the Pacific Dogwood is our provincial flower. Unfortunately quite a few years ago, the native trees were infected with a fungus/virus that killed a great many of them. We don't see them as much in the wild anymore. In the atrium of the school where I work, there is a pink dogwood that will be blooming in a couple of weeks. On the graduation certificates from High school, the dogwood is used as the watermark in the background.
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Beautiful. After last week's high temperatures, my wife's bleeding hearts popped seemingly overnight (they're her favorite) I have more bleeding heart bulbs to plant this weekend.
Finally, a bit of color around here. I know that it isn't late, just a mild winter sets expectations high. I wish these hyacinths were closer to the house so I could smell them when I'm on the back porch! As it is, I can't even see their peak of color until I deliberately go look since the new shed was placed in front of them. Wild violets. I know some people dislike these "invasive plants" (they are native though), but they were in the yard when I moved here and will still be there long after I'm gone. The good thing is that they bloom even before dandelions in my yard, so early nectar loving insects have something to feed on. And who knew? They are more nutritious than dandelions as a food source). Apparently wild violets are a major food source for Fritillary butterflies as well as providing food for juncos, doves and other birds.
I get some that have more distinct purple in them too. But the almost white ones with a hint of purple toward the center ones pictured are the most common in my yard. Don't think I've ever seen yellow ones.
Nice pics everybody! Tulips and daffodils are finished here. bogieb - why don’t you transplant or pot some in containers at the back porch?
Sounds like the ones we saw out here are only native to the PNW area. I found this link that you might like to see. Goldstream Park is on the other end of Vancouver Island from us. Wild Yellow Violets.
Because I really don't have a back porch just a ramp out the back door. I save the containers that go on the 3' of level railing for annuals. The ground below is not good for growing anything between the poor soil and the whomping it gets from the snow sliding off the roof.
Bleeding hearts are about at their biggest. And an azalea The app says it's - And some variegated Solomons Seal
I love bleeding hearts but for some reason mine didn't overwinter the year after planting, so I decided maybe they weren't for me at this place (my previous house I had several that got huge). I keep forgetting about the solomon's seal each spring, until they bloom. Things are really starting to get into the groove of spring sprouting, so should have some blooms (besides spring bulbs) in a few weeks.
If you have a place close to the foundation, they might survive up there. The Solomon seal is borderline invasive. They will take over a bed if you don't pull out those tuber-like roots. I like it for an edge plant.
Had a bunch of tiny flowers make a appearance this week. All photos directly from my phone with no touchups (besides cropping and sizing), except the one that is noted: flowering almonds. Forget-me-nots - this is the only pic that I enhanced a bit by darkening because the sun washed out the colors. And, to make a liar of me - I found this tiny plant in the shade garden (really, it's about 6-7" tall. Maybe it got too much shade previously. That area was opened up to a bit more sun when they cleared the swamp next door last fall. The bright pink creeping phlox always busts out before the others above it because it gets more sun The crabapple doesn't put on a real show each year, but this is one of those years. First pic is from my back porch, and the second is from the front yard.
