I knew we were having a mixed up spring, but this is ridiculous!

[sraun]

OK, so the daffodils came up while the lilac flowers were ending for the season. But azaleas and alliums?

Yesterday I noticed that one of our azaleas had started to bloom - when I got home from work this afternoon I went out and took some pictures.



And then I went out and took pictures of Alliums:

Comments

oh, lovely

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

And don't feel alone. We're having 90 degree temperatures. In Western Washington. In May. First Memorial Day weekend since *I've* lived here (12 years) that it probably won't rain. Weird.

I love alliums. Need to get some this fall.

Right now I have bearded iris, a red rhododendron, the tail end of my bleeding hearts, and half a dozen other goodies. Now if I could just figure out what ate the marigolds and larkspur I planted before I went to Yellowstone down to the ground...

Megaera

Pretties!

[sunlizzard.livejournal.com]

Ooooo, I want some of both of those! I've finally begun my plan to replace a scraggly piece of yard, roughly 20'x25' and just off the front porch, with a walking garden. I am on the lookout for neat plants, stuff I haven't tried before, and intend to mix annuals with perennials.

I am truly surprised that you can grow azaleas up there, in those temp extremes! Would they survive our dry heat, d'you suppose?

~ Sunlizzard (in New Mexico, at 3600' altitude)

Re: Pretties!

[sraun]

The University of Minnesota developed the Lights series of Azaleas specifically to grow in Minnesota. They're hardy in zones 3-7.

The Lights series are pretty - and come in a bunch of colors. Purple, pink, yellow, rosy, white & salmon. I got Irene four or five of them last year - purple, pink, white, yellow. They were supposed to bloom about 4-6 weeks ago. One of them didn't survive the winter - we think it was the white one. First winter, on sale at the greenhouse half off because they'd been sitting out in pots for 6 weeks - I'm not unhappy with that survival rate.

Allium are related to onions. They are pretty!

We've also got liatris, salvia, celosia and ageratum - I like stuff that looks interesting without the flowers! We've also got lots of day lilies and hosta.