Gardening and Gardens

Spring has finally sprung in my Long Island garden and all my hard work planting 200 bulbs last fall is finally paying off! Some of the bulbs are in full bloom, others are still sending up shoots. Each day there is something new to see and it's all very exciting to watch unfold. In the photo above, a group of Tete-a-Tete daffodils are happily mingling with purple hyacinth.  Clumps of crocus are all over the property - some deep purple, some white and some purple and white! And the lovely chinodoxa (Glory of the Snow), smiling happily upwards. This Lenten Rose is one of three plants I planted last year. The delicious pink hue of Helleborus 'Cotton Candy' brightens my day. Looking forward to more and more blooms and new growth as the month wears on. Hope you are enjoying your gardens were you are! Head on over to May Dreams Gardens blog for a look at what's blooming around the country today.

May is bursting with spring flowers, trees are a bright yellow-green and the grass is looking fuller each day. After such a long winter, it's wonderful to see everything coming into bloom. In addition, a few things I planted later in the year last year are finally pushing forth fuller growth now. Here's what's blooming around my Long Island garden this month.   Beautiful columbines in full bloom. I love the pink outside and the white flower inside.  Variegated red-twig dogwood looks stunning in front of the blooming viburnum in the background. Heuchera 'Miracle' is one of the beautifully leaved coral bells. The new growth is really coming out now and its dainty little flowers shouldn't be far behind. In the shade garden, the Kwansan cherry tree flowers are falling to the ground, creating a pink carpet. But through that, Phlox 'Home Fires', bleeding hearts, ferns, astillbe and anemone are living quite happily.  Here is a close up of ...

April showers bring May flowers... Everything here is just on the cusp of blooming and today's rain showers will no doubt help them along. Spring has definitely sprung and it's wonderful to see something new in bud every day. Here's what's blooming in my Long Island, NY garden this month: I planted this Helleborus "Cotton Candy" (Lenten Rose) last year, late in the season, along with the Chinodoxa bulbs. I am so happy to see them both blooming! The daffodils have started to bloom. I love the small heads of these type with the orange trumpets. And no matter how much clean up I do, I still find oak leaves everywhere! These white tulips are a few days away from bloom. Behind them, the Endless Summer Hydrangeas are starting to show signs of life.  New this year are these cheery Primrose. A blast of color in the cool, early spring days. More Chinodoxa, complete with rain drops! (Read more about these here ) I love spring - seeing all the ne...

Every year, Hicks Nurseries in Westbury, NY transforms their showroom to a gorgeous display of landscape plants and flowers right as old man winter is starting to release his grip. The annual Spring Flower and Garden show is the largest and most popular flower show on Long Island. For many local gardeners, this flower show is the official beginning of spring.  Each year has a different theme and to be honest, I think some have been better than others. This year's theme is "Garden for Life: Discover Health and Wellness through the Joy of Gardening"  - how gardening can enhance your life, your neighborhood and the planet. I thought it was fantastic.  There were four different garden displays: the Relaxation Garden, the Easy Garden, the Earth Friendly Garden and the Learning Garden. The Relaxation Garden was like a tropical oasis in your own backyard: Filled with Palms, Bromeliads, Croton, Gardenias, Orchids and other tropical plants, it was sooth...