"Just Be" Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

I finally decided to name my back gardens. I have dreamed of woodland gardens with paths meandering through perennials and wildflowers. I've been working on my gardens for a number of years, continually adding natives to attract butterflies, bees, birds and other wildlife and pollinators. This spring is turning out to be it's most beautiful time yet.

"Just Be Gardens"...A place to Be.

In Balance. With Birds. With Butterflies.

With Bees. In Beauty. Blessed. Just Be.

And we just added a water garden to the yard, with 4 waterfalls and a curving stream. I am so excited thinking about all the plants I'm going to add to the edges and surrounding area. We mulched the rest of the entire back yard so now there is space to add more shrubs and other perennials. It won't get done all at once...it will be a process and take time.

I want to be out there every day, all day~but that's just not practical! It's nice to enjoy what I have, at the moment...but also to dream about what I'd like to add and what it can look like in a few years.  I will add another seating area with a good view of the water garden area and I'm sure I will have more photos than I know what to do with!

What's in bloom in my woodland gardens? Lots!

Siberion Buglose (Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost') Top Left; Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabalis) Top Right;
Lungwort (Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash') Bottom Left; and Native Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) Bottom Right

Another shot (although the light is a bit bright) of Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' along with Pulmonaria 'Gaelic Spring'.  I also planted Pulmonaria 'Barfield Pink' last year but it has not come up at this point.

Lungwort (Pulmonaria) 'Raspberry Splash' Left, and 'Gaelic Spring' Right

Clockwise starting top Left: Native Red Trillium (Trillium recurvatum); Native Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis);
Snowdrop Anenome (Anenome Sylvestris);  Lenton Rose (Helleborus 'Pink Lady'); and Native Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

Native Wild Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) Top Left, with a native dwarf variety 'Little Lanterns', Bottom Left;
Native Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata) Top Right;
Barronwort or Bishop's Hat (Epimedium x rubrum) Bottom Right

Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia) Top L; Hellebore Top R; Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium) 'Shell Pink' Bottom R;
Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) 'Chocolate Chip'

Lately, the azaleas buds have been fattening out and many will soon be blooming. Although the Kerria have been in bloom for weeks, they continue to shine. It seems most of my front gardens are filled with later spring to fall blooming perennial plants, but just a little while ago I checked and was surprised to see that the Euphorbia 'Bonfire' was blooming, as was the Geum 'Flames of Passion'.

(Top) L: Azalea; R: Kerria Japonica
(Bottom) L: Euphorbia 'Bonfire'; R: Geum 'Flames of Passion'

Many of the hyacinths and daffodils have passed their prime, but two varieties of daffodil remain in full bloom.

unknown Narcissus varieties

The other stars in the front yard, at the moment, are the tulips and creeping phlox, accented by a few grape hyacinth, rockcress, candytuft and blue star creeper and forget-me-nots.

Candytuft (Iberis sempervirans) Left; Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis sylvatica) Center;
Rockcress (Arabis 'Snow Cap') Top; Native Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata) Right & Bottom

Despite losing quite a few tulips to those darned 'gnawers' (most likely the zillions of squirrels that hang out here)

...quite a few tulip bulbs actually have managed to sprout and bloom this year. This is mostly due to going wild with spraying and sprinkling organic critter repellent throughout the gardens. I've decided spending a few minutes every month or two doing that is worth the price when I see the results:

Tulips (Tulipa) surrounded by: Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis) Center;
and Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) Top Right

Now we're off to visit my mom and my sister's family in Delaware for a few days of my son's spring break. While in DE, I'm also taking a day trip to visit Carolyn from Carolyn's Shade Gardens and Jean from Jean's Garden at Carolyn's nursery in PA. I am going to buy some plants (!), we plan to take a picnic lunch, and Carolyn is going to take us to visit Chanticleer gardens. Neither Jean nor I have ever been so we're both excited. Plus, the 3 of us have never met so this is a blogging adventure;-)

When I get home, I am hoping to find some time to 'Just Be' in my garden! Despite the busy-ness of life, I hope you can find time to do the same;-)  Please visit May Dreams Gardens to see what's in bloom around the world for this April 15th Garden Blogger Bloom Day.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *Have you stopped over to participate in the Gardeners' Sustainable Living Project? Today is the last day! For Earth Day, I am giving away over 20 garden gifts including a Rain Barrel and a Composter. Be sure to check it  out!

Words and photos ©Thanks for today.™, by Jan Huston Doble @ http://www.thanksfor2day.blogspot.com/

Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without express permission of the author.

Spring Ephemerals in the Woodland Gardens

The gardens are alive with spring plants popping up everywhere, splashes of color in every hue jump out at every turn.  The Mertensia, Dicentra, Anenome, Trillium, Pulmonaria and Brunnera are real knock-outs right now!

*Click on the photos to enlarge

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) a North American Native Plant

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabalis)

Snowdrop Anenome (Anenome sylvestris)

Siberion Buglose (Brunnera macrophylla)

Lungwort (Pulmonaria) 

Granted, these may not all technically be 'ephemeral's' but most will completely die back at some point during the summer.  Brunnera may be the only plant I've listed here that may hang on to it's foliage, and therefore is not considered ephemeral. I included it here because it blooms at the same time and is such a great companion plant!  When the temperatures warm and/or they get a lot of sun, Dicentra, Pulmonaria, and Anenome will disappear under ground.  Mertensia and Trillium are true ephemerals. I have some other 'true ephemerals' that I haven't shown here. For the most part, these are short-lived beauties and to-die for!

On that note, I lost Little Sweet Betsy yesterday.  My newest addition, Trillium cuneatum, came face to face with a critter who did her in before she even had the chance to completely open up. I was sad for a few moments but realize those are just part of the ups and downs of the backyard gardener.

Wake Robin (Trillium cuneatum)  'Little Sweet Betsy' - a North American Native Plant

It's almost mid April! How did that happen so fast? There are so many goings-on in my garden that I can hardly keep up with them all! I hope you are having some excitement in your garden, too;-)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *Have you stopped over to participate in the Gardeners' Sustainable Living Project? It will be 'open' until April 15th so you have plenty of time. I am giving away over 20 garden gifts including a Rain Barrel and a Composter. Be sure to check it out!

Words and photos ©Thanks for today.™, by Jan Huston Doble @ http://www.thanksfor2day.blogspot.com/

Not to be reproduced or re-blogged without express permission of the author.

We Will Not Forget

Memorial Day, 2010

Today I am thankful for the men and women who have fought and died in service to our country. May they rest in peace.

Words and photos ©Thanks For Today, by Jan Huston Doble

More April Bouquets

Yesterday I walked around the front yard and picked blooms from some of the flowering plants/bushes/shrubs.  I thought adding them individually to small vases would be fun...

Clockwise, starting with top L: Columbine (Aquilegia), Azalea (Rhododendron), Grape Hyacinth (Muscari), Lilac (Syringa), Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata), Clematis (Ranunculaceae), CandyTuft (Iberis), BugleWeed (Ajuga). Center: Dead Nettle (Lamium)

I have a collection of little glass pitchers and vases in which I placed individual blooms, above.

In addition to the blooms above, Sage (Salvia) is included in this bouquet (Top Right)

Then I made mini-bouquets, experimenting with different blooms in the various vases.

I have them sitting on my kitchen windowsill where I have enjoyed them today.

I would really like to take the time to write individual posts, featuring one for each flower, plant or bush and providing more detail about each. Maybe I'll do that someday, but for now, the photos and names will have to suffice!

There are just so many hours in a day (definitely NOT enough!) and there are so many things I want to write about, in addition to what's blooming. I have photos to share of more blooms in my back gardens.  I also want to share my entire yard, with photos of the expanded garden, and not just individual blooms. I want to share a post about a recent visit with Janet (The Queen of Seaford). She gave me some plants from her garden and I've already planted them. And, my husband dug up old, leggy bushes on both sides of our house, and we're adding new ones. I want to share those, as well.  I will try to add these as time permits.  Meanwhile, I hope your spring is progressing beautifully wherever you are planted!

Today I am thankful for more flowers and photos to post than I have time for~because that means I am never bored:-)

Words and photos ©Thanks For Today, by Jan Huston Doble

April 15th Bloom Day and Earth Day Project Deadline

April 15th already...which means it's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day at Carol's May Dreams Gardens, so head on over to see what's blooming in hundreds of gardens around the world.

My azaleas are in full bud and beginning to bloom:

Tulips, Coreopsis, Poppy:

L to R:  Poppy, Columbine, Creeping Phlox, Lobelia:

Dianthus:

Pansies:

L to R: Shade-loving Lost Tag-ID, Please?[ID'd as Woodland Phlox, by Sue, from A Corner Garden, Thanks Sue], Pulmonaria, Mertensia, Dicentra, Lamium and Tiarella:

L to R: Peony (adorned with appropriate ant-attire), Lily, Lilac, Lost Tag-ID,Please?[ID'd as Iberis/Candytuft, by Nell Jean from Secrets of a Seed Scatterer, Thanks Nell Jean], Hellebore (Ivory Prince):

And there's more...but time does not permit further uploading today! I did get my camera back though (and yes, my mom was glad to see us again). Yesterday I was able to hurry around the yard in anticipation of this mid-month event;-)

One last reminder for the Garden Bloggers Sustainable Living project/giveaway on my blog--the deadline is tonight at 11:59 so get your entries in now if you plan on participating! Over 60 garden bloggers have contributed their wonderful posts for this Earth Day celebration. You still have time...you could win a Fiskars rain barrel--or a pair of gloves from West County, or a CobraHead weeder, or some Green Cure from Garden Shoes Online, or an earth-friendly water bottle from Hip Mountain Mama, or an earth-friendly tote...so hurry;-)

I wish there were more hours in a day so I could keep up with my blogging friends and visit in a timely manner. Have patience, I will be there--despite not having done so in several weeks!

Happy Bloom Day, everyone!

Today I am thankful for spring which brings the flowers that warm my heart and soul.

Words and photos ©Thanks For Today, by Jan Huston Doble

Spring Buds and Bulbs

The temperature has been in the upper 50's/low 60's during the past few days! The snow is all but melted, with just a small clump dotting the landscape here and there.

My daffodils are finally poking up through the ground...

(Daffodils)

as are my hyacinths...

(Hyacinths)

(hmm...somebody or something has been munching on this one)

I'm hoping the hyacinth bulbs in my garden will (soon) resemble my indoor forced bulbs:

My crocuses and muscari are showing their foliage...

(this is a photo from last year)

and the tulip foliage is up...(what few the squirrels haven't eaten yet)

My next door neighbor's daffodils are many inches taller than mine, (probably due to differences in micro climates as well as daffodil variety).

and their crocuses are already blooming!

This time last year my forsythia looked like this

...but only now are they showing their buds this year.

On Saturday, I bought some giant pansies

and a few more daffodils, tulips and hyacinths, which are just partially through the soil.

Yesterday I planted the pansies in the front yard (in the ground and in pots)...

And now, everything is in--tulips, daffs, and hyacinths:

My hellebores are budding and I'm looking forward to seeing a few blooms in the near future:

Daffodil Planter is having a Blogorama featuring, what else? Daffodils! Take a look if you haven't already!

Today I am thankful for the buds and bulbs popping up all over my yard;-)

Words and photos ©Thanks For Today, by Jan Huston Doble