Phenology – Page 6 – Ellis Hollow

Actual bloom day photos – Phlomis, Aruncus, Nectaroscordum

On bloom day/Fathers Day, I found a little time to actually take some pictures. (And tonight I learned I’ve been misspelling Nectaroscordum for years.)

Phlomis, Knautia, Scotch thistle and more ’round the blue bottles.

Umbrella plant and Tradescantia

I’ve yet to take a picture of goatsbeard (Aruncus) that does it justice.

I’ll keep trying.

Nectaroscordum is pretty plain — until you move in close.

June bloom day scans

Click on images for larger views.

Geese playing king of the hill …

… and other doings this last weekend in April.

I’m no goose expert. But I think that what we have going on here is a couple of young geese who fly in to the beaver pond daily and honk in hopes of attracting a female. They play king of the hill on the beaver lodge. But so far, no domestic activities that I can see. The prime territory (and the big loud goose fights) are to be had out in the main body of the wetland to our west.

The marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris) are probably at peak. Here are two views below the beaver dam.

The reddish blotches are leftovers from ferns from last year.

Hank mentioned that — based on the pix I’ve been posting — that my garden must be looking good. Well the past couple weeks are the time of the year when they really look like crap, or more kindly they’re going through that awkward phase where you have to get down on your knees and look very closely to find the beauty. But I am to the point where I’m starting to step back a little, with this image of a variegated albutilon friends sent as a get well greeting for Elly and containers waiting to be filled with tropicals in the coming weeks.

Alchemilla mollis is back. Dew on lady’s mantle is pretty trite as images go, I know. But I’ll keep shooting it until I get it right.

One of those fancy primulas nearly in full flower.

Hyper-Spring (lotsa pix)

The last week we’ve had temps 10 to 20 degrees above normal — the best April weather I’ve seen for a long time if you’re one of the sun-starved students on campus or a sunbather.

But for gardeners, it’s turned the season into hyper-spring. Everything is flowering all at once. Where we usually drift outside in the cold April rain to watch the slow progress of bulbs and the swelling buds on flowering trees and shurbs, suddenly everything racing past us in one big blur.

Unfortunately, I’ve had very little time to spend outside gardening due to work and home commitments. I have snuck in a few quick walks through the garden with the camera in hand trying in vain to slow things down so I could savor them a little more.

Here’s some of what’s been whizzing by.

Skunk Cabbage Run, bees and peepers

Since Sunday morning, there have been three important events that herald spring and the opening of gardening season here.

The annual Skunk Cabbage Run (half marathon or 10K, take your pick) goes by our front door every year on the first Sunday in April, or at least that’s my recollection. Sometimes it’s snowy or sleeting or generally miserable. But this year it was beautiful. Sunny and 50s as the runners passed and 60s later on.
When I finally finished my taxes and got outside, first thing I noticed is the bees are back — working over the spring ephemerals (pix below) like Fred working over his bowl of kibbles.
Then tonight while doing a little more tidying up outside, I heard the spring peepers for the first time. They haven’t turned the volume up to 11 yet. But it was a nice chorus.

Here’s what was blooming yesterday …

Iris