We had beautiful weather this weekend, with bright sun and temps in the 80s and a pollen count beyond the red level. I spent the day outside sneezing, weeding, coughing, cleaning up, sniffling, and taking photos.
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Creeping phlox
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My creeping phlox (Phlox subulata), also known as thrift or Mountain Phlox, is in full bloom right now. This is an evergreen perennial and it is very resilient and easy to grow. I have it planted in various spots on a steep slope and it grows well, even in rocky, poor soil. It spreads slowly and makes a good groundcover or edging. I also have large clumps of purple and white thrift growing over the top of a rock wall. Click any of the photos to view larger versions.
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Azaleas
I have several colors of azaleas in full bloom right now, with other, later-blooming varieties still to come. I have two large azaleas that are evergreen and these will bloom closer to the end of spring. Azaleas are maintenance free and easy to grow, as long as they are in acid soil.
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Miscellaneous blooms
Large old cherry tree in full bloom
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I have shrubs and flowers starting to bloom all over the yard, in addition to all the many wildflowers and native trees in bloom right now. Even with the extremely high pollen count, I love this time of year!
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Snowball bush filled with immature blossoms
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The huge snowball (Snowball Viburnum) bush is absolutely filled with buds right now. I look forward to this every year. This old shrub is many years old and is the biggest snowball bush I’ve ever seen at more than 15 feet tall and around half that wide. I always prune it a little right after it finishes blooming. When these blossoms mature they will be much larger and turn bright white. The blossoms on this shrub are always huge and I don’t see how the bush is able to hold them all up! I can already see some of the petals turning white, so it won’t be long now.
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Other blooms
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Click any photo to view a larger version.
It seems every day now there’s something new in bloom, and there’s always a reason to carry the camera around outside. Isn’t this a great time of year? What’s blooming in your yard right now?
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