Today’s photos are from Daniela Baloi in Hudson, Ohio. If you’ll recall, we toured Daniela’s garden in summer back in February. (Refresh your memory HERE.) Today we get to see springtime in her garden.
Daniela says, “We started April with some light snow here in Hudson, Ohio, Zone 5b. A few hours later the snow stopped and it is now sunny with not much too share from our garden other than last year’s April pictures. Spring was a month early in 2012 and we had tulips and daffodils in bloom as early as March 25th.
“I always look forward to the tulips display since the colors and the shapes are so gorgeous. Last year we had four varieties of tulips with different blooming times lining the patio edge of the raised rose bed. We had blooms from mid March to end of April, which was more than we were hoping for.
“We also planted a couple Fritillaria bulbs in between the roses, which are back this spring without taking the bulbs out in the summer. I didn’t have the courage to leave the tulips in the ground since I’ve lost many like that over the years. I have to treat tulips as annuals and have to dig them out in June and re-plant them again in late October in the same place.
“We had some snow over the tulips by mid-April but that didn’t affect them much. Also last year in April, we were enchanted by the delicate bloom of the shooting star and a great display of blue forget-me-nots by the white rockcress. I’m always eager to see the fresh foliage of plants like hostas, ferns, European ginger, and ajuga in spring.”
So great to see another beautiful season in your garden, Daniela! Thanks so much.
*** TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THIS WEEK’S BOOK GIVEAWAY!! ***
Here’s how it works:
- You send in photos of your garden to [email protected], along with a brief description. You know how much you like to read everyone else’s garden stories–now it’s time to tell yours!
- At the end of the week I’ll compile a list of names of everyone who sent in photos and choose 5 names randomly from a hat (perhaps a flower pot…). The first person gets first pick, second person gets second pick, etc. I’ll email you if you get picked.
- After all the winners have chosen, I’ll tell everyone who won, probably the following week.
Here is a list of the books:
- Pick of the Bunch: The Story of Twelve Treasured Flowers by Margaret Willes
- Ginkgo by Peter Crane
- Gardening Vertically: 24 Ideas for Creating Your Own Green Walls by Noemie Vialard
- World’s Fair Gardens: Shaping American Landscapes by Cathy Jean Maloney
- Seeing Trees: Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees by Nancy Ross Hugo
- The Vertical Garden: From Nature to the City by Patrick Blanc
Now get cracking! I can’t wait to see what’s happening out there. But no worries if winter is still hanging on in your area. Send photos from last year!
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Comments
Love the poise of those shooting star flowers! And while snow is not welcome in spring, it looks beautiful on those tulips.
doesn't the freshness and boldness of spring just get you going?!?! nice to see all that just outside your windows. i am curious as to why you have to treat tulips as annuals? my first experience with Fritillaria was to search and search for skunks in the garden until i realized it was the Frit all along. happy to see another season in your garden
Ahh, Daniela, the lucky lady with the luxurious lupines and delectable delphiniums in May...so much to look forward to! But, your delightful show of spring bulbs and the beginning growth of all the other goodies waking up from their winter slumber certainly make April a great month in your garden also. These pictures prove the point that it is always worth making that extra effort in the fall to get those spring flowering bulbs in the ground.
A touch of refreshing springtime elegance from Daniela's
garden is just what I need to help reenergize my spirits!!
I'll take it!! THANKS!:)
Beautiful and hopeful! Especially love the snow on the tulips. I'm glad this isn't my yard, though, because I would spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to get those boulders out of the edge and into the center of the yard! Thanks for the preview of what is surely coming soon.
Beautiful images of spring coming to life. I like your front edging of tulips - they take your eye around that curve to your doorway. (I should try to plant some tulips but I have a very brown thumb as I have daffodils that have only bloomed once in 8 years)
How wonderful to see the native Shooting Star blooming in your garden! I tried one of these, bareroot, but I think I planted it in the wrong spot. I must try again! I have large waves of forget-me-nots throughout my garden. Can't wait for things to warm up here. Just love fresh spring. Your garden is beautiful. It must bring you (like us) so much joy.
Daniela, I love your tulips especially those frosted with snow. The picture of your adorable tuxedo peering from behind the tulips is an excellent composition and enlarged is clear as a bell (I saved it), great photography... you even clearly captured that fly in your daffs. It's very possible you are losing tulip bulbs to critters, squirrels foraging all winter... some people lay chicken wire over their tulip beds for winter and remove it as soon as green appears in spring. Critters won't bother your daffs. I enjoy a garden that's obviously the result of the homeowner's labors as averse to professionals. And your photography is superb and refreshing. Thank you Daniela, send more.
Barn Cats - Newt & Cali survived the winter and are now ready for greeting spring. This summer I will have electric brought to the barn so they will have real bedding heaters instead of those handwarmer thingies, and a heater to keep their water from freezing too.
I'd plant daffs along the barn but they'd not show well against the yellow... if someone hybridized red daffs they'd make a fortune. Meanwhile lots of thistle will soon emerge and they do have gorgeous flowers.
Always together like two peas in a pod:
Very nice work, Daniela! Tulips are amazingly resilient! Yours will be lovely this spring.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments! You guys have away with words that makes all who post here on GPOD feel so welcome!
tractor1: thanks for your compliments on my photography. Luck is large contributor to my pictures as I can't arrange the sun, the cat or the fly in the position I want when I want it. All I was able to do is take a steady shot and sort it out of many.
Vojt: you made me LOL. My husband can't take his hands off large rocks either. He actually moved the two in the last picture from the side of the woods to the current bed by the driveway. He had some help from neighbors and friends of course but it looked like the impossible task at the time.
tntreeman: I planted tulips about 6 times in the last 13 years. First time I prepared a display of 100 bulbs at the front entrance in front of the shrubs. The first spring display was stunning. I didn't cut the foliage back or anything and left them in. Next spring: NONE. I searched the soil for any leftover..there was nothing there. I blamed the clay and the wet summer and moved on.
Another time I prepared good soil in the beds and planted them near the patio in best soil you can wish for. Second spring I had two flowers left out of 40 bulbs. Similar issues with crocus protected in a wire net with small holes and no luck ..by second spring 1 flower left in the closed tube of wire.
I verified with others in this area and they all had similar issues so I now treat tulips as annuals.
Thank you, Daniela, for the beautiful photos, and for taking the time to identify so many of the flowers. I always learn something new!
sorry you have tulip issues but i now understand why you treat them as annuals. disheartening / frustrating when that happens after waiting for them to emerge in the spring but with all your other successes i think the tulips as annuals is a small price. your place looks great and i can appreciate all the hard work that goes into it
Those tulips are so pretty. They are totally worth the effort. I mostly treat them as annuals too. I have some small species tulips and one clump of white purissima triumph tulips that have been coming back for several years now. I can usually get 2 good seasons out Darwin hybrid tulips. Every other variety I treat as annuals. Your yard looks so tidy. I spent the day spring cleaning in mine, so I really appreciate how neat your property is. I really like the last photo. The fresh foliage, with it's mix of shapes and colors, is lovely even without the flowers. I bet it is great in bloom,also. It sounds like a nice and very varied combo of plants.
tractor1: Thanks for sharing the picture with the cats. So nice that you have 2 so that they can keep each other company.
I think is time you paint that barn a different color or you may want to plant some green shrubs by the foundation of the barn and then the daffodils in front! There is a solution to any gardener problem.
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