I find myself confused about where exactly the plants in my garden should be in mid April (when I took these photos). We’ve had a sunny warmish stretch and I think I’ve mentally jumped ahead to May, I’m trying to tamp down my expectations and just enjoy what’s happening out there, which is a lot!
Continuing the walk around the front garden, my small Erica arborea var. alpina is covered in flowers and can no longer be called small. Wow. When did this plant get this big? (maybe the explosion of white just makes it seem larger?)
Also, how did I never notice the blooms are fragrant?
One of my Yucca nana is fixing to bloom!
Tiny flowers on the Pittosporum anomalum.
Entering the back garden now where the Impatiens omeiana are up and looking flawless.
The fact the Blechnum penna-marina (Austroblechnum penna-marina) is moving into and mingling with the back mondo makes me very happy.
I’m thrilled to see Pyrrosia sp. SEH#1511 is putting out several new “fronds”…
Paris quadrifolia has been dissed on social media lately. Someone commented on post with a “Meh” and someone else said on their own Facebook post “I remember when I thought they were special” (their photo showed an area where the plant had spread). I still think they’re special!
Rodgersia (the brown leaves), sadly I’ve forgotten which species this is.
New growth on Rhododendron cardiobasis.
Arisaema ringens, such a cool flower, it’s hard to believe it’s real (not fabricated).
Disporum longistylum ‘Night Heron’
Walking down on to the patio the new growth on these two mahonia are hard to miss.
Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Indianola Silver’ backed by M. x media ‘Marvel’.
It’s wonderful to enjoy Stachyurus salicifolius in bloom with leaves still on its branches. This is one of the plants that was hit hard the last few winters.
Not this year!
I did a little paint touch-up around the edge of the stock tank table planting, after a couple of years the orange was wearing thin and the ugly blue underneath was showing. I must say the planting itself just keeps getting better and better.
I added only two plants this spring, an Asplenium trichomanes and the Cassiope ‘Askival’ I brought home from the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.
This Athyrium otophorum ‘Okanum’ likes life in the table planting.
And the fertile fronds of Blechnum spicant (aka Struthiopteris spicant) are extra stunning when they’re raised up closer to eye-level.
This is the best the Loropetalum chinense ‘Sizzling Pink’ has ever looked. It was pruned back hard after the destruction of winter 2024 and it’s made a great rebound.
Daphniphyllum macropodum ‘Ki Midori Nakafu’
And to wrap things up, a new frond on Blechnum brasiliense, the Brazilian tree fern. My tiny plant is anything but tree-sized, but what it lacks in height it makes up for with that color.
