Things are much more advanced in your garden than here! The crocuses and early bulb irises have been putting on their show since mid last week. It's too wet and muddy to try to get around in the backyard yet but, from indoors, I can't see any hellebores or other early things doing much yet. The grass in the front is noticeably greener today after a few warm days and rain. But the back lawn is still pretty much dormant. The forecast is for a rapid drop in temperature tonight - and 4" of snow!! It's supposed to go back to something approaching normal temperatures by the end of the week. Because this cold spell has been in the forecast for a while, we haven't done much clean-up in order to give the emerging plants some protection from the cold.

That's an interesting ginkgo! I might be able to find a place for one of those....

Wow Christin! Nice blooms. We got nothin' yet. Way behind you. Love your new purchases!

WOW!!!! I live in VA, on the coast (7b/8a) and I got nutin honey....lol. Except daffys, of course. But I don't have all those unique varieties that u have. VERY pretty!!!!!

What is that "most despised plant" that u adore?? I do have plenty of wild violets blooming, which it reminds me of. Some people don't like 'em but I do.

bonnie

Nice blooms! Its spring!

We had 89 degrees yesterday with tornado warnings. We got hail in the afternoon then a nice rainbow. Tonight is dropping down to 27, I think its a record low for April, one of those nice surprises. The wind is ferocious most days. Back to 62 tomorrow, 78 on Saturday. Its the Spring Roller Coaster Ride when weather is exciting.

I just came in from covering some young plants just in case. Things are well underway down here since its been in the 70's & 80's during the days for some time. The ground is warm so hopefully its a 3 to 4 hour early morning freeze only & won't do a lot of damage. Many perennials are leafed out pretty thick, some are forming buds, others are still dormant or just starting. Warm season grasses are coming along.

People all over town are rushing around finding anything handy to cover plants they recently set in & nursery's are battening down the hatches to save blooms, putting plastic back on greenhouses, whisking in plants off outdoor shelves. I imagine some fruit trees will take a hit, many trees are done but some are still in bloom. The redbuds just finished up. Bradford pears didn't even make a showing this year, weird, just leaves with hardly any blooms, usually its white everywhere since they were so over planted.

What a difference a day makes around here. Penstemons, euphorbia & bladderpods are blooming.....

and, Baileya multiradiata has started blooming along with a few dianthus. Baileya usually winters over but many did much this year so its a slower start except for a few plants.

Thanks much guys ;-)

-woodyoak, it is such a small ginkgo variety...you definitely could find a little corner to tuck him into! The leaves are all ruffle-y when they emerge too- very cool.

-Susan, hopefully you get some bulbs poppin' soon!

-Bonnie, I was indeed talking about the violet. Some people hate them. I love them! In fact, I've even purchased and started a couple varieties from seed! They are great in the lawn...

-TXR, that is a lovely, delicate looking Penstemon. So is that a bladderpod blooming in the background of your Baileya pic?
CMK

wow

tulips - I have hundreds of them, so the allotment is looking almost tropical. Will try to get pics later today.

And pulsatilla. hepaticas, saxifrages, aubrieta, first geums, dicentra, myosotis -------the usual stuff

It's snowing here this morning - not the 4" the forecast was calling for though (not yet at least....) All the blooming spring bulbs have disappeared under a blanket of white :-( It's pretty out there though - but a scene more appropriate to early December than mid-April!

Christin....re: violet. LOL...I think the yard is where I originally dug mine up from. Either that, or it was a 'hitchiker' in a purchased plant :)

Whatever the case, I have a whole area in garden where they took over. And I love them so much, I have chunks dug up from planting new plants and have saved them on trays in grocery bags because I can't bear to discard them. I'll tuck 'em in between once I'm all done with new plantings.

Same with oxallis. Some people dig it up. I save it when it's in the way and transplant!!

Bonnie

Thanks for the visual treat, you have some beauties there. My hellebores are past their best now, along with the grape hyacinths, early tulips and mini daffodils. Lots of the clemies are in bud and the pulmonarias are still looking good but nothing as eye catching as you've shown here. Hmmmm, that little ginkgo, I wonder, Christin how big does it eventually grow, height and width, I'm running out of space here.

Annette

-Annette, my Iseli Nursery tag says the Ginkgo grows 4-6" per year and will reach a size of about 3-4ft in 10 years.

Another site (Missouri Botanical) says it will get only 2x2 in ten years and will ultimately get to a size of about 3ft tall and 8ft wide.

I've also read that they are great bonsai plants, so you could easily keep it containerized too ;-)
CMK