Monday, April 21, 2025

April garden views

I find myself confused about where exactly the plants in my garden should be in mid April (when I took these photos). We've had a sunny warmish stretch and I think I've mentally jumped ahead to May, I'm trying to tamp down my expectations and just enjoy what's happening out there, which is a lot!

There are so many blooms on the Citrus trifoliata, if they all set fruit it will be a bumper crop.

The Rhododendron stenopetalum ‘Linearifolium’ is also covered in blooms.

Continuing the walk around the front garden, my small Erica arborea var. alpina is covered in flowers and can no longer be called small. Wow. When did this plant get this big? (maybe the explosion of white just makes it seem larger?)

Also, how did I never notice the blooms are fragrant?

One of my Yucca nana is fixing to bloom!

Tiny flowers on the Pittosporum anomalum.

Entering the back garden now where the Impatiens omeiana are up and looking flawless.

The fact the Blechnum penna-marina (Austroblechnum penna-marina) is moving into and mingling with the back mondo makes me very happy. 

The shady bed along the side of the garage is all fluffy with new Adiantum venustum fronds and other fern species.

I'm thrilled to see Pyrrosia sp. SEH#1511 is putting out several new "fronds"...


Paris quadrifolia has been dissed on social media lately. Someone commented on my Instagram post with a "Meh" and someone else said on their own Facebook post "I remember when I thought they were special" (their photo showed an area where the plant had spread). I still think they're special!

Rodgersia (the brown leaves), sadly I've forgotten which species this is (likely R. podophylla, thanks to a commenter for ID).

New growth on Rhododendron cardiobasis.
And blooms opening on the Magnolia laevifolia

Arisaema ringens, such a cool flower, it's hard to believe it's real (not fabricated).



Disporum longistylum ‘Night Heron’


Walking down on to the patio the new growth on these two mahonia are hard to miss.

Mahonia eurybracteata 'Indianola Silver' backed by M. x media 'Marvel'.

It's wonderful to enjoy Stachyurus salicifolius in bloom with leaves still on its branches. This is one of the plants that was hit hard the last few winters.

Not this year!


I did a little paint touch-up around the edge of the stock tank table planting, after a couple of years the orange was wearing thin and the ugly blue underneath was showing. I must say the planting itself just keeps getting better and better.

I added only two plants this spring, an Asplenium trichomanes and the Cassiope 'Askival' I brought home from the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.

This Athyrium otophorum 'Okanum' likes life in the table planting.

And the fertile fronds of Blechnum spicant (aka Struthiopteris spicant) are extra stunning when they're raised up closer to eye-level.


Backed up for an over all shot of the area.

This is the best the Loropetalum chinense 'Sizzling Pink' has ever looked. It was pruned back hard after the destruction of winter 2024 and it's made a great rebound.

Daphniphyllum macropodum 'Ki Midori Nakafu'

New foliage of Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida’.

And to wrap things up, a new frond on Blechnum brasiliense, the Brazilian tree fern. My tiny plant is anything but tree-sized, but what it lacks in height it makes up for with that color. 

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

18 comments:

  1. Wow, so many cool things. I don't have kind words for anyone who says "meh" or "I remember when..." in fact I have dirty words for them. Enjoying the common, uncommon and everything in between is the spirit! Those fresh fronds look like little bicycle wheels, how wonderful! I adore how fringey Loropetalum chinense 'Sizzling Pink' looks. Your last photo deserves to be framed, the texture and color is everything.

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    1. So fringey! After all its common name is fringe flower...

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  2. Your April garden is pretty spectacular, Loree. That Rhododendron cardiobasis outshines most flowers I can think of. I'm impressed by the Impatiens omeiana, which I've only seen in the PNW but surely it must be suitable to a shady spot with dampish soil here - I'll have to try it, assuming I can find the plant online.

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    1. Oh I bet that impatiens would be plenty happy in the right corner of your garden!

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  3. Those Arisaema ringens flowers remind of the ones on my Pinellia tripartita.

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    1. I had to look up Pinellia tripartita, green dragons! How fun!

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  4. So much to love here. Stock tank table is really nice. What a great idea that was. So jealous of your Stachyurus. Used to lust after the one at woodland park rose garden every spring. It recently bit the dust there. I guess they can’t last forever. I miss it. Doubt they will replace it.

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    1. I love that Stachyurus salicifolius so much, I'm really enjoying a spring with it in full gorgeous mode.

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  5. I loved this sentence from one of your commenters today. “Enjoying the common, uncommon and everything in between is the spirit!”

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  6. *["meh"??? Seriously??? Rudeness offends me. I'm of the camp that if you got nothing good to say, shut it. Sorry, this gets in my craw].
    On a more pleasant note: your touched up fern table is a stunner, I love the added plants and could stare at it for a long time: it's an absolute wonder.
    Impatiens omeiana is a beauty. In that photo, someone edged the lawn recently... looking perfect.
    Blechnum penna-marina and black mondo grass: a fabulous combo. I have both and I think I'd introduce them. It's a great look that punches up the colors of both plants.
    Chavli

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    1. Yes the "meh" was a little rude, but that person specializes in being rude, and sometimes sweet--you never know which on you're going to get. The lawn edger was me, I love a strong line among all the plant chaos!

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  7. There are some gorgeous happenings taking place in your garden. The impatiens leaves are stunning as is the spathe of the Arisaema. I can see why someone might go 'Meh' at the Pieris but it's more the oddity of that little flower that makes this such a cool plant. The type of plant that maybe only plant nerds can appreciate?

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    1. Yes! That small flower surrounded by the otherwise nondescript leaves, I love it.

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  8. The Rodgersia (photo 13) is a young Podophylla (duck foot leaves), I have one in my shade and very wet border. I like your blog and I wait for every news. Thanks from France

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  9. Lots to be impressed with here. Nothing 'meh' to me. Waiting for my Stachyurus to take off. Mine's been in the ground since 2021 and it is poking along, taking its sweet time. Maybe I need to fertilize the heck out of it this year.

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    1. I think mine went in the ground in the spring of 2012 so it's had 13 years to grow. I've never fertilized it.

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