15 Aug
![Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) and clematis arbor in the side garden at Hayefield [Nancy J. Ondra]](https://hayefield.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/side-garden-arbors-2-ondra.jpg "Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) and clematis arbor in the side garden at Hayefield [Nancy J. Ondra]")
Despite chirpy assurances from area weather reporters that “everyone” in our region has repeatedly gotten soaking rains over the past month, a few of us, at least, have not shared in the bounty. Barely 1 inch of rain over the last 4 weeks, combined with an unusually dry June and July and long stretches of brutally hot weather, does not make for joyous gardening. To be honest, I was [this] close to simply skipping Bloom Day this month. Then this little guy changed my mind. Continue reading
15 Jul
![The Side Garden in early July [Nancy J. Ondra at Hayefield]](https://hayefield.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/side-garden-at-hayefield-ondra.jpg "The Side Garden in early July [Nancy J. Ondra at Hayefield]")
Hot and dry have been two repeating themes over the past month, but it’s midsummer now, so those factors aren’t all that unusual. Several other appearances have been unexpected, though.
15 Jun
![The Side Garden at Hayefield in June [Nancy J. Ondra]](https://hayefield.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/side-garden-at-hayefield-in-june-ondra.jpg "The Side Garden at Hayefield in June [Nancy J. Ondra]")
With so much going on in the garden this time of year, it would be easy enough to do a Bloom Day post every week without getting boring. I’ve limited myself to just the past 10 days for this once-a-month extravaganza, and there’s still a lot to show, so let’s get right to the good stuff, focusing first on what’s in flower.
15 May
Narrowleaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)
After a speedy start, spring in our part of Pennsylvania has slowed considerably, due to several weeks of cool, damp weather. It’s nice in a way, as the flowers that are opening are lasting a long time, and there’s lots of lush new foliage to admire too–so much, in fact, that I’ll try to keep the chat to a minimum and focus on the interesting stuff, beginning with the wild things. Continue reading
15 Apr
Bearsfoot hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) with Allegheny pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens) and glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa luciliae)
I was all prepared to bemoan the wild weather extremes we’ve had over the past month, and how the timing of the plants is so far off normal, until I looked back through my previous April Bloom Day posts: 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. They provided a much-needed reminder that the only thing predictable about our weather this time of year is its unpredictability. So, I’ll just accept that everything is as it’s meant to be, plant-wise, and enjoy what looks lovely now.
15 Mar
There’s a lot to smile about right now, that’s for sure. It’s not often that I have enough flowers in mid-March for a Bloom Day post. Our weather has been so freakishly warm–more like May or June than March–that new things are coming into bloom daily, and some of the earliest bulbs are almost finished now.
15 Oct
Ah, glorious, glorious fall. It’s easy to forget about all of the growing season’s dramas and disappointments–the multiple extended dry spells, the weeds, the ticks, and the yellow jackets–and spend hours wandering around with a camera in one hand and seed-collecting bags in the other. The colors are simply amazing.
Available on Amazon; on Barnes & Noble; on IndieBound
Container Theme Gardens: on Amazon; on Barnes & Noble; on IndieBound
Five-Plant Gardens: on Amazon; on Barnes & Noble; on IndieBound
Perennial Care Manual: on Amazon; on Barnes & Noble; on IndieBound
