Home of the Practically Perfect Pink Phlox and other native plants for pollinators

Sunday, March 15, 2009

What's Really Been Blooming~~March 2009

Clay and limestone is awash in spring...I mean that! It has rained hard and steadily for days. (If you look closely the animals are marching two by two!) The good news...all the recently planted and transplanted shrubs and trees are settling in beautifully.

Which bring me to the subject at hand~~What has been blooming at Clay and Limestone? With the computer down and the camera in the shop....It never rains but pours (see above, please)... there are very few photos to show you!  To be honest, the crocus have been posted earlier. But, they are still in bloom and proud gardener that I am,  here they are super enlarged...let's hope they aren't cut off too much by blogger! (ed. note~they were, but I have fixed the really important one...please enlarge the small photos by clicking on them)

Crocus

You can always count on crocus and they have been happy here this spring~~


The sweet lilacs seem especially delicate

The whites have multiplied  and this is a trend they can continue!



Aren't they lovely, they  may be my favorite crocus.



But,  please don't tell this pretty purple one!  I really like them all!

One of the biggest and I do mean biggest and brightest spots of spring color at C&L is the wall of forsythia...

 that stretches across the entire  front of our  yard



giving us much needed privacy all year long.  It's a big monster of a hedge the rest of the year, but who couldn't love the gold every spring!  (photos taken this morning)

Camellia ~~White By The Gate is showing what a really good sport she can be



dressed in pink instead of white.  Even drenched by our heavy rains,  she still looks good.  I love the deep green of her leaves.   She's perfect in the garden.

In fact, here she is~


Planted in the patio garden~~by the gate.

But the biggest blooming surprises of  March  have been  all the changes in the Patio Garden



The fuzzy photo was taken with my broken camera...it only takes fuzzy photos now!  fuzzy  or not,  it does show you my favorite feature.  A collection of birdhouses and a feeder (already occupied) that sat on the porch stairs  all winter are now elevated  and eye capturing!  I love them!

But,  I am really excited by this~~Are you ready?



The Patio Garden

A new home for native plants... Already settled in are Oakleaf hydrangea, Itea virginica, Hammamelis vernalis and the non native lawn!  I promise more photos next week!  

Thank you all for stopping by~~there was more to share then I thought! Bloom Day is brought to you on the fifteen of each  and every month by Carol, May Dreams Gardens...So pop over there to meet  bloggers from all over the globe and get a peak into their gardens. It's so much fun!

I hope your Bloom Day is blooming happiness for you!

Gail

Thanks Mr I Don't Garden or Blog for letting me monopolize use your computer.  You are a darling and I love you more than words can say!

74 comments:

  1. Hello Gail,
    I love wall of forsythia and cammelia!
    I also have a feeling, that your font seems to be growing....

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  2. Gail, I love the wall of forsythia. Just looking at it says spring with a capitol S! Also, how beautiful is your new patio garden. The birdhouse and plantings make it seem such a comfortable place,

    At least with the rain, you are incresing your ground water. Mabe an ennd to the drought!

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  3. It all looks so nice, love your new garden and the bird houses look so neat. Thank you Mr. I Don't Garden or Blog, we wouldn't have wanted to miss this!

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  4. You should get some kind of award for efforts "above and beyond" to post for bloom day. You worked around a broken computer and a broken camera to post! And we are happy you did, so we could see the wall of gold and the changes in your garden. I love those birdhouses, too!

    Thanks for joining in for bloom day!
    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  5. Gail, we are having too much pouring here in Malaysia, too. I like rain but too much make me feel helpless. I love your super big flower pictures. Beautiful.

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  6. It looks beautiful with lots of interesting textures. It's full of life and is nicely arranged. I love the birdhouses.

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  7. Sorry you are having tech. difficulties, at least your garden does not need any water. Mine needs none as well, it has been raining for days and today looks just as wet. I love you forsythia hedge. I think this is my favorite way to see it planted.

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  8. Good morning Gail, Wow - broken camera AND computer! Hope you're able to get the technical difficulties fixed soon.

    I love the wall of forsythia. They are so pretty in the spring. How nice that yours give so much privacy.

    Love the crocuses! One of these falls I'll get around to some bulbs around here besides the daffodils that were here before me! (I say that every year :O)

    White by the gate is blushing! I love the new patio garden - the bird houses are right at home there with the with the new shrubs.

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  9. I am now wondering where I could put a wall of forsythia. It would be worth giving up the space to have such a yellow wall.

    I can't wait to see your patio garden and all that is new. Those rocks piled in the background look intresting. It looks like your new lawn is liking all the rain too. It looks like such a rich green color.

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  10. Gail ! You are having a few hiccups with the tech side, darn ! I hope things settle down for you soon girl : )
    Love those side view shots and what a wall of yellow to see ! You have to love that : ) .. the bird houses/feeders are wonderful .. we have to rethink our arrangements here too .. as soon as the major projects are done and we settle down too ? LOL

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  11. My dears hello...I am sharing a computer and won't be able to answer comments until later...and I see that blogger has messed with the photos...sigh! Must fix that!

    Gail

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  12. Gail,
    Your new patio area is fabulous! I do love the carpet of green grass. What a wonderful summer room!

    All of your blooms are beautiful, too!

    I do hope your camera and computer get well soon. Both hospitalized at once. Poor things.

    Cheers,
    Cameron

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  13. Oh Gail, it all looks so wonderful! Great job in building suspense for the big reveal too! I love it, even the grass. :-) The birdhouse posts are just so whimsical and add much verticality at the same time. And our thanks to Mr. I for allowing this bloom day to not pass by unposted!
    Frances

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  14. So many beautiful blooms, Gail! While you may wish the rain had waited until after Bloom Day, it's perfect for all those new plantings. Your new garden is really taking shape and looks fantastic already. I love all the birdhouses!

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  15. Gail, your new patio garden is just gorgeous. I love the stonework. It couldn't be more beautiful. Congratulations!

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  16. Wow, a wonderful wall of forsythia! Love the crocus shots too - all of it really! Helne

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  17. Beautiful wall of Forsythia Gail! It really is a harbinger of spring isn't it. The patio garden looks fabulous & all this rain is really doing it some good I bet. Your new Camelia seems a happy camper even with her face wet. ;)

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  18. Looking great Gail! I love that new patio garden, can't wait to see more pics! And the forsythia-yes-wonderful!

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  19. I love your collection of birdhouses And the spindle like poles are awesome too(-: Your new patio garden is looking wonderful as well!!!
    I hope your computer gets fixed soon. I hate when things break)-:

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  20. The cutoff photos of the Crocuses are actually rather interesting. Your Crocuses are all so cute. I'm so glad that you keep your Forsythia in a natural shape. It is lovely with arching sprays of gold. I love the birdhouse collection & the way you have arranged them. The new garden is going to be such an exciting project.

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  21. I'm sorry your camera isn't working, Gail. Is it digital? Did you drop it or bang it? They just aren't as durable as the old fashioned non-digital ones, that's for sure. I hope you can get it fixed, or get a new one. Meanwhile, however, the flowers are awesome. I'm a ways from crocus yet....

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  22. Beautiful Blooms Gail! That patio garden really looks nice. You will really enjoy that this summer!

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  23. Your forsythia is spectacular. I have some much too large next to the house I keep trimming into a hedge. It grows so fast, keeping it out of the walkway is a pain in the you know. :) I want to move it to the fencerow to join the others. The yellow looks really wonderful in contrast to the gray woods and there is plenty of room for it to spread naturally.
    Donna

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  24. Donna, Move it...It will be happy and so will you! it want to spread and grow naturally! gail

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  25. dave, The rain is keeping the plants moist...but are they going to be heavy to move...and messy. Looking forward to seeing you and showing you the Patio Garden in person! I am already planning to lie on the grass and stare at the sky!
    gail

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  26. Beautiful crocuses ... I can't decide which I like best. Ours are over now, so it's nice to see them again. And I've never seen such a huge forsythia! Lovely to see that, too, and the camellia, both of which wouldn't do well here. The joys of Garden Bloggers' Bloom day!

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  27. Those birdhouses are wonderful, Gail. I'm very envious. The patio garden is really beginning to take shape, too. It looks to me as if you might have room for a pond, or even just a pebble or millstone fountain...?. Or is that too much temptation for the Inner Gardener?

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  28. Gorgeosity, as always. I love that patio garden. It is a very elegant design.

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  29. Dear Gail - a fantastic blloms day post. And if you hadn't admitted your techie problems, I wouldn't have known!

    I love your birdhouses and the new patio area. Has the lack of camera and computer meant that you've had more time this week to get going with all your exciting projects in spite of the rain?

    And it does sound like the rain's been welcome too - to help everything settle down.

    A question - you're growing a Camellia - IN LIMY SOIL?!? I find that impossible over here and I find growing them in pots doesn't do them justice. I'd so love to have one - in Cornwall and Devon over here where the soil's right for them they grow into very large trees!

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  30. Looks like Clay and Limestone is set at full spring ahead. So glad you're enjoying your new gardens. You'll have them filled up in no time. Now, you need a new camera, my friend. How will you take all those memorable photos this summer?~~Dee

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  31. Great things going on in your yard Gail. Just love that pink camellia. A real beauty. Thanks for stopping by to visit my Bloom Day post.
    Ann

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  32. Hi Gail, the crocus pics are gorgeous! Love the wall of forsythia and the camellia. Would love to see your patio garden next week, as you say. Happy GBBD!

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  33. Oh Happy Day, Gail ~ I can see why you're in love your new patio garden! Rain is good but broken camera AND computer ... NOT! Get well wishes for both.

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  34. VP, It remains to be seen whether White will survive! I've planted her last week so she is a baby in the garden! But others assure me I can keep the soil acidic. So far she's mulched with pinestraw... While all the equipment is in the shop...I've been able to catch up with my favorite bloggers;)

    Gail

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  35. Gail - I love your birdhouses!
    And Camellia 'white by the gate' is utterly charming.
    Looking forward to more pictures of the patio garden - so exciting.
    K

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  36. I so admire your dedication Gail. I might, let's make that WOULD, have opted out if so many pieces of technology were out of sorts. You should get an award! Your new garden looks very peaceful and relaxing with the expanse of grass and who doesn't love a crocus. I need to add more colors next year. Somehow I only have purple? How did that happen?? I sure hope "white by the gate" can make it in your soil. It's perfectly positioned. If it does endure, I may have to try one here.... Happy Bloom day to one committed gardener!

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  37. Love your March blooms and colourful birdhouses Gail. I hope that the rain eases up soon but at least it will give your new plantings a great start !

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  38. OMG Gail. I just adore your patio garden. How lovely is that? Not that I don't like the flowers too. I especially appreciate the camillea who is blooming in pink just so I wouldn't have to see more white. What a sweet flower.

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  39. You are so lucky to have such lovely early spring blooms. I have nothing! It's my own fault, I was lazy in fall and didn't plant any bulbs. But this fall will be different. Snowdrops and crocus are first on my list, and I may try a few tulips. I don't generally grow them because I'm afaid the deer will eat them up. But hopefully my daffodils will arrive soon, and then at least I'll have something!

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  40. Gail the crocus cheers up even the grey days in Spring!I can feel the excitement in your post! YES! Spring has sprung in your garden...I adore the forsythias..Happy Spring time!NG

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  41. Gail, I am so excited for you. Your new patio garden is just delightful! I especially am jealous of your Camellia as I am just outside the growth zone for them (boo hoo).

    Melanie

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  42. Victoria...The Inner Gardener is trying to find just the right water feature! Inner is a visionary and as such she has demandingly high standards (she is picky).

    gail

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  43. You've a good eye, you're not "picky". You know that it's worth waiting for the right water feature. You really went above and beyond to work around the technical difficulties.

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  44. Gail, Isn't it beautiful over there?? :-) We're all thanking "Mr. I Don't Garden or Blog" for letting you use his computer!! lol.

    What a cute, colorful row of birdhouses! I really love the new stretch of grassy lawn surrounded by your gardens. You're already having a wonderful Spring!! Thanks for sharing! :-)

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  45. Thanks for sharing against all odds! Beautiful. The new patio garden sounds delightful, and I love the bird houses.

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  46. The Forsythia-covered wall is absolutely gorgeous! I am looking forward to seeing your patio garden when it is filled with green. What fun you'll have. Your collection of birdhouses is lovely ~ as is the Camellia!! Have a wonderful week, Gail!

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  47. Gail, you are quite the tease with that new patio garden and I love, love, love the birdhouses and feeder filled with fat squirrel. What fun you will have watching these! Can't wait to see more!

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  48. Lovely camellia and forsythia, Gail. They remind me of past southeastern springs. And your new patio garden looks great. Can't wait to watch as it evolves.

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  49. Gail,

    You have so many bright spots in your garden it must be sheer joy to walk around and enjoy them all. Your patio garden looks so inviting, I can't wait to see what you do next.

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  50. I want a "wall of forsythia" and I want it NOW! Beautiful. Your patio garden is looking good and those bird houses are just too, too cute!

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  51. The camellia is just stunning. And the purple crocus shouldn't feel bad, it was my favorite.

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  52. Gail,
    Jamie is going to have a fit when he's sees your collection of birdhouses. He's wanted one ever since he's seen my sisters. LOL--Randy

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  53. Hi again Gail, oh my… what a sight your forsythia is! I have never seen or thought of using it as a hedge. What great idea :-D

    Oh… but I do like your new Patio garden and the row of bird houses is a wonderful feature! I hope they get used too :-D

    Here’s hoping your camera and PC will be operational again very soon. It is a pest isn’t it? For the moment, I could share with you a few thousand snowdrops taken with my camera if you’d like to see them :-D

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  54. The new garden looks great and the wall of forsythia is stunning. I hope you get your camera back soon.

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  55. LOVE your Patio garden, and your birdhouses are just delightful! Garden Architecture !!

    >^,,^<

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  56. A wall of Forsythia...sounds like poetry and must be a heavenly sight!
    Katarina

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  57. Gail, everything looks fantastic. I love the new patio garden.

    What a traffic stopper that forsythia must be.
    Marnie

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  58. Gail, I could just eat that purple crocus the colour is so yummy. I'd never seen camelias until I was in Vancouver - so sorry we can't grow them here - the one you photo'd is a beauty. And, only a gal could get through so many technical difficulties and manage to post in such fine fashion! Well done!

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  59. Gail - You managed quite nicely even without a computer or a camera. I'm impressed! LOVE that Forsythia -- send me some, would you? You certainly have enough to spare - it's stunning. And I can't get over the photo of the patio garden - I can't wait to see more. That curve and the hill and the rock wall are so flowing and beautiful. You must be so excited.

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  60. Hi Gail......I love the patio garden....and native planting, absolutely perfect.

    I am happy looking at crocus anytime......they are one thing that have never done well here, they always get eaten. So sad because I absolutely love them.....

    The white camelia is looking lovely in her pink dress....I am glad that you are pleased with her...

    Hope that you have your computer back soon.......

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  61. Send some of that rain to us, the last rain we had was in mid December. I like your bird houses.

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  62. Everything looks really lovely Gail. I love your patio garden. You must be thrilled.

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  63. Privacy, whimsey, old loves like forsythia and natives like Oak Leaf hydrangea - you've got a blooming bonanza there, Gail!

    I can't remember if you're strictly a tea kind of gal, but a lot of my coffee grounds go around the base of my two camellias - whether or not they thrive, they stay awake!

    Happy GBBD,

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  64. Crocuses and camellias, what more do one need in one's garden ;-). Very pretty pictures!

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  65. Count me among the forsythia lovers. I just never understand the people who find it brash or garish. Cheerful! Sunshiny! Spring!

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  66. What a fantastic wall of forsythia! It must look like liquid gold walking past!

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  67. Hi Gail,
    Things are looking great around your place! Love the new patio garden and the birdhouses ... I bet it gets a bit raucous around those at times once they're occupied!

    Your forsythia is gorgeous, and I agree with MMD that the natural look really shows them off. I'm not real fond of those people who prune the dickens out of their forsythia so that it looks like a manicured artificial shape sticking up in the yard. Wish we had the room for a nice hedge of it, but no such luck!

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  68. So inspiring! You are going to be having a major birdy party there soon. Love your idea to set aside a special area for native plants!

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  69. Love all your spring blooms, esp. the crocuses. I always find them so friendly. My favs are the purple and white striped ones. About your native plants, I love them all! Oakleaf hydrangea and Hammamelis vernalis are native here in SE Michigan, too. Itea virginica is not (though it is in OH, one state south!) but it grows well here and I love it and have it!

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  70. The new garden area is looking lovely, Gail! The sod looks great, and the birdhouses add a certain lightheartedness! How nice to have such pretty things blooming...happy spring!

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  71. I love the greenhouses and your photography is wonderful. Stop by my garden in the great state of Ohio sometime soon!
    http://momingarden.blogspot.com/

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  72. That green grass looks so fresh, Gail, and I love the curved retaining wall and the whimsical birdhouses.
    I'm glad the rain has helped your new plantings settle in.
    Your crocus blooms are bright and springy, the forsythia looks wonderful and that pink camelia is luscious!
    Happy spring, Gail!

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  73. Gail, I LOVE all your wonderful spring blooms! The crocus, forsythia, and especially that camellia--just gorgeous!!!

    Hope you are doing well. I haven'
    t been by in a long time, but I love it every time I visit.

    Marie

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  74. WOW! To that forsythia! Your patio garden is just beautiful in its design. What a wonderful place you have.

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