The first flowers of spring are always so welcome. Looking good, Charlie.

Thanks, Arlene.

Find I have to plant crocuses every fall.
Am sure the voles/meadow mice eat them; perhaps also the chipmunk.
Chionodoxa are poisonous and spread vigorously, but at least 'Giant Pink' doesn't spread by seeding.
End up adding crocuses and digging out chionodoxa every fall!

Have you tried planting the crocuses in hardware cloth? It has worked for others.

I have Chionodoxa and it has spread beautifully but can see how it might get to be too much of a good thing.

Haven't, Arlene, but very happy to try it this fall. Thanks.

Stopped using the blue ones (Chionodoxa forbesii (glory-of-the-snow) and C. luciliae ( Lucile's glory-of-the-snow)) because of their prolific spreading.
I found that the core of the clump looked OK, but it was always spotty where it continued to seed further out.
Suspect that those Chionodoxa could be as quick to get through a lawn as violets can.

I admit that it's attractive, but it doesn't suit my style of perennial gardening.
Like the idea of blocks of colour; "drifts", however, seem a bit untidy to me!
Still, of course, all gardeners should follow their own tastes.

Picture below: Niagara-on-the-Lake (April 15, 2009).
Sale sign: Think I'd be the seller, not the buyer.

Wow! That really spread!

Today:

Helleborus x ballardiae 'HGC Pink Frost'



Helleborus Winter Jewels 'Berry Swirl'



Crocuses





Chionodoxa 'Giant Pink'



The beginning of the primulas.

All so pretty but the white crocuses are terrific - so filled with joy!

Thank's, Arlene.
The white's 'Joan of Arc'.

I like the white, in part, because it stand out towards the back of a flower bed.

It does a great job of it.

Our hesitant spring appears to be back on track.

Today.

The smaller Dutch yellow crocuses (Crocus x luteus 'Golden Yellow') seem to have been less effected by the weather than the larger Dutch ones (Crocus vernus (purple and white)).
Think they have more flowers per bulb than the larger ones. It could be that the rabbit is also involved. The variegated tulip is Tulipa praestans 'Unicum'.



More primula beginning to bloom.





First lungwort blooming (in the sunniest location).
Bought from BrecksBulbs as Pulmonaria longifololia subsp. cevennensis, though don't believe it is (e.g. leaf shape).

The temperature's shifted above and below the yearly average several times this month.
Compared with last year, not sure if we should currently be expecting more action in the garden.
Do know that our (native) double bloodroot was blooming by this time last year; it's only in bud now.

Also there seems to have been a general reduction in the time over which the giant Dutch crocuses have bloomed.
Not sure how much of that is due to cold temperatures and how much to rabbits (have seen them).
In shadier locations, there's still a lot of bloom from the smaller Dutch yellow ('Golden Yellow') crocuses.

Today: (species tulips and the first daffodils)



Some of the hellebores have been looking good for several weeks.
Perhaps they're what's making the other spring perennials look so slow to bloom!
Still glad I started adding them.



The primulas, pulmonaria and brunnera generally are just beginning to flower.

Still the exception.



For some reason (guessing location) this arabis is the only other (non-hellebore) perennial currently in full flower.

Lovely flowers. I love the primula. So far, that's my best bet for shade plants. I have to work on my "shade" garden next year. My daughter (in MI) sent me a photo of one of her primulas. Blue. Just stunning!

Thanks, Arlene.

Other than the spring bulbs and the hellebores, I'd say our most useful spring perennials are the primulas, pulmonaria and brunnera.
Like you, I particularly love primulas. Your blue, yellow centre, primula (Polyanthus type) is beautiful.

Pictures today.

Polyanthus type primulas.



Brunnera 'Alexander's Great'.



Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' (double bloodroot).



Anemone robinsoniana.
The picture just doesn't give due credit to the lovely light lavender colour of the flowers.

Lovely blooms.
Charlie I can see the little Anemone in detail when I zoom in. A beauty for sure.

I love brunnera but so far have not had luck with it. I had one winter over and then croak. I will try again when I have more time to focus on my gardens here at home. I have a nice shade spot I think I may be able to get it to live.

I also love lamium, Pewter Pink and haven't had any luck with it. But same as brunnera, I'll try again.

Thanks, Mike.
Very delicate colour.

Great plant brunnera, Arlene; as said, other than spring bulbs and hellebores, I find brunnera, along with primulas and lungworts, to be the most useful spring-blooming perennials here.
Lamium's an excellent perennial. Actually do have some lamium already blooming in our garden (in a very protected and sunny location).
Will post a picture.

Today:
Other lungworts beginning to bloom:
Pulmonaria 'High Contrast' (centre).



Pulmonaria 'Dark Vader', with purple-flowered Corydalis solida to the left.



Helleborus 'Anna's Red'.



Spring bulbs: daffodils coming out.
Rabbit's been eating the tops of some tulip leaves.

Oh, that helibore looks to be pretty upright! Nice!

As said, taken to hellebores within the last five years, Arlene.
Some of them keep looking too good to be real flowers!

Today: beginning to get our spring garden.

Charlie, looking really nice there. I really like your Dark Vader pulmonaria. I very much agree with your list of great spring plants. I also like bleeding hearts and celandine poppies. Yay spring!

Thanks, Jeanie.

We do have celandine poppies in a more shaded location. Very attractive plant.
Some of the bleeding hearts are too large for our garden.
Had a small one, but just our luck, we found it quite an aggressive spreader (called 'Aurora'?).
Realize, however, many may not be.

Just tallying the Pulmonaria we have.
Agree with you about 'Dark Vader' (it's large and showy).
Not a bad name either!

As you'd likely know, you can easily spread pulmonaria around the garden, vegetally.
The bees really help too (seedlings); that is if you're nor particular about maintaining cultivar identification/characteristics.

Think I like our pulmonaria that end up with violety flowers best of all;
still all our pulmonaria seem to have been delayed by this year's interrupted spring.

Guessing, Jeanie, that your spring may normally come even after our one.