Well gosh that month went by fast! I jumped back into Garden Blogger's Bloomday with February's post and somehow between then, and now, I've visited a garden show in Seattle, a garden show in Eugene, and was stuck at home for a week when a foot of snow fell—in my garden, in Portland, in February. Oh and I've froze my toes off whenever I've ventured outside to work in the garden because it's been COLD! Aye yai yai what happened to spring this year?
Yesterday, March 14th, is when I took these photos and it did feel like spring might finally be here, dare we dream? Here's Helleborus 'Rio Carnival'...![]()
Helleborus x ballardiae 'Cinnamon Snow'
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H. 'Onyx Odyssey'
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Helleborus foetidus
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Another 'Rio Carnival'...
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Helleborus 'Ice 'n Roses Red'
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I think this is one of the 'Frostkiss' hellebores, but I can't remember which one. I have two others that aren't blooming, just their foliage is unfolding. I'm not so impressed with this series.
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H. x ballardiae Pink Frost
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’Ice n Roses Merlot’
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Helleborus x hybridus 'Jade Tiger'
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And a new one! Not even planted yet, purchased at the O'Byrnes Northwest Garden Nursery last weekend; Winter Jewels 'Peppermint Ice' Helleborus x hybridus.
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I'm quite amazed that I've accumulated so many hellebores, they're tough little flowers so it's nice to have them able to withstand whatever our crazy winter might throw at them. Speaking of, my Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold' had started to bloom when the cold and snow hit.
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Some of the flowers were open, those are kind of a dull manila folder color now. Others are starting to open their usual vibrant yellow, but the scent is diminished and the hummingbirds aren't so interested. It's a sad state of affairs.
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Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Akebono' is slowed way down, but gradually opening.
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Euphorbia rigida, oh how I love your many shapes and colors...
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Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths'
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Normally Austin would be done blooming by now, this year he's just getting started.
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Mahonia x media 'Marvel'
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Asarum maximum 'Ling Ling', aka panda face ginger.
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From here on I will only plant this plant in containers, even a stock tank planting will do. Otherwise the freaky blooms are decimated by slugs.
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My last two Bloomday blooms are inside the house, first up Aporophyllum 'Shirley', an orchid cactus.
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And a NOID epiphyllum—this crazy plant has bloomed off and on all winter. It currently has multiple buds (seven at last count) in some state of bloom...
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It was nice to see this monster bumble bee—that leaf he's laying on measures nearly an inch across— he was either sleeping, or maybe still slowed down by the overnight chill, as he didn't mind my sticking a camera in his fuzzy face.
The Daphne x houtteana blooms are way behind this spring, but at least they're there in bud form, the plant made it through the snow and cold okay.
For more Bloomday blooms visit May Dreams Gardens—our hostess who rounds up all the bloom links.
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