Thursday, May 7, 2015

Happy Springtime!

Well, HAPPY SPRINGTIME!!!  At long last, it is truly spring (insert huge sigh of relief here) and most of my daylilies made it through a brutally long winter.  I lost one called "Cry," though who knows, perhaps it's merely delayed.  I really think it's gone, so.... cry. 

The first blooms, as always, were the snowdrops, still nestled in a thin mantle of snow.  Says something about resilience, determination, hope.  Perky blue windflowers were next, at least in the warmer corner where the snow was first to melt.  More in another location showed up later.  There are only a few crocuses left; perhaps I should get more, in the fall.  Hyacinths have bloomed, though not well. But best of all of the early blooms are the daffodils!  I have a fairly decent assortment of them, and they make the wait for the daylilies bearable, while bejeweling the yard with yellows, golds, white, even a few with pink cups.  I was out in the yard this morning, taking photos to share!


I don't know all the cultivar names, sorry.  Many have been lost in my memory over the years, some I never knew, but I have a few names for the varieties. 











This little sweetie might have the name of a goddess, not sure.   It's planted with another lovely, a double (below) that might have the goddess name.  Which goddess?  Who knows!








This might be something like "Ice Carnival."  Ice something, anyway.  I got this one at the Portland Flower Show, many years ago!  This clump will be moved very soon, as I want that space for an herb garden, and some nasty stuff (vinca!) has to be eradicated.








I do know the name of these!  These are "Mondragon" daffodils.  I took advantage of the name similarity, and put them in the garden called Dragon's Alley.  I have quite a few small clumps of these throughout that garden.









And this delicate little darling is one of my favorites: "Thalia" 












Let's see.... what's next?  Ah!


Nope, I have no idea what this one is named.  Just a standard sort of daffodil/narcissus, I suppose.  I have a few clumps of them, here and there.  They seem hardy and happy.



At left is one called, "Avalon," which I may have posted in the past, but this is a fresh, new photo!  It's in the Arthurian themed garden, of course.  


Close by it is another Arthurian themed daffodil, but I don't recall the name perfectly.  Pictured below, it's "Camelot --" something,
or  Something -- "Camelot."  Hahaha... sorry, that's as close as I can get.  Maybe it's just, "Camelot," one word, and the "Avalon" has another word in it! 

 I think I need a daffodil database!





Anyway, to the right is Camelot -- , with Avalon in the upper right background.







Here is a "long shot" looking uphill, up "Dragon Alley," to what I call, "Saddle Rock."  (If you could see that rock from another angle, you'd understand.)  In another two months this shot will be almost all daylilies, but they are nowhere near ready to bloom yet.  They're all still little sproutlings at this time, so I must be patient. 

You know, I almost named this blog something like, "Dillies and Daffies"!!!!  Hahaha! 
 
I'm so glad to have some other flowers to brighten the yard before the daylilies start up!  The daffs are pretty much at peak now,  but there are a few later blooming stragglers that I will post about soon.   After they fade, there will be the apple orchard and the lilac bush.  Next, irises get cranked up to show off their beauty, and just before the daylilies start, the peonies explode with their exciting colors!  Pinks of every shade, from near white to near red.
 

I'll post some other blooming plants, and the rest of the daffodils, pretty soon.

I love my yard!!!!