Welcome to Mary and Gary's Garden Diary for April

greenhouse peppers garden bushel of compost yellow crocus bee hive construction white hyacinth small red tulips purple hyacinth red tulip rhodedendron peony tree leafing out sweet cherry blooms red banana bonfire euphorbia weeping larch crab apple mixed color tulips
there's no sun like the real sun in the greenhouse


April 1st, 2011 and we bravely moved half our seedling plants out to the greenhouse and just as Mary wrote, she's getting all of the outdoor pots ready by amending each with compost.  It's only the 1st but the only color is still the blue Scylla, the Yellow Crocus and our neighbors new deck.

new deck and pathway construction


The weekend warmed up and Mary & Erin spent a solid day putting together a BEEHIVE. It's now the 5th and the Hyacinths and Daffodils have joined the Spring party as well. Tulips are next.

daffodils


Things are changing daily but that's just April. The Snow Fountain Cherry exploded over night and these little Tulips opened for an 85 degree Saturday. Each day now, the color and variety of the blooms will be getting better and better. Below-middle is our brand new Weeping Norway Spruce.

weeping norway spruce



Cold night with snow on the 15th and two new tulips the next morning. The PJM is blooming up a storm along with this close up of these Grape Hyacinths. The Nectarine was also just starting to bloom, hopefully the frost last night didn't hurt the fruit.

nectarine bloom


This year the blooms are well behind last years because of persistent cold weather. I have no doubts that we will have an explosion of color soon. To the sides, a Peony Tree and 3rd year Circus Peony are just waking up. Below the Sweet Cherry, a Sensation Lilac and Sand Cherry on the 22nd.

2nd year Sensation Lilac


I couldn't pass up this Red Banana from Wilkes Nursery. The Marigolds in the greenhouse are booming up a storm. Below is a Bonfire Euphorbia, our babies we bought at the Spring Affair and an emerging Asiatic Lily.

plants bought at spring affair


Despite a cold, wet and dreary Spring everything is waking up. The blooms are lagging but the textures are not. Here is a soft green Larch and a prickly Hen's Chicks.  Below the Crab and Pear's are blooming some with an Emerald and Gold Euonymus between. Only four days left, come on warm weather.

emerald and gold euonymus


My last two pictures prove that Tulips dominated this years April. It's still cold and persistently wet but barring any major cases of root rot, our May pictures should be unbelievable. We will be planting more than 25 new plants this year that we have never had before giving us many future fabulous photos.

greenhouse tomatoes rejuvenated pot with compost scilla new behive, another job well done pink hyacinth snow fountain cherry circus and red tulips orange tulip grape hyacinth 3rd year circus peony sand cherry blooming marigolds blooming in the greenhouse emerging asiatic lily hens and chicks pear tree blooms red tulips
Last updated 04/28/2011 .. G.Jeurink