Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2011

Welcome to my garden. So glad you could stop by. Let's see what is blooming today, shall we?


As we step out the front door, the first blossom we encounter is that of the coral geranium that has been blooming in a pot by the door for weeks now. Love those geraniums!


April marks the beginning of the long daylily season of bloom. The first ones to open their smiling faces in my yard are in the yellow family like this one.


And this slightly fancier one.


And, of course, there is the much maligned 'Stella d'Oro,' disdained by many gardeners because it is so common, but I'm fond of its happy, sunny blooms.


The old 'Caldwell Pink' roses got pruned very late this year and are now struggling to catch up to all the other roses that started blooming weeks ago. 'Caldwell' is just beginning.


The yellow Knockout, 'Radsunny,' is on its second (or is it third?) flush of blooms already.


One of my favorites, the miniature bloomer 'Red Cascade,' is almost in full bloom now. The "miniature" appellation refers to the size of the roses which are tiny, but the climbing plant itself can get rather large, and it blooms in my yard almost continuously from now until the first killing frost in December.


The first buddleia to bloom this year is this old heirloom passed along to me from a friend. It was originally from her grandmother's garden. My other more modern buddleias suffered a bit from the cold winter and are just now hitting their stride. This tough old girl never lost a step.


I'm very fond of this 'Rouge Cardinal' clematis that blooms by my back porch. It has been in bloom for a few weeks now.


This Mexican sedum covers ground in various places throughout my garden - another tough and resilient little plant.


My garden leans heavily on native plants, and pavonia (rock rose) is one of these.


Columbines have been prodigious bloomers for me this spring.


Another native, the Blackfoot daisies are full of their tiny blooms now.


Nearby, the penstemons have also joined the party.


Just starting to bloom is my favorite hydrangea, the oakleaf.


These delphiniums that I picked up at Antique Rose Emporium last week and planted next to my vegetable garden fence have popped into bloom already, perhaps just a bit prematurely. I love that color!


The yellow cestrum has been in bloom for several weeks.


The butterflies just adore that cestrum! This is actually the very first Gulf Fritillary I have seen in my garden this spring. I think it visited every single blossom on the cestrum.


I've really come to like this 'Coral Nymph' salvia which has also been blooming for awhile and still sports a few Bloom Day blossoms.


The variegated potato vine next to the garage door is simply covered in these dainty little white blossoms.


Strawberry bush sports a profusion of very unobtrusive but, I think, very attractive little flowers.


Nothing unobtrusive about the blossoms of the hibiscus. This is 'Candy Wind,' my first and so far only hibiscus bloomer.


'Hot Lips' salvia dances in the breeze. We've had plenty of those this month, drying out our already dry gardens even further.


This little lobelia spreads its deep blue flowers over the bed where it lives.


My several asclepias plants have had a steady stream of Monarch butterfly visitors in recent weeks.


And from his station on a rock in my little backyard fountain, my friend, Ribbit, watches over it all.

Don't forget to visit our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens for links to other bloggers participating in this month's Bloom Day.

And a very happy April Bloom Day to you!