Hi GPODers!
The queen of spring is back! At the end of March we were treated to the earliest blooms in Carla Zambelli Mudry in Malvern, Pennsylvania—if you missed those posts, check them out here: Early Spring Flowers in Carla’s Garden, Part 1 and Part 2. At the time, her landscape was just starting to come alive with a mix of hellebores, snowdrops, and daffodils. A little over a month later and her garden has absolutely exploded into color. Of course, some daffodils and other spring bulbs are still in the mix, but they’ve been joined by a range of other stellar spring performers. As always, Carla sends in so many amazing photos (and a few great videos this time, too!) that I couldn’t narrow them down to just one day. Today we will be enjoying some of the best spring blooms Carla’s garden has to offer and tomorrow we’ll be highlighting the interesting foliage that emerges as weather warms up.
Greetings from mid spring in my garden! This is the time of year where it feels like something new is happening every hour of the day. It’s a busy time of planting and early weeding (which I hate), and feeding plants like my roses. The bird song is a joy every day. My favorite birds, which are the blue birds and Carolina wrens, are back and nesting and I am waiting for the ever-sociable cat birds to make their appearance. Happy gardening!
We start off with what looks to be the heavenly-scented, semi-snowball bloom cluster of a Judd viburnum (Viburnum × juddii, Zones 4–8). After their fragrant spring show, berry-like fruit form in summer that ripen to red and eventually black.
Much lower to the ground, we have the always-delightful trumpet flowers of Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica, Zones 3–7). A tiny bloom that provides a spectacular range of color, bright pink buds shift to purple and blue as the flowers unfurl.
In Carla’s woodland garden, shade plants need to pack as much punch as the selections in her sunnier spots. Pink Champagne epimedium (Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’, Zones 5–8) is an easy choice for fantastical flowers and foliage that provide color in multiple seasons—or year-round if you winters are mild.
Species tulips often come in a smaller package than their modern relatives, but pick the right variety like Carla has and they provide just as much color and interest. ‘Little Beauty’ (Tulipa ‘Little Beauty’, Zones 3–8) dazzles with bright pink petals and bold blue centers.
Carla’s garden is alive with color from all angles! Low-growing bulbs and perennials draw your eyes down, but don’t forget to look up at her marvelous mix of spring-flowering trees and shrubs. This Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis, Zones 4–8) is giving some birds a marvelous show of color right outside their door.
While early spring has passed and a greater array of blooms have emerged, Carla’s collection of daffodils are still putting on a delightful show. Ambon daffodils (Narcissus ‘Ambon’, Zones 3–7) are the blooms that just keep giving, with layer upon layer of yellow and white ruffled petals.
On the other hand, Avalon daffodils (N. ‘Avalon’, Zones 3–7) have that classic, trumpet-daffodil shape, but with a coloration that is really fascinating. The bright white corona appears to be bleeding out onto the light yellow crown of petals that surround.
Finally, these cheerful ‘Minnow’ daffodils (N. ‘Minnow’, Zones 5–9) are small—maxing out at 6 to 8 inches tall—but put on a big show. ‘Minnow’ is a tazetta type, producing bunches of 3 to 5 fragrant blooms on one stem.
Lastly, Carla shared some incredible videos of these mid-spring blooms. Here she shows off one corner of her garden with distracting daffodils, a matching pair of prize azaleas, and a show-stopping magnolia.
Remember that we will be back in Carla’s garden tomorrow to enjoy the amazing foliage that she has captured during this first half of spring. Keep an eye on your inbox for more spring color in Pennsylvania.
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