Spring is almost over and I’ve had no chance to blog!  First, I went to Europe on vacation and upon my return, it seemed more important to try and catch up with the gardening than to write about it!

I feel the need to share some flower pictures, without much rhyme or reason.  So many wonderful plants have been blooming!

Here is the pitcher plant in full bloom from the greenhouse.  It has the strangest flowers!

Another amazing flower from the greenhouse–the butterfly amaryllis:

Below is Freesia laxa blooming over some cacti.  I moved a bunch of seedlings of these plants to the garden this spring, as I’ve read that they are hardy in England, so suspect they might be hardy here.

Another all-time favorite–the Pelargonium papilionaceum–the flowers are delicate and showy at the same time.

Now, heading outside the greenhouse and into the garden, here are some fiddleheads–not flowers, but just as beautiful!

And below are flowers from Geranium phaeum.  I love this plant, which is surrounded by the mildly thuggish Geranium macrorrhizum and still manages to hold its own and bloom beautifully.

I do have one plant of Biokovo, the white/very light pink G. macrorrhizum cultivar.  It is not as invasive as I’d like, so I’m going to tackle some propagation attempts this year to increase my stock.

Below is Polemonium Apricot Delight, grown from seed over ten years ago.  This beauty impresses every year with its subtle color and graceful form.  It starts pretty easily by natural layers, so I’m spreading it around the garden.

I have so many bearded iris that never bloom (due to lack of sun and possibly a bit of neglect; I never clean the grass away from the rhizomes as I should).  But the below old-fashioned beauty always comes through.  This is one my mother grew 50 years ago and while it isn’t as showy as some of the modern hybrids, it has a wonderful delicate scent to complement its iron constitution.

Below is the diminutive lilac “Miss Kim”.  This is a darling little shrub and the fragrance is more subtle than in the bigger lilacs (lower pic) I have, but it is there if you get close enough.

Sometimes the most common flowers still provide a bright spot and a smile.  This lovely violet has perfectly colored leaves and lots of gorgeous lavender purple flowers.

I grew the below columbines from seed and they are a mix of doubles and singles.  The singles have grace…

But the doubles are impressive and showy…

You don’t think of blackberries as a garden flower, normally, and I’m not sure if I am biased by the promise of sweet berries that these flowers hold.  Truthfully, though, I think these are as pretty as a climbing rose.

 Nectaroscordum siculum is closely allied to Alliums.  This one is super hardy and shines in the spring garden, even when brighter blooms are shining all around.

I grew Papaver bracteatum plants from seed close to 20 years ago.  They never fail to impress with their size (stems to 5 feet and 8″ blooms) and their amazing color.  Photos never capture this electric hue, but you can see the bluish pollen here, which provides a wonderful contrast.

Another strange place to find beauty–fava beans!  I grew these over the winter and they are now close to four feet tall with lots of these amazing flowers.  These are handsome plants and I can’t wait to see how the beans form and grow.

The early spring clematis bloomed pretty well, considering they were mauled a lot last year when we redid the patio and painted the fence.

Some of the berries in bloom–goumi and aronia.

Below are the Solomon Seals that I have all over the garden.  The flowers are charming flared bells with green tips, and they are delightfully fragrant on a still evening.