Good evening. Thursdays are my busiest day, and I’m a bit behind, but I am here to celebrate Bloom Day.
The sun rose purple and pink over the lake this morning, and the wind is calm for the first time in days. I hear a storm is brewing out to the west, and I’m hoping the tree peony holds off blooming for a couple more days until the rain is past. If not, I’ll bring the two blooms indoors to enjoy. None of the peonies are blooming yet, and that is good news, for the rain ruins their fragile petals.
In the meantime, we have lilacs. I grow four varieties, the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, passed down from HH’s grandmother. His family called it a French lilac as was often done because of its very fragrant perfume. The second is a Chinese lilac, Syringa x chinensis, which I also like, but the blooms are much smaller than the common lilac and not quite as fragrant. About ten years ago, I purchased two Korean lilacs, Syringa patula, ‘Miss Kim.’ These are great performers in full sun. I chose them for around the house in a formal landscape because they were sold as a compact variety supposed to get no larger than five feet with some pruning. Now I see that the University of Illinois states they will grow to eight to ten feet tall and six to eight feet wide. Of course, often in Oklahoma, with less rainfall, plants often don’t grow as large. Klehm’s Song Sparrow Nursery sent me the fourth cultivar last summer, and it is still too young to bloom, but it is Syringa vulgaris ‘WEDGWOOD BLUE’. If you’ve never bought from Song Sparrow, you are missing a real treat. It’s a great nursery, and Roy Klehm is really kind. They’re known for their peonies, clematis, lilacs and daylilies, among other things.
Tulips are still hanging on. These were supposed to be a gentle apricot, but turned out to be pink. I think I like the pink better. Wonder what variety they are. Not the one I bought I can assure you.
Sometimes, the unexpected can turn out to be the best thing in life and in the garden. I bought these T. ‘American Dream’ on a whim at TLC Nursery one late September day. They were part of a large package I just picked up at the last minute. They’ve turned out to be my favorite tulips in the front borders this year next to T. ‘Juan’. Above, you see them open at mid-day.
I am so over the black tulips. They look great in photos, but they are lost in the garden even when grown with other light pink tulips or white. I tried both. I won’t plant them again. They’re just not for me. It’s odd too, because I love black (dark purple) plants, and I have loads of them in my garden. I decided, though, after winter’s dreary brown landscape, I need a shot of color like this.
This fall, I will be planting loads more of species tulips. Elizabeth from Gardening While Intoxicated and Garden Rant was right. You can just tuck these little guys here and there for a sublime shot of color. Below is T. tarda, which is native to central Asia. It is a tiny thing, only about four inches high.
Species tulips are supposed to return in our climate. However, this is my first year to plant them, so I’ll let you know. Of all the tulips blooming here, my favorite hands down is T. ‘Lady Jane’, another species type which I hope returns. The season started with her gray-blue foliage slightly ruffled at the edges. Suddenly, one morning, a stem shot up, and the most delicate and wonderful pink and white bloom sat atop. I can’t tell you how exquisite they are, but I’ll try to show you.
This is actually an earlier photo because the stems are shorter, but she is still blooming today. I don’t want to bore you any further, so I’ll leave you with one last photo of my Phlox divaricata, woodland phlox. There is no prettier plant to place at the feet of roses or any other bare stemmed shrub. It does well in shade and partial shade, and I’m so grateful to Wanda for giving me my start of the purple and the blue.
Most of the bulbs in this post were purchased from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs or Old House Gardens. I did also pick up some of the species tulips from TLC Nursery in Oklahoma City. The best thing to remember about bulbs is to buy the best quality you can. This is one time where Wal Mart, Target, or any of the other stores which sell bulbs as a sideline can’t hold a candle to bulb specialists. Plus, if you have a question about bloom times or colors, the bulb suppliers are only an email or phone call away. Try asking someone at Wal Mart for help on bulbs. You get my point. Pay the extra dollar or two. It’s worth the work for a spring like this.
Plus, most bulbs return year after year. They are a good garden investment.
Happy Bloom Day. For more springtime color, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens. She is our hostess with the mostest, and she even has ‘Mr. Linky’ available so that it is easier to visit other participants.
I’m envious of your ability to grow so many beautiful tulips. I grow the T. clusiana and they do come back every year for me. (I’ve had them over ten years.) However, it doesn’t get cold enough in Austin for tulips. They have to be chilled and replanted each year. I’ve done it a couple of times but in the end it’s easier and cheaper to buy cut tulips.
It’s wonderful to look at your photos and dream.
.-= mss @ Zanthan Gardens´s last blog ..Papaver “Dorothy Cavanaugh” =-.
My baby lilac is blooming now, and I’ll be so thrilled when it gets larger. Miss Kim is set to bloom before long, but she’s new too, so I don’t know how well I like it or not! I did plant some species tulips last fall, and I’m in love with them. More will certainly follow. Your spring garden is so beautiful!
.-= RobinL´s last blog ..Welcome to my garden! =-.
Robin, I know you will love your lilacs. They are wonderful shrubs and require little care unless you keep them pruned low. I really do enjoy the species tulips, and I’m glad Elizabeth talked me into them with all of her good posts. Thank you for your kind words.~~Dee
I know you don’t like the black tulips, but they look really good with the pink ones and the white of the Virgin Mary statue. I am not religious, but I really liked the trio. My bulb investment is usually in narcissus, as tulips are mostly an annual here. ‘Miss Kim’ is one of the better lilacs for us being able to handle our heat better than S. vulgaris and the French hybrids. I hope you have a great weekend and that storm avoids your peony.
Hi Les, I’m glad you liked the vignette. I think it just didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s not that I don’t like black tulips. I just think they don’t do much in a large garden. In a small space, maybe. I spend much more money on narcissus and other bulbs because, as you wrote, they are perennial. Most tulips are annuals here too so I choose the big bags with less expense.~~Dee
The tour of your garden was worth waiting for. Thank you.
.-= Dorothy´s last blog ..Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: April 2010 =-.
No, Dorothy, thank you for coming by.~~Dee
Your garden looks lovely, so lush and full of colour. Mine is brown and still waiting for mother natures go ahead to start growing!
.-= Melanie´s last blog ..Derek Jarmen’s Garden Philosophy =-.
Thank you Melanie. Yours will be green soon, but I know saying that doesn’t help.~~Dee
Thanks for showing all these different views of your garden, Dee. Nothing like seeing the tulips in the early morning and smelling the heavenly scent of daffodils to get the day off to a good start! I love those little pink species tulips; I may have to break down and add some species to my tulip collection, too.
.-= Rose´s last blog ..April GBBD: Tiptoe Through the Tulips…. =-.
Rose, I wanted to do some wide shots so that you could see the garden as a whole. I’m so glad you liked it. The species tulips have been a wonderful addition to my spring.~~Dee
Walking around your garden is a pleasure! Those black tulips do photograph well, but I know what you mean about darker blooms getting lost. Single kerria is one of my very favorites also.
.-= Cyndy´s last blog ..Forest Walk =-.
Thank you Cyndy. I love my single kerria. What a great plant.~~Dee
I enjoyed your post last Bloom Day so back today for more. How wonderful that you get cold enough for lilacs and tulips! They’re only dreams for us here in the Texas Hill Country. But this year the bluebonnets are busting out all over. Like women, each state has a special beauty.
Have the wildflowers started blooming in your area yet?
.-= Kathleen Scott´s last blog ..Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – April 15, 2010 =-.
Yes, we are a bit colder than your area, so we have peonies, tulips and lilacs. However, we don’t have bluebonnets like your beautiful state. A few wildflowers are blooming here, but the real show is next month.~~Dee
I always enjoy seeing tulips on other gardens since I don’t have any here. Yours are beautiful, all of them, and I love your Chinese lilac. The daff with the blue phlox is a magical shot.
.-= Sweet Bay´s last blog ..Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day April 2010 =-.
Thank you Sweet Bay. One of the best things about blogging is the ability to see gardens from all over the country.~~Dee
Love your Japonica but I am astounded that you can grow lilacs. Seriously? I know you get colder than we do, but you get hot & dry…I wonder if I could try? Nah–probably not or someone here would have them. Still, makes me wonder…Same with the tulips. I did plant my first species tulips here this year and am totally in love with them, too. Many more will be going in for next year. Happy GBBD.
.-= Diana´s last blog ..Blooms bursting out… =-.
Seriously, Diana, I have loads of lilacs. I hear ‘Miss Kim’ is better for southern gardens, but I don’t know for sure. All do great here, except the late freezes sometimes ruins the show.~~Dee
Your garden looks quite lively this time of year with all of its spring flowers blooming. I know how you feel about needing color this time of year. I appreciate every splash of color that is blooming. A neighbor of mine gave me some starts of what she called French Lilac several years ago. It is happily blooming this year. Happy GBBD.
Hi Lisa, thank you for stoppig by. I need the color when winter is over. All that ugly brown.~~Dee
Dee, thank you for the wonderful walk through your garden. I love the lilacs and your tulips are beautiful. I’m smitten with those little species tulips, too, and plan to get more of them this fall. Oddly enough, even though you are two zones warmer than I am, we have mostly the same flowers in bloom this beautiful mid-April day.
.-= Carol, May Dreams Gardens´s last blog ..Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – April 2010 =-.