Monday, March 14, 2022

March blooms, for Garden Bloggers Bloomday

Last month my entry in the long-running Garden Bloggers Bloomday meme—hosted by May Dreams Gardens—came in a day late. This month I decided to log my report a day early, on the 14th. Actual "Bloomday" is on the 15th of each month, but I'm trying to stick to a Mon, Tue, Wed posting schedule.

I am always pleased when I can photograph the happy yellow blooms of Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold' against a equally happy blue sky. They belong together.

Then there's Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Akebono’—while it lacks the fragrance punch that 'Nanjing Gold' has, it makes up for it with that powerful red/orange pop.

Such a vivid color, I need to remember to prune a few branches and bring them indoors.

How many bloomdays in a row now have a shared Euphorbia amygdaloides var. Robbiae? I think this might be the last one.

Euphorbia rigida is also nearing it's full bloom stage.

Soon the centers will start to turn orange.

Daphne x houtteana

Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Harmony’, definitely a dense bloomer!

Arctostaphylos 'Monica'

The newest hellebores added to my collection (Helleborus ’Ice n Roses Merlot’ and Helleborus 'Rio Carnival') are still blooming their hearts out. 

I've noticed (via our Ring camera) an Amazon delivery person who stops to admire them when she drops off deliveries (I don't know how my husband kept himself clothed before Amazon). I'm on a mission to catch her the next time she stops by and offer a cut stem or one of the plants if she lives somewhere she can grow it outdoors. We must encourage the young plant lovers!

Helleborus x ballardiae Pink Frost

Helleborus 'Black Diamond'

Helleborus argutifolius

Helleborus x hybridus 'Jade Tiger'

For the longest time I didn't plant Asarum maximum 'Ling Ling' in the ground, certain their leaves and flowers would be riddled with slug damage. Turns out I was right. Still, those slightly spooky blooms manage to work their spell on me.

Pachysandra axillaris 'Windcliff Fragrant' 

Azara microphylla; lately I'm reading more folks who compare the fragrance of those small flowers to vanilla or cloves, I still get chocolate, loud and clear, chocolate.

My final two March blooms are in the basement, first a rhipsalis. I'm sure I could tell you which one if I searched thru my records, but it's going to have to produce more than one small flower for me to bother to do that.
A surprise! An off-season bloom from one of my NOID epiphyllum. Such a beautiful flower I'll take it whenever it wants to show up. What's blooming in your garden this March?

All material © 2009-2022 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude

23 comments:

  1. An early blooms day post? I'll take it!
    It seems to me that your Hellebore collection is growing. I'll admit to the same. I find those plants irresistible although this year I didn't find a much of a selection in nurseries. Maybe next season. Did you ever divid a clump of Hellebore? I'm contemplating it for later this fall. The surprise epiphyllum bloom is magical!

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    1. The collection is growing, every year I buy a couple more plants, I have never divided one though. They don't bulk up enough in my garden that I've ever felt the need to.

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    2. My Hellebores don't bulk up either :(

      Some of them have been in the ground for over 12 years and the amount they have grown has been pathetic really, ha ha!

      I do have a few that are growing well, but even these aren't growing at what you would call a rapid rate.

      I seem to find that the red/dark flowered ones grow better than the white/yellow ones.

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  2. I am a Hellebore lover as well!

    They are definitely one of my top 10 plants.

    Finding them for sale in the UK can be difficult at times as well and I have noticed that some retailers are really being greedy with their prices this year.

    Your comment about the Amazon delivery person made me smile. Definitely try and give her one of the flowers and let's hope that they become a Hellebore lover (plus other plants as well)!

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    1. I don't know that they would rank in my top 10, maybe not even my top 20 or 30, but this time of year they're magic!

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  3. Spring seems to be in gear in your garden, Loree! Your hellebore collection is wonderful and deserving of the amazon driver's attention.
    I love the Edgeworthia too, plants Sunset claims will grow in my climate but which I've never, ever seen here. The flowers on the Arctostaphylos are impressive, leaving me wonder how long it's going to be before I see anything like that from the sad specimen on my back slope.

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    1. Nothing? Wow. Even at their smallest my arctostaphylos bloomed. Well, good think you've got plenty of other flowers to distract you!

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  4. What a treat to see so many beautiful blooms and a blue sky to boot. Ling ling is so cute. Do you have to get down on your hands and knees to see the flowers? Thanks for the Spring lift.

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    1. Yep, and even lift up a few leaves. It's a good one to grow in an elevated container.

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  5. All 3 hellebores are blooming - for the first time EVER. I managed to over-winter my impatiens and a perennial Nasturtium, with both serving-up blossoms during their "off season". The hanging fuchsia was NUTS all fall/winter, while the upright began blooming again early last month. Bought 8 quart pots of blue bacopa last month and they are all doing nicely! With the exception of one cold night (low 30s) which killed the blossom heads, the African Blue Basils have been super-hardy bloomers. (Yes, I have more than one...can you say "African Blue Basil Martini"?) The feverfew has been sending up flowers and, of course, the cyclamen are holding on to their seasonal flowers. For now.

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  6. Hi Loree, your epiphyllum looks a lot like Disocactus macranthus - perhaps it is a disocactus / epiphyllum hybrid? (D. macranthus will cross with epiphyllum). Unlike spring blooming epiphyllum, D. macranthus blooms in the dead of winter and it has the most exquisite subtle perfume.
    Your Asarum maximum ‘Ling Ling’ is as beautiful as it is bizarre! Will have to read up on it - have never heard of it before.

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    1. I definitely agree, the flower is a dead ringer for the Disocactus macranthus. Thanks for the name.

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  7. I am always lusting after the Euphorbias you can grow that I can't. But this time my lust is all directed at Helleborus 'Black Diamond' with the black mondo grass. What a dramatic combination. I can only dream. Nice subtle nod to Ukraine with the first two photos.

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    1. I wish that Helleborus 'Black Diamond' was a little more vigorous, maybe I need to plant a couple more next to it so I can get the patch of black mondo/black flower combo I was hoping for.

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  8. I'm looking to add more hellebores because such reliable bloomers here, but I'm specifically looking for cultivars with flowers pointing sideways or even slightly up, rather than down. Any suggestions?

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    1. The only plant in my "collection" that was bred for such a thing is Helleborus x ballardiae Pink Frost, which was swag from the grower. I would have never purchased it as the pink flowers are a little "sweet" for my taste, but that thing is the best performing hellebore I've got.

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  9. Edgeworthia time! I love those. You enjoy the Leucospermum here, we enjoy the Edgeworthia there--win-win. :)

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  10. Beautiful photos!
    I especially like the last one!

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  11. There was a whole table devoted to the 'Ice N...' hellebores at Rogers a couple weeks back, so even here in zone 10 they're causing a stir. Love the pale yellow Disocactus macranthus, so glad it was ID'd!

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  12. That yellow epiphyllum blossom is just stunning! Love the nod to the Ukrainian spirit too, in the first couple of shots. :)

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