Spring Flowers and Nature in Charlottesville Virginia

The first flower to bloom, Winter Aconite

It's going to be another early Spring in Charlottesville, Virginia. I recall such a Spring about 5 years ago. I didn't care for it much because EVERYTHING bloomed all at once! I prefer the gradual blooming that typically occurs. We may have one problem though, it looks like by the end of the week, temperatures may dip below 30 degrees! NOT GOOD for the thousands of Daffodils that are in bloom and budding in my yard on Forsythia Hill.

The first daffodil to bloom in my yard on Forsythia Hill

Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful to live in such a beautiful State and experience such a glorious Spring. It's year number 8 for us in Cville and several areas in the yard that we have "landscaped" are starting to form. The 2 new Forsythia shrub patches are coming along quite nicely. One has formed a clump as intended, the other has another 3 years to form the long serpentine hedge as planned. We now have 4 forsythia patches in our yard plus an additional outcropping along the property line that belongs to a neighbor (that I begged to not bulldoze - so far so good). Our neighbor across the street bulldozed their huge patch (I guess they didn't like yellow). "sigh".

Fat Bluebird ready to find a mate.

We had one big patch to the right of our house and we installed the serpentine patch to the left of the house and it now looks quite balanced. It's becoming a riot of color in the Spring with my neighbors strip of mammoth white Bradford Pear trees and my blinding yellow Forsythia and splashes of thousands of Daffodils. I wonder what my neighbors must say as they drive by -- "Wilbur, hand me my sunglasses - PLEASE" or just "Please make it stop"! I do love the shock value of such plantings.

Little miniature white and yellow Daffodils

Up next will be the Tulips and Iris along with creeping Phlox and other ground covers. I did notice the blue Vinca Vine is blooming. A plant that I tolerate but don't care much for except in the Spring when it blooms. The Naked Lady foliage is looking like water fountain sprays at the moment, a freeze could do them in. Luckily the blooms spring up much later in the season after the leaves have died back.

Once again, Historic Garden Week in Virginia occurs during my Birthday week. I can't wait to snag a catalog and start planning a trip somewhere in the State!

I'm fearless when it comes to transplanting!

HAPPY SPRING 2017.

~ Rebecca