Yes, I am normally behind you (4a) but we had a mild winter and early spring here. My pulmonaria, primrose and brunnera are all in bloom now. My creeping phlox is even starting to bloom. I would say we are anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks ahead of normal. I don't mind one bit!

Today: more of the spring bulbs in the front.





In the back.

So cheerful, Charlie, and so neat!

Trying to get the garden in order before it gets higher, Jeanie.

Today:



Pulmonaria 'Silverado'.



Brunnera 'Alexander's Great' and Primula Polyanthus Hybrids.







Siberian Primula veris (cowslip).



Gentian Acaulis Group.



Trillium grandiflorum and T. erectum.

Lovely blue on the gentian.

I agree with Cinda, love that Gentian

Me too!

Find the late summer/fall gentians I've planted much more dependable than the spring ones (survival and spread).
Most of mine are "gentian blue" too.

Was at Merlin's Hollow (local big garden of David and Dierdre Tomlinson) on Saturday.
Cold! See picture below; David left, Dierdre right.
Should have taken winter jacket myself.



Was talking to David who's raised many different gentians from seed and has his gentians in the same bed.
He said Gentian Acaulis Group are difficult; no problem keeping them alive, but they don't have many blooms here.
Though different gentian do favour different soil pHs, he thinks the problem is the alkalinity of our soil.

Merlin's Hollow has something like 1500 different perennials.
The scree (gravel) beds (notably spring plants) are particularly attractive at this time of year.

Below (Saturday also).
The dark purple is spring pea (Lathrys vernus).

Looks like a lovely place to visit
I have read about the purple pea but have yet to come across anyone here growing it.
It was cold here too I lost some basil do to a late frost , but perennials just due fine with a light frost.

I've never heard of the spring pea. Very pretty. I'll have to check into it.

Your flowers are just lovely, as always, Charlie!

Glad at least the perennials are fine, Cinda.

Thanks, Arlene.
Things filling in and seeing less and less soil.
Now's when trying to keep track of what's what in the garden becomes the challenge.

So charming!

Wow, Charlie, you do have a lot going on in there. I'm drooling! I widened my beds last summer and this will be the first year of everything coming up in their new places, plus I've already added a bunch of new stuff this Spring. I can't wait for it to all fill in. My beds are only half the width of yours though. I have a very small back yard.

Thanks, Arlene, Connie.

Connie, we have a pretty small back garden ourselves; fortunate in my case, or I'd be spend even more time in it.

The business about wide/deep perennial beds:
I definitely garden for flower colour, which means sun (including after spring).
Seeing as most perennials bloom for maybe two or three weeks, you'd want the bed to contain enough of a diversity of plants to get bloom (here) from April to the end of October.
On the other hand, I have worked with gardens where deep beds just weren't possible.

In such cases, I've not hesitated to include annual fillers (if there didn't seem to be enough perennials).
The only caveat was not to use reseeding annuals, though that's just my personal preference.
(Found things like marigolds and cleome moved around the bed with reseeding and didn't stay in blocks).

My favourite annuals have been dahlias (small- and medium-sized) and geraniums (pelargoniums) for quite sunny spots.
Sunshine impatiens have done very well recently too.
Personally, I really like tuberous begonias in less sunlight.

A judicious choice of perennials can really help too.
For instance, I've always found Phlox paniculata 'Nora Leigh' a wonderful garden phlox (am very fond of garden phlox).
The flowers are nowhere near as spectacular as some of our other garden phlox, but it has variegated leaves, is very mildew resistant and looks great from late summer well into fall (at least here).

Things rolling along.
Today.

Still have trilliums and lungworts in flower.



and hellebores (Wedding Ruffles), but hostas ('Patriot') are leafing out.



Still primulas (a Primula auricula cultivar).



Now, intermediate irises ('Red Zinger' and a plicate fom the local horticultural society sale).



A Geum hybrid, Geum 'Flames of Passion').



Solomon's seal blooming (Polygonatum x hybridum and P. odoratum 'Variegatum').



A Silene x Lychnis hybrid (Silene x robotii 'Rollies Favorite'), a very useful little plant blooming at this time.



The first of our excellent long-lived Trollius in flower, (T. chinensis 'Golden Queen').

All so lovely, Charlie!

Looking good Charlie

Absolutely lovely!

Thanks, Arlene, Mike, Jeanie.

Find our garden gets a bit messy at the end of May/beginning of June;
leaves from spring bulbs are still around and the larger plants of summer are growing taller.

Today:

Last tulips.



Columbine (Winky Mix) and Japanese primula ('Miller's Crimson').



Iris graminea.



Closer.



My favourite old no name iris. Picked it up as a tuber on the surface, about 40 years ago, when they got rid of the iris bed in a public garden in Toronto.
Was told that the small iris behind is common in places like old New England graveyards. It's a very early (mid 19th century) French iris which turns out to be 'Sans Souci'.
It was taken by wife's American grandparents when they moved way up north to Timmins, Ontario, in the 1910s, for the opening of the gold mines.
We got our 'Sans Souci' from there, after they'd passed.
(Maple keys beginning to fall on the grass and driveway.)

What a treat to see tulips in bloom! Great photos and touching tale of your iris, Charlie.

Pirl . Charlie love the pretty faces.
We call the "Maple Keys " helicopter. What a nuisance