The Earliest Blooms

May 25, 2025

Home Again - Hello Roses

'Crown Princess Margarita' I'm back home after a three week garden tour of the Cornwall region of England. It was phenomenal and I'll be sharing photos from the trip later. I got back home to an explosion of growth and bloom in our garden. I was grateful that we received some rain and so was Michael, who didn't have to do a great deal of watering. This is my favorite time of year when the garden bursts into bloom and everything is fresh and unblemished. The roses are especially a treat right now. 'Cornelia' 'Lady Emma Hamitlon' 'Lamarque' 'Marchesa Boccella' 'Mutabilis' 'Playboy' 'Purple Pavement' 'Radway Sunrise' 'Darcey Bussell' 'Golden Celebration' 'The Impressionist' 'Lady of Shallot' 'Buff Beauty' 'Julia Child' & 'The Impressionist' 'Sunny Eleganza' 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt T...

Acer palmatum 'Murasaki kiyohime' and Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus)

I love this time of year when the garden looks fresh and unblemished. The plants are tidy (if you've cleaned up, of course) and they stand out individually, unencumbered by their soon encroaching neighbors. Today was another round of cold rain, typical lately on my off-days, but it was beautiful yesterday (Easter Sunday) and we worked in the garden all day.

I've been bringing home loads of bark chips to mulch the beds, so far just one load per week because of the weather. Yesterday we edged the grass walkway as well as the Pan garden in back. I'm hoping to get a major project completed - edging the grass area of the Pan garden with bricks - before our open garden. If the weather continues to be uncooperative, that chore may get delayed.

The grass pathway in front looks so good!

Some blooms from yesterday -

Geum 'Mango Lassi'

Windflower (Anenome blanda)

Anise (Illicium foridanum 'Woodland Red')

Daphne 'Carol Mackie'

Daphne cneorum (Rock Daphne)

Daphne tangutica

Euphorbia x martinii 'Ascot Rainbow' - For years, I've threatened to take this plant out because it looks awful most of the time. However, the first flush of growth is spectacular.