The First Bloom Day of 2011!

Spring in the Northeast is about 3 weeks behind this year. Last year on this date we had Rhododendron's, daffodils, violets, and forsythias flowering. Additionally, asparagus, garlic, and bleeding hearts were emerging from the soil and readying themselves for the season ahead.

This year, spring must be keeping in time with our late Easter. Right now only a few crocuses, snow drops, hyacinth, and a few other very early bloomers. My garlic is sprouting from beneath a protective blanket of leaves, but nothing to write home about yet.

There were a few lucky Storeyites who found blooming flowers. Take a look at the first blooms of 2011 in their yards. (All photos taken in Western Massachusetts, Eastern New York, and Southern Vermont between the dates of April 10th — 14th, 2011).

Maryellen Mahoney has Crocuses and Snow Drops:

Purple Crocuses

Yellow Crocuses

"Last weekend after shoveling off the last remaining 2 foot snow banking on top of my tulip bed, I took a moment to snap pictures of a sure sign of Spring... yellow and purple crocus shinning in all their glory within my front lawn."

 Snow Drops

"Thank goodness Mother Nature prevails!!!"   — Maryellen Mahoney


Kim Corey snapped these lovely early bloomers:

 Hyacinth Lilac Lavender

 

Scilla siberica “Spring Beauty’ (Siberian squill)

Daffodils

Unlike the crocuses in my yard, Debbie Surdam's are in full bloom:

Purple Crocuses

Gwen Steege found Hellebores in bloom:

Hellebores

Lisa Hiley has quite a variety of spring blossoms:

Blue flowers – These came up after the snowdrops and yellow aconite;
I’m not sure what they’re called and I don’t remember planting them!

 Crocus – Always a favorite sight and always a surprise to see where they come up next.

 Hyacinth

"I love these flowers for their scent and because they remind me of this poem:

If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul."

  Hyacinth

Wood poppy. 

"My mother-in-law gave me one of these years ago and I now have it in several spots around the yard and have given them to many friends. This one comes up early because it’s on the sunny side of the house; the daffodils will pop in another day or two."

 Pussywillow Catkins

Pussywillow

"A friend gave me a bunch of pussywillow branches for my birthday some years back and when I noticed a few of them had rooted in the vase, I stuck them in the ground just to see what would happen. Now I have to prune it back hard every year so it won’t shade my vegetable beds!"

Snowdrops

"These are pretty much gone by, but I transplanted them from a friend’s house last spring and totally forgot about them until they suddenly appeared a few weeks ago. What a treat to have them nestled in a few spots near my house."  — Lisa Hiley

You can see what else is blooming by visiting the May Dreams Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day post here. Tell us what you have blooming in your yard and part of the country, we'd love to know!

— Kristy Rustay, Marketing Manager