A few rain showers and some beautiful sunshine have brought much into bloom this week. “Plenty of Pink” seems to be a theme, with dashes of orange, purple, white, and yellow.
ONE – Whatever you call it — Elephant’s ear, Pigsqueak, or Bergenia is in bloom at the top of Lupine Hill. This unknown variety was here when we moved in, and the patch has expanded well to fill this sunny spot. This photo made me realize perhaps I should cut off the winter-damaged leaves, but I enjoy their bronzy tones.
TWO – Last Saturday I mentioned our fruiting cherry trees, but this week the Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’ is showing off. This young flowering cherry tree’s bronzy foliage offers welcome contrast to the enormous dose of green in the garden right now. Maybe bronze and pink should be the theme of this post…
THREE – Lilac buds swell daily, and our pink lilac or Syringa vulgaris will be the first to open this year, perhaps this weekend if we’re lucky.
FOUR – The rhododendron display has officially begun. Six white R. Dora Amateis and one variegated R. President Roosevelt lead the way.
FIVE – I’m finally completing planting 150+ dahlia tubers, and digging holes for the ones along our low black fence has been especially satisfying (no, really!) because of this blooming Ribes odoratum or clove currant right there. Its spicy/sweet fragrance is intoxicating.
SIX – The obvious Queens of the season, tulips are excellent this year on the deck and in barrels. Some late season bulbs like Angelique are yet to open here. While some gardeners and garden bloggers may be over them, I’m hoping tulips last another few weeks. Can’t get enough!
Head on over to The Propagator who hosts Six on Saturday, and visit links in the comments to see what’s in bloom in gardens around the world.
Gardens at Coppertop 
I planted alliums and tulips in containers this year for the first time and many rotted in the large containers. Frustrating. The things in the ground did fine.
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Oh, that must have been disappointing! I prefer containers for tulips due to our rather large and hungry squirrel and chipmunk population. Bulbs are much easier to protect, but I do drill LOTS of drainage holes.
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These were in very large plastic pots with lots of drainage. The squirrels managed to dig up some of the bulbs but when I went to put a tomato in that pot this week I found six mushy bulbs. I think they might have been alliums. Next year in the ground.
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Interesting to see how different plants flower at different times – the cherry blossom is over here but Lilac in full bloom. Your tulips and rhododendron are looking wonderfully… pink!
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Haha! Yes, pink and all the glowing green go well together, thankfully. I am behind most gardening seasons here, since we are near the Canadian border and also at 1200′ elevation.
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The tulips are lovely (not all of us are over them!) and 150 dahlias – wow, impressive!
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Hooray for the tulips! 😉
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Great Barrels of tulips!
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Thanks! They certainly draw the eye.
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Pigsqueak! that’s adorable..do you know how the name came about?
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Years ago I read that if you rub the leaf between your fingers you create a sound similar to a pig squeak (squeal?). Jury’s still out on that!
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Gorgeous plants, shouting at us that spring is really, really here. :~)) Bergenia, like your frothy double cherry Kanzan, seems to be a Marmite plant for many people – you love it or hate it. I love both of them. And your barrels of tulips are just a joy!
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Thank you. Yes, spring has sprung! I had no idea just how much frothiness all the pink would deliver during this portion of spring, yet I’m definitely enjoying it all with the bright greens of new foliage. Whites, blues, and purples are more my comfort zone with blooms. Hahaha!
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I agree, the tulips are gorgeous! 150+ dahlia tubers! I look forward to the photos when they bloom.
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I am as well. Thanks for the visit and kind words.
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Pigsqueak? I have not heard that in a while. We have quite a bit of it. I know it is too old fashioned for most, but I still like it.
We used to grow President Roosevelt. I rarely see it variegated outside of the farm. It reverts to green so readily, and maintenance ‘gardeners’ do not know that they should prune out the green sports. There happen to be a few at a home near work. They look good so far, but I want to meet whomever lives there to see if they are intentionally letting them revert to green. (I suspect that someone planted them years ago but then relocated, and that whomever lives there now does not know much about the garden.) I think they look better in green.
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R. Pres. Roosevelt is definitely flashy! I am a sucker for variety, and this one really spices up the simple R. Dora Amateis that greatly outnumber it. Don’t know if you’ve ever visited Whitney Farms on the Olympic Peninsula when you visit your dad, but I’m making another trip next week and am having fun mulling over what to select to complete our 7 rhodie ‘grove’ partially shown in that photo above the Roosevelt. So far that patch has Nova Zembla, Dora Amateis, and Bruce Brechtbill. VERY OPEN to assistance/suggestions!
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My suggestions would do you no good. We grow cultivars that are most appropriate for our mild but somewhat arid climate. Those that do well on the Olympic Peninsula are not the same cultivars that we grow, although some do well both here and there. Nova Zembla, Dora Amateis and Bruce Brechtbill are all marginal here. I grew them, but did not like them as much as those that were happier here. I could have done without Bruce Brechtbill. My colleague got some stock plants from Whitney Farms many years ago, and perhaps more recently, and used to go there occasionally while vacationing in Tahuya.
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I’m loving your barrels of tulips. It looks as though the Bergenia is out in full sun. Does it mind this? I thought they needed some shade, but yours look very healthy. Looking forward to seeing the dahlias in flower!
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This bergenia was in full sun when we moved in 4 years ago and has done well, surprisingly! Thanks for the visit.
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Holy tuber batman! 150+ dahlias! Wow. Are they a mix of varieties? that’s going to look amazing.
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Yes, they’re a fun mix! It’ll be another couple of months before any bloom, of course, but I’m always ready for dahlias. 😉
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