Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - March 2013

Iris histrioides 'Katharine Hodgkin'

Welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for March 2013.

Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, I am once again caught up in that epic struggle between Winter and Spring.  The weatherman said this evening that we've had traces of snow on 16 of the last 19 days.

Winter may still be trying to hold on, but we know that Spring will eventually win.

The Iris are putting on a nice show right now.  I. histrioides 'Katharine Hodgkin' is blooming in the front garden.  I wondered for several weeks when it would bloom. I checked past bloom day recordd and it seems that this Iris started blooming in early February last year.  I'm not surprised because last year's winter and spring featured record high temperatures.

'Katharine Hodgkin' is joined by I. reticulata 'Lady Beatrix Stanley'.

Iris reticulata 'Lady Beatrix Stanley'

Crocuses have been blooming for several weeks now. I'm pleased to see, however, that not all the Crocuses that I planted in the lawn have come up yet.

Crocus

This is just one of over 1,000 that should bloom before Spring truly arrives. The plan is to have some of these blooming for Easter in two and a half weeks.

Amongst the Hellebores, the best show right now is from Helleborus niger 'Josef Lemper' also known as the Christmas Rose.

Helleborus niger 'Josef Lemper'

It's a bit late, of all things.

The Lenten Roses, Helleborus orientalis, are just starting to bloom, though they've had buds since last month.

Helleborus orientalis

Helleborus orientalis

It's past time to go cut back the old foliage on these hellebores. We had a warm day on Sunday, but I spent it pruning back roses.  The rest of the days have been cold and that seems to be the forecast for the next several days. Perhaps I'll just have to brave the cold and do it because it seems like it is never going to warm up.

I have one last bloom to show for this bloom day.

Chionodoxa sp.

I think this is a pink Glory-of-the-Snow, Chionodoxa sp.  It's a sweet little bloom, not to be missed.

What’s blooming in your garden today?  Are the blooms early? Is winter still lingering around?

We welcome everyone to join us for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day whether this is your first time or your 62nd time, whether you have a garden blog or some other kind of blog.

It’s easy to join in. Just post on your own blog about what's blooming in your garden right now, outdoors or indoors. You can include pictures, lists, common names, botanical names, whatever you’d like to do to showcase your blooms.

Then leave a comment and put your name and a link back to your bloom day post in the Mr. Linky widget below, so we know where to find your blog and can visit you virtually and read about your bloom day blooms.

“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence