The few flowers there are in the garden at the moment at very precious to me as a sign that spring is on the way.
Teucrium fruticosa flowers continuously from November through to April so though the flowers are small, they are profuse so they add a blue haze for many months.
Teucrium fruticosa
Euphorbia rigida is the first to show signs of the acid yellow inflorescence that proclaims spring is here!
Euphorbia rigida
First pink colouration appears as the ‘buds’ swell, then they open to reveal bright, acid yellow/green.
Euphorbia rigida
These small Irises are one of my favourites, they don’t last very long and it can be easy to miss seeing them at all, but they don’t cost very much so I’m prepared to indulge myself.
Iris Purple Gem
Iris Purple Gem
Next
Lonicera fragrantissima
Lonicera fragrantissima has the very best perfume of any plant I know! It doesn’t flower for as long a period here as it does in the UK, it needs some cold to trigger the flowers.
Viburnum tinus is mostly tight pink buds with just a few open to revel the white flower inside. This is another plant that does not flower for such a long period as in the UK where it flowers for maybe 6 months of the year. My plant has not fully recovered from the burning winds during the summer and a couple of large stems still seem to be dead. I’ll prune them out later in spring if there really is no chance from them recovering.
Buds of Viburnum tinus
Opening buds of Viburnum tinus
Arabis
Arabis, grown from seed is full of tightly closed buds, but a few are braving the cold nights.
A surprise is that one Phlomis sufuiticosa has buds that are nearly open, while another plant, perhaps a metre away, doesn’t even have any buds yet!
Phlomis
I planted these yellow Crocus Ancyrensis last autumn, I love their sunny colour.
Yellow Crocus Ancyrensis
Rosemary continues to attract bees to its masses of blue flowers.
Rosemary
But best of all are the dazzling flowers of Anemone Sylphide; I’ve never manages to grow these before and they are one of my favourite cut flowers too so now I’ve had some success I’ll plant lots more next year!
Anemone Sylphide
Anemone Sylphide
Anemone Sylphide
Not only are the colours stunning but the flowers last a long time, I showed the buds just before they opened for last GBBD and this is one of the flowers that was a bud then – I am impressed because we’ve had frosts many of the nights and heavy rain and terrifyingly strong winds and still the flowers are beautiful. Others I planted under the Mulberry tree are slower to flower but that will only extend the season further.
A very happy Bloomday to all gardeners everywhere. Thanks to Carol for hosting.
Such lovely spring flowers! I have never heard of Teucrium fruticosa, had to look it up. Your Anemone Sylphide sure is a stunner! Can’t wait for spring to get going properly here in London, it has been a slow start due to very cold weather for weeks on end. Happy GBBD!
It is the difference between day and night time temperatures that is the major problem here. Christina
You always show such an interesting variety of plants. Love the pretty white flower of arabis and your anemones are divine. I have never grown them but have some anemones on order which won’t be sent until March. It will be 62F here today with slight chance of snow tonight.
Thank you, it is warmer here today too, I’m sure the temperature in the greenhouse will reach the high 30’s C again. Christina
Those anemones are spectacular – what a joy in winter! We still have some snow on the ground, but the hellebores are dying to open their buds…
Our gardens are represented by individual flowers this time of year but I treasure them all. I need to plant that bright yellow crocus and I am amazed by the anemone. I didn’t know there were anemones that bloomed that early.
It seems very early for the anemone to me too. Christina
Some lovely flowers. It’s so heartening to watch things bloom in the midst of wintry squalls. Spring shrubs are on my must-plant list, I have my mind on an earlier flowering Viburnum than our summer-flowering V. plicatum Pink Sensation, and a voucher still from Christmas to spend…
There are so many lovely Viburnums to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice! Christina
Beautiful buds and blooms!
Happy Bloom Day!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
Hi Christina, you have a lot of unusual colors of flowers for me, because ours i think are always falling with the ordinary, reds, oranges, yellows! That green is very lovely for me, did you notice that in my post i even showed the sepals looking like petals just to effect green flowers! And that purple one, oh so beautiful. Blogging really makes us have what we normally don’t have! thanks.
Very true, it is why I enjoy blogging so much
You have a lot of flowers blooming, I think! And they are all so pretty. Love the euphorbia, and the irises are adorable!
I agree that the flowers are really so precious at the moment and so well appreciated. You have a lovely selection and it is interesting that some bloom later or less than if they were further north. Your anemone is beautiful, I don’t expect to see any for months.
The Anemone is giving me a great deal of pleasure, not least because it is exactly the colour I hoped it would be. Christina
That Anemone is stunning – and I love the yellow crocus.
Hi Christine! The Anemone you have is simply gorgeous and I love the little Irises! So pretty!
Those anemones are a glorious colour, they must make you smile every time you see them. These early signs of Spring are so precious, aren’t they. Lovely iris, mine don’t seem to have survived this year (they are in a pot). I’ll have to get some more for next year.
My reticular irises rarely flower a second year, this year at least they have flowered for a while often they seem to be over in a few days. Christina
Hi Christina, and what a good show – lovely plants, but my hear goes out to the teucrium… beautiful…
Anything that flowers for so long is always valuable in the garden, I love it’s form and foliage too, a winner all round. Christina
Such a lot of beautiful flowers, hard to decide which I like best. I think the anemones are so beautiful, such gorgeous saturated colours. I’ve never been lucky with them before, maybe I ought to try again!
Do try them again. The second group I planted I had soaked first as I read that helps. But the bright pink ones just went straight into the ground; if I remember correctly it did rain a lot soon after planting them so they got a good soaking anyway. Christina
Christina I am smitten with your beautiful blooms especially the anemone…I need a shock of color right now!
Yes, this bright pink is certainly a shock of colour. Christina
I love the anemone! I am so happy to see spring blooms arriving. I want to get out in the garden today, as sunshine has finally returned. But it’s freezing out there, with a cold wind blowing. Winter is not quite done.
Sounds just like the weather here. Christina
Ooooo your anemone sylphide looks stunning. What an amazing colour. And the Teucrium is so unusual, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.
Oh my Christina, by gosh your garden has kicked into life! Way ahead of here but we’d expect that, great colours to brighten any dull days. I always love euphorbia blooms and I do like that iris purple gem – that is the colour for my garden! Wishing you a belated GBBD 😀
I love your Euphorbia and the Anemone! What a great selection of plants and all looking so healthy. Really nice to see. Thanks for sharing!
Anemone Sylphide is just beautiful! I hope to see a drift of them in your garden next Feb 🙂 The purple irises are definitely worth it as well.
All white with snow again here… I am ready for some sun. Thanks for sharing your flowers!
Thanks Julie, it must be so frustrating for you not to be able to get out and GARDEN! Spring won’t be long. Christina
You have way more in bloom than we do just now as we’re buried under snow… so neat to see you spring shots and be reminded of what lies ahead! Larry