It's been an unseasonably cold month at Longview Ranch in Portland, Oregon, since the false spring of March's Bloom Day post. Mother Nature has severely rationed her lovely days, yet flowers are opening and plants continue to grow. Here's what's blooming for April's Bloom Day.
First up is a series of lovely spring ephemerals. You can spot an ipheion, Primula 'Hose-in-Hose Yellow', and a pulmonarium in this mix, in addition to Primula veris 'Sunset Shades' as seen in more detail below.
This one is a deep orange.
Another P. veris in a redder tone.
And a golden orange P. veris. I love the bold color the 'Sunset Shades' primulas series bring to the springtime garden.
Here's a closer look at Ipheion uniflorum 'Alberto Castillo'.
The little flush of flowers on Mukdenia rossii 'Karasuba'.
We added one of my favorites, Arctostaphylos x media 'Martha Ewan' to the Northwest Territory last year. This year she's happily giving us a few blooms.
Also in the NW Territory, Cornus 'Eddies White Wonder' is unfurling.
And Ribes sanguineum is rounding things out with a resounding pink pop.
The lovely deep red flowers of Malus 'Prarifire' are about perfect right now.
More pink: Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum 'Fire Dance'.
Ceanothus 'Victoria' is just beginning to bloom. She is listing badly to the west after our surprise snowfall earlier this week, and will need some tying and staking in order to support her blooms.
Lastly, here's a miniature Iris, cultivar unknown, that has adapted to my tough love approach. It's the first of my miniature and dwarf Iris to bloom and has me anticipating the rest later this month.
And that's it for Bloom Day at Longview Ranch this month. To see more beautiful flowers from all over, visit Carol, at May Dreams Gardens, where she hosts Bloom Day on the 15th of each month.
Happy Bloom Day, all!
