping out at around five feet or so with good green foliage all summer long that turns to red and burgundy colors in the fall.
Maybe I should make a proclamation that everyone should plant a viburnum of some kind in their garden? It is such a wonderful, diverse genus of shrubs, that surely every gardener can find one that they like that will work in their garden. I’ve “limited” myself, so far, to five different species of Virburnms, eight shrubs, total. I think. And I reserve the right to buy more if I find others that I like.
On the tulip front, those red tulips that I proclaimed I didn’t like are starting to remind me of peonies. 
I hereby proclaim that any flower that reminds me of peonies gets to stay in my garden.
The red tulips are part of a mix and a pretty festive one at that.
I also remembered earlier today when I got an email from Elizabeth at Gardening While Intoxicated / Garden Rant asking for some pictures of them, that these were the tulips she graciously sent me last fall to try out. So much for garden journals and plant labels to help keep track of flowers.
I hereby proclaim Thank You to Elizabeth for sending me these tulip bulbs. I’m going to leave them alone and then see if they come back next spring.
And if they do come back and bloom, I hereby further proclaim that if I post about them again and proclaim that I just don’t like red flowers, someone should remind me where these came from.
Thank you, I am done proclaiming.
I hope all had a good Earth Day.
Wait, you thanked Elizabeth, was that a unintentional attempt to kill the tulips?
OMG, maybe it was?! What is wrong with me? I might just have to change that passalong rule of not thanking the giver, it is just too hard to follow!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Now you’ve got me all curious about if I can find a viburnum that will work in my garden. I’m looking for ideas for a future hegerow, and these look and sound lovely.
Tulips. Viburnum. The alluring and mysterious (to me) and lilacs. How come you guys up in Indiana get all the good flowers? Must be compensation for those long winters.
carol – while shopping for shrubs this week I was mesmerized by the leaves of the vibirnum blue muffin (i think that’s what it’s called) and now I need to find a place for it. do you have one of those? My Elizabeth tulips are not open yet but I’m expecting them any day now.
Carlesii is my favorite! But Blue Muffin is a close second.
I’ll join you in proclaiming that everyone should plant a viburnum…or six. Nice post as always, Carol.
I proclaim you are a very good proclaimer and you have lovely viburnims in your garden worth proclaiming about as are the tulips you inadverdantly thanked Elizabeth for instead of stopping short and simply proclaiming that you liked them. Hopefully all this proclaiming will override one simple thank you, thus the thank you is overrided by proclaimation.
Hi Carol, love the tulips and I think that is my unknown viburnum, it does smell wonderful and blooms early and has colorful fall foliage. Can’t get a definitive ID on it. It is so hard to not say thank you when a plant is given, can you alter this rule in some way?
Hi Carol, I liked that red tulip the first time you featured it but today… I like it even more. But then red is my favorite color.
The viburnums you guys can grow ‘up yonder’ would make one proclaim every garden should have them. The flower on yours looks much like a penta with all the tiny star shapes turning into one large bloom.
Meems @Hoe&Shovel
Peony tulips are wonderful. Take a look at ‘Angelic’ a white peony tulip. I think you’ll like its understated beauty.
Viburnums are usually easy to grow and tough but our ‘carlesii’ just up an died. We have several other kinds and I’ve never had trouble growing them. We bought it at a premium nursery too, which has a prominent sign at the check out that states absolutely no refunds. “We sell only premium quality plants” and essentially if it doesn’t grow, it’s your fault. $39 buck down the hole. 🙁
I’ll have to check out some viburnums now, your’s looks great! I’ve been debating on some different shrubs for an area in the back of my vegetable garden… lilacs was one I was thinking about too.
Sadly, I didn’t do much for Earth Day…it was weird to have it on a Tuesday – I couldn’t go out and collect trash in my neighborhood or work in my garden – nothing Earth Day-ish…had to work and then had an association meeting to attend and that was it…Earth Day should be on a Saturday people – that way people can go out and do something. Sheesh.
Huzzah to my newly discovered viburnums. Just bought blue muffin, winterthur, and brandywine. I’ve been thinking about a cleveland select pear since I had one at my own house, but I know they don’t have much wildlife value and are overplanted–yet those spring blooms and fall colors are pretty!
I agree with you about Viburnums- I have three different ones right noe (Mohican, Arrowwood, and Onondaga). My next one will probably be a Koreanspice or Juddii.
You can proclaim all you want but I’ve already croaked one Spring Bouquet and don’t want to kill more!
Also I’m glad you came to your senses about the double red tulips… I thought they were lovely and couldn’t believe you were going to ditch them.
I also grew up with the not thanking custom, Carol but long ago got tired of explaining it to people as my garden world expanded.
Some choice: don’t say thank you and run the risk of seeming rude…explain the reasons and run the risk of appearing superstitious ;-]
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I think viburnums have the perfect fragrance both outside and indoors. Rich and spicy without that sickly, overpowering effect some flowers have.
I love your poenies tulips very much.
Just for info, my vulgaris lilac is in full bloom, and smelling like paradise…
Leave it to Annie to sum up the thank you/not thank you so very well…May I join the viburnum bandwagon…I only have Rusty’s (viburnum rufidulum)and a really wonderful very tall, fragrant viburnum that is just pass its bloom…it’s delicious smelling….with great fall color.
The tulips are lovely…
Gail
I like your proclamation that every garden should have a Viburnum – you just can’t argue with that.
Excellent proclaimations. I’m not sure that I’ll be great at reminding you of that with the whole tulips things since I can barely remeber where I put my car keys some days, but I’ll give it a whirl. I have never seen peony tulips, they’re SO gorgeous!
Thank you to everyone for the comments. Viburnums are definitely winners in any garden, I proclaim.
And I’ll have to work on the etiquette of how to thank another gardener for passalong plants. Maybe we will just change it so we can thank the other gardener?!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Hi wondered about your red tulips when you first mentioned them. I have a bed of them by the porch that are blooming for the third year. They even survived last years freeze. I love them but then I love red flowers. You have a great blog.