Tangled Branches: Cultivated

happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Last Day of April Pictures

April is one of the best months for the northern Virginia woodland garden. We began with daffodils and the little blue bulbs I love so much, and now we finish with azaleas and dogwood and more.
Azalea 'Herbert' blooms along the back of the lot.

The Spanish Bluebells have been outstanding this year.

Pink tulip-of-the-woods.
Unlike the red one, I remember planting these at one time.
I don't remember planting it in the woods, however.

This old dogwood was here
at the edge of the woods
when we bought the house.

The coral honeysuckle is finally climbing
through the viburnum as I always thought it should.

Not all our azaleas are elegant.
This screaming coral-pink-red one is in front of the house
right where the builder put it.
Most of the houses here have similar ones.
It's been with us so long now I can't think of getting rid of it.

Labels: azaleas, bluebells, dogwood, honeysuckle, tulips

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Zillions of Virginia Bluebells

Yesterday afternoon the clouds lifted and I jumped in the car to go look at the Virginia Bluebells at Bull Run Park near Centreville. I fear I won't be able to adequately describe the scene, but I'll try.

As you slog along the muddy trail towards the river, the forest floor looks as if a sudden snow flurry just started to stick. The tiny white and pink Spring Beauties (Claytonia sp.) cover the ground on both sides of the trail. As you approach the Cub Run river, you see a haze of blue. For the full effect, click through the photos to Picasaweb and then click the magnifying glass at the top right of the photo for a larger view.

From the time you reach the river until the time you leave it, there are huge drifts of Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) all around you.

They crowd in at the sides of the trail and the dense stands continue far into the woods.

The flowers are lovely individually, but the sheer numbers of plants make an impression. There are thousands upon thousands of flowers here. I took 101 pictures, edited that down to 30 for posting on Picasaweb, and to 5 for showing here.

The stars of the show are the Bluebells, but in addition to them and the Spring Beauties, there are a few other wildflowers to be found. I didn't have to hunt to find Toothwort, Purple Violets, Yellow Violets, and a personal favorite - Trout Lilies aka Dogtooth Violet (Erythronium americanum, I assume).

Midweek, midafternoon, I had the place practically to myself, although there were three intrepid women pushing two toddlers in strollers. Considering the mud, this was a real accomplishment. Depending on weather, the Bluebells should be in good form for another week. I last visited the park exactly two years ago and posted a very similar review. I think my photos from that trip show that the flowers were blooming a bit ahead of this year's. If you go, just be prepared for a very muddy trail.