Tag Archives: phlox subulata

Entering Spring

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spring equinox. Sunday (March 20, 2016) at 12:30 a.m. EDT

A week of spectacular weather, sunny and warm, encouraged the garden deeper into bloom.

Spirea, an old-fashioned passalong, could hold back no longer. This shrub disappointed last year but has redeemed itself with a dazzling pageant.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

The branches are laden with flowers.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Early blooming King Alfred were followed by Tete-a-tete daffodils. Both quickly finished their bright yellow displays for this spring once the temperatures increased. Fortunately the appearance of the white flowers of Narcissus ‘Thalia’ made a well-timed replacement.

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

I love white in the garden, but there is color as well.

What for weeks seemed like blooms on Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ actually are variegated bracts. Recently, deep red, tiny flowers have been exposed.

Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ (Ascot Rainbow Spurge)

Multicolored pansies, planted in fall around the meditation circle, are filling out.

Pansies in Meditation Circle

Anemone coronaria began flowering before Christmas but now are growing more vigorously. The blue-violet ‘Mr. Fokker’ is my favorite.

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Another old-fashioned garden staple, Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox) will soon decorate several of the borders.

Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox)

The last frost day in piedmont North Carolina is mid-April, but spring has been set in motion.

Early April Trio And A Test

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Phlox subulata ‘Purple Beauty’

During yoga practice today the teacher said to focus on your passion, what makes your heart sing. Immediately I formed a picture of my early spring garden.

We have had several ideal days for gardening and I have tried to take advantage of the opportunity they bring. Sometimes that means working, weeding, planting, but sometimes it means sitting quietly, noticing the warm sun, the soft breeze, the gentle sounds.

Three plants in particular are enhancing the garden this week with their flowers. One is Phlox subulata. ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ is blooming in the front side garden. Out back in the main garden ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ is paired with the darker ‘Purple Beauty’ where together they are creating mounds of color at the front of the western border.

Phlox subulata ‘Purple Beauty’

Nearby, and at long last, a few Anemone coronaria have survived and blossomed. The white anemone ‘Bride’ opened three or four days earlier than blue-violet ‘Mr. Fokker’. Still no sign of dark pink ‘Admiral’ but I am delighted to see these.

Anemone coronaria ‘Bride’

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Just as I realized with some sadness the King Alfred and Tete-a-Tete Narcissus are beginning to fade, another favorite sprang up with striking, pure white flowers: Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil).

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

Botanical Test

The test is one mentioned on the JC Raulston Arboretum blog, cited there as an April Fool’s entry. In fact it is a very tricky botanical knowledge quiz, apparently an annual spring tradition of Irina Kadis, Arnold Arboretum’s Curatorial Assistant. If you enjoy this year’s quiz, annual quizzes from Spring 2006-2014 are also available.

Early April Charms

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The temperature is 79°F (26°C) at 7:00pm but it will cool down for the weekend about ten degrees. It has been sunny and warm this week and somehow I even managed to get a few things accomplished in the garden. There are quite a lot of weeds I still need to tackle, but I can see progress in the area of maintenance. Meanwhile plants are responding to the nice weather, putting on new growth, sending up shoots and displaying glorious blossoms.

Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox) is just beginning to open. It is planted in several locations around the garden and I just made an application with our architectural review board to put some in the “hell strip” near the street where grass struggles to grow.

I prefer the bluer hues and currently am growing Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Blue’ and the darker Phlox subulata ‘Purple Beauty’.

On the left is Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ and on the right, ‘Purple Beauty’.

Phlox subulata

This native Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) is at about the same stage as last year and should bloom in a few days. This particular one is hovering above a thick mass of Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm), also a native plant.

Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

Despite being crowded out by evergreens in the back corner of the garden, a struggling Cercis canadensis L. (Eastern Redbud) is valiantly signaling another spring. This tree also is native to this part of North Carolina. The clusters of magenta flowers often grow out of the tree trunk itself.

Cercis canadensis L. (Eastern Redbud)

I pruned the Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ back to 7-8 inches in late winter and it is leafing out and forming a lot of healthy buds.

Clematis ‘Jackmanii’

Spiraea is in full bloom this week in the western border.

Spiraea

Another white flower in bloom now in my garden is Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft). This can be long-lived but I have lost many plants in the last few years due in part to voracious voles and perhaps also due to wet soil. Some have survived here at least ten years so there may be a difference in the variety also. At any rate, things are moving along. So nice to see the garden awakening.

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)

Dutch Iris And Other Blooms

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My maternal grandmother grew rows and rows of flowers for cutting—Dutch Iris in spring and Gladioli in summer. When five or six years old I sometimes spent the night with her and every morning we would head out early in the morning to clip the flowers that were ready to be added to her large, tall vase.

I have only a couple of Dutch Iris, just enough to make me smile and be happy when they bloom. The warm temperatures of the last few days must be encouraging them. I first noticed their tall stems this weekend. By this morning buds suddenly were bulging and by late afternoon, a single flower had opened.

Dutch Iris

Also Blooming

I added a few more Daffodil bulbs last fall, something I had planned to do for years and never quite got around to before. These new Thalia Daffodils opened this week, in front of the Ilex crenatea ‘Drops of Gold.’

Thalia Daffodil

At the street end of the side garden a large patch of Emerald Blue Phlox is almost in full bloom.

Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Blue’ (Emerald Blue Phlox)

Spring Arrives!

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Though the sun later broke through, the early morning was cloudy and cold when I walked through the garden looking for blooms. Forecasts warn of lows near freezing tonight and temperatures will dip into the twenties later this week. But here it is, March 20, 2013, and today is the first day of spring. The vernal equinox occurred at 7:02 a.m. EDT.

The early blooms of Helleborus have been a highlight since the first week of January.

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

The garden is waking up but shows no sign of hurry. Among the several patches of Phlox subulata a lone flower is open.

Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’

A few little Muscari flowers began blooming this week. These were planted over a decade ago and barely bloomed at all last year, so it is nice to see them again.

Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)

Diminutive white flowers are beginning to fill the branches of a Spiraea I brought from my previous garden.

Spiraea

Iberis Sempervirens filled the meditation circle last year but most of what was planted there has died out. I blamed moles but also realize the site may not drain well enough for this plant. Fortunately it is tucked around the garden in other spots, a cheery little plant.

Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)

Last fall I finally remembered to add a few more daffodils to the garden. Just opened today is the first flower of the miniature Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete.’ The garden was so overgrown when it was time to plant these bulbs, it was hard to find a good place for them. They were relegated to an old terra cotta pot, which worked out just fine.

Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ (Tete-a-Tete Daffodil)

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’ has been blooming beautifully for a few weeks. I love the milky white streak that marks these blossoms.

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’

Happy Spring!

Signs of Native Spring

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Spring arrived quickly this year bringing with it early flowering to non-natives, such as the December arrival of Iberis sempervirens in the meditation circle. On the other hand the natives in the garden seemed to hold back and take their time. They are opening approximately the same time as they have the last few years.

One such native is Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine), which has just started blooming this week.

: Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

: Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)

Also native, Tradescantia (Spiderwort) slowly has begun to show color around the garden. It seems to be a week early, based on garden records from past years, but it really has not put on its full display yet. Not all of the many plants are blooming. Spiderwort spreads easily and has drifted throughout the garden, often shifting colors as it moves around. Some years I do not mind, but this year I have already been yanking it up.

: Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

: Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

: Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

: Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

The Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebell) is native, but new to this garden. Judging from online resources its current blooming seems reasonable.

: Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells)

The Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood) is another native showing restraint. This tree, flowering about the same time as last year, will probably peak in another week.

: Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

: Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

: Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox) appears to be blooming at least a week early in this garden, but then last year it scarcely bloomed at all. It is especially vigorous this year. This cultivar is ‘Emerald Cushion Blue.’