Bloom Day - April, 2013

There's something amazing about April, as garden changes happen literally overnight. One day, you're looking at fresh foliage. The next day, there's a bright bloom there, and you might not even have noticed the bud forming.

Case in point: I was mulching the front hot bed with rocks this past Saturday. Of course, I had to lift and handle all the plants in that bed to tuck the rock mulch under them. I did notice Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant' was looking healthy and happy. Today, out photographing for Bloom Day, a bright orange bloom!

It's a tiny showstopper in the middle of the current gray-green landscape of drought-tolerant plants.

Another "instant" flower on its way is on a Syneilesis hybrid. Last week they were still just fuzzy shredded umbrellas.

All the Manzanita family are sporting their delicate, urn-shaped blossoms. Below, kinnik kinnik (Arctostaphylos uva ursi).

Arctostaphylos hookeri 'Green on Black'.

Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths'.  It bloomed profusely last month; now there's just one small bloom cluster left.

In the Northwest Territory Vacccinium ovatum (evergreen huckleberries) are frothing with bloom...

Mahonia nervosa blooms on...

Along with M. aquifolium...

And the blooms on Cornus x 'Eddies White Wonder' get bigger by the day.

Loropetalum chinense 'Sizzling Pink' is covered with fluttering blossoms.

Blooming on from last month, and proudly representing the essence of pink, is Camellia x 'April Kiss'.

I didn't know that Luzula nivea had these cool flower heads.

I enjoy seeing Oxalis oregana before the hostas mostly cover it in summer.

Stop! In the name of ... a huge blooming rosemary.

Lastly, a colorful collection of blooms just acquired yesterday at Hortlandia, the Hardy Plant Society spring sale. I hope some of them will feature in next year's April Bloom Day post.

Bloom Day is graciously sponsored each month by Carol, of May Dreams Gardens. Click over to see more April 15th riches. Happy Bloom Day!