Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up: Spring Has Arrived & April Blooms!

Welcome!

Welcome to my April Long Island zone 7b garden! It has been another rollercoaster ride of a month with lots of wind and temperatures fluctuating from in the 50's one day (that feel like in the 40's) and rising up into the 60's other days, and now temperatures have risen over the past two days to an almost record breaking upper 70's! The garden has been a couple of weeks behind, but there have been frequent gentle rain events to help the flowers grow, and the blooms are now catching up. Join me for a tour! 

Hellebore 'Champion'

Buried beneath a blanket of snow throughout the month of March, Hellebore 'Champion' is a delight for the eyes. I was happy to see that it was unharmed and the foliage even looks a bit better than after other winters. The blooms were certainly worth the wait!

Hellebore 'Merlin'

Joining 'Champion', Hellebore' Merlin' is blooming and joining the display...

Hellebore 'Dark & Handsome

and well, hello there to 'Dark & Handsome too!

Allium ' Millenium' & Golden Yew

In the back garden, Allium 'Millenium' has appeared almost overnight, next to Golden Japanese Yew. 

Pieris 'Cavatine'

As we get some warmer days, the petite bell-shaped white blooms of Pieris 'Cavatine' (Dwarf Andromeda) are showing themselves in the backyard garden...

Peony 'Bartzella'

and the bright reddish-pink stems of Peony 'Bartzella' are emerging from the ground!

Sedum Groundcover

Around the pool border, a mixture of groundcover Sedum is coming to life with a combination of golden yellow or deep pinkish-burgundy colored foliage. Stalks of yellow blooms and tiny pink blooms will follow in mid to late summer...

Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

and look...the Pulmonaria are blooming too!

Hyacinths are Blooming!

Along the patio border, the Hyacinths are in bloom, joined by the foliage of Daylily 'Stella D Oro'.

Spirea 'Candy Corn'

Here is 'Candy Corn', a relatively new dwarf cultivar of Spirea, which is displaying its vibrant new pinkish-red growth. Pink blooms will follow in late spring to early summer. Lamb's Ear joins in the mix!

'Repandans' Spreading Yew & Sweet Flag

For a little more foliage, here is Repanden's English Spreading Yew and Sweet Flag, a combination that maintains interest all year long, and now in springtime, the succulent rosettes of Sedum are a delight too!

Sedum 'Brilliant'

As daylight lengthens and the days grow warmer, spring is certainly underway with lots of expectations that await. It is time to get out into the garden and get some spring pruning and cleaning done, a task which is actually good for the soul!

Thanks for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my April garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday, Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.

Connect With Me 🌼

It's time to plan your garden! Visit my Author Page 👈to learn about and purchase my books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey! If you have read any of my books and have found them to be useful, reviews are very much appreciated!

Also, check out my newsletter Northeastern Gardening News for monthly updates all to do with gardening! It's free to subscribe or you can pledge a donation to show support for my work, or upgrade to receive extra perks monthly right into your inbox!

Find me on Instagram at Northeastern Gardening and Facebook at A Guide to Northeastern Gardening Blog & Author Page.

Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved. 

NYBG (New York Botanical Garden) Orchid Show 2026: Mr. Flower Fantastic's Concrete Jungle

NYBG (New York Botanical Garden) Orchid Show 2026

Welcome to the 2026 NYBG Orchid Show virtual tour! I recently had the pleasure of experiencing the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show, designed by renowned artist Mr. Flower Fantastic. The theme for this year is Mr. Flower Fantastic's Concrete Jungle, a connection between nature and urban scenes, as the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory transforms into a floral display of NYC landmarks. Available to the public since 2003, the NYBG orchid show runs each February through April. This year's exhibit runs from February 7th to April 26th, as the beauty of nature blends with urban landscapes.

Meet the Designer

Known as one of the most in-demand floral artists in the world, Mr. Flower Fantastic is a former graffiti artist turned floral designer. Growing up in Queens, his love of flowers began with his mother's garden. Over the years, he became a self-taught floral designer, and as his passion for designing grew, he started experimenting with various mediums and gained a presence through private events and trade shows. In 2018, his defining  moment occurred when Serena William's team invited him to create a floral interpretation of her Nike "Queen" Air max 97 sneakers (designed by Virgil Abloh). The artist created a large scale sculpture that was then presented to Serena at the U.S Open. Following that event, Mr. Flower Fantastic (AKA MFF or Flower) has worked with major brands and media including Nike, Netflix, Adidas, Louis Vuitton, and NBC Sports among others. He is now one of the most in-demand floral artists in the world. 

NYC Apartment

There is more to the story. Ironically, the artist Mr. Flower Fantastic is highly allergic to flower pollen, and has to wear a gas mask and gloves while working on displays. It turns out that the signature mask and gloves he originally wore to manage his allergies ended up becoming part of his identity. According to sources, the renowned "MFF" or "Flower" desires to remain anonymous because he wants the focus to be on his work and not on him." Usually when he's out and about in public, he wears a gas mask and gloves, both to protect his health and to hide his true identity. 

 Rhyncattleanthe Golden Angel Orchid

Now, onto the rest of the virtual tour!

NYC News Stand

Moth Orchid Display

Terrarium Mix of Orchids and Tropical Plants

Conservatory Fountain & Sitting Area

Passageway to Desert Garden

Welcome to the Desert Garden!

Desert Garden- Yucca & Cacti

Desert Garden-Barrel Cactus

Pizza Shop-Surrounded by Orchids & Sweet Flag

Apartment Balcony & Fire Escape

 Laundromat for Plants!

Tropical Greenhouse

Bromeliad (Goudaea)

Decorative Dumpster!-With Orchids & Sedge

Car Wash - Taxi Cab Created with Carnations, License Plate Orchid!

Urban Steam Vent with Mist!

Thanks for Visiting!

Mr. Flower Fantastic's love of and belief in the power of flowers truly becomes a reality in the 23rd. annual NGBT Orchid Show! I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden and the virtual tour! 

👉 My Books! 👈

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations  

Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener

Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden

Shade Gardening for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

The Houseplant Guide: How to Easily Select & Maintain Indoor Plants

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up March: What a Difference a Month Makes!

Welcome!

Welcome to my March garden and as the title states...what a difference a month makes! From temperatures below freezing for weeks, to a record breaking blizzard with 29.1 inches of snow on the 22nd-23rd of February to temperatures reaching into in the balmy 60's in the beginning of March, it has been a rollercoaster ride of a winter. After three days of a spring tease, temperatures have settled more into the norm for March, but there are signs of spring if you look closely. Join me for a tour of my Long Island zone 7b garden!

Back Patio Border

As we start by the back patio border, Nandina 'Obsession' is looking unusually bright as we near the end of winter, with its orangey-red foliage that contrasts nicely against the deep green needles of the Weeping Norway Spruce, which stands beside it.

Sedum 'Pure Joy'

In the same bed there are signs of spring as rosettes of Sedum emerge from their winter's sleep. 

Back Island Bed

In the back island bed, Crape Myrtle 'Sioux' displays its branches proudly against the golden foliage of Gold Lace Juniper. Weeping White Pine, Mugo Pine and Dwarf Blue Globe Spruce can also be seen in the background.

Backyard Shade Garden

I especially enjoy the foliage of Leucothoe 'Axillaris' this time of year as it displays different hues of burgundy and orangey-red. Fact: Did you know that the red coloring is actually from pigments called anthocyanins, a natural protection against cold and intense sun? The plant develops its own natural sunscreen when photosynthesis slows during wintertime.

Backyard Shade Garden

In the same bed, the perfectly rounded, compact shape of Variegated Boxwood can be seen along with the broader cascading foliage of the Leucothoe. Berries from Nellie Steven's Holly continue to shine red in the distance.

Pool Waterfall

Now that the heavy snow has vanished from the plants along the back waterfall, I can finally see the upright Variegated Boxwood that were hidden by the branches of Green Giant Arborvitae. Everything seems to be finally getting back to normal, and thankfully unharmed.

Back Eastern Perimeter

Golden Hinoki Cypress 'Verdoni' along the back gate entry seems to have faired the winter well and the Boxwood have too, with only a few noted browning leaves. Once spring temperatures arrive, I will look forward to a flush of new growth.

Hellebore (Lenten Rose) 'Shooting Star'

I am so happy to be able to share with you the blooms of Hellebore 'Shooting Star' as they have been buried beneath a blanket of snow all winter long. It is a little late to see them, since they formed buds back in January, but I say better late than never, and it was worth the wait to see their amazing blooms!

Hellebore (Lenten Rose) 'Merlin'

Also budding out now is Hellebore 'Merlin' with its pink blooms, and Hellebore 'Champion' will follow by the end of this month, so stay tuned!

Front Foundation

Here is Hinoki Cypress 'Verdoni' with Juniper 'Blue Star' and Golden Japanese Sedge along the front entrance garden...

Red Twig Dogwood

and here is a new addition which I planted along the front street median from our house. I always love seeing the vibrant red branches of Red Twig Dogwood during wintertime, so I can now admire them right from my front door. 

Spruce Seed Pods

There are other signs of spring, as the bright yellow-orange seed pods of Norway Spruce become more noticeable...and the first signs of crocus appear, as they make their way above the surface!

First Sign of Crocus!

Along with crocus, the Hyacinths can be seen once again, and I saw my first Robin today! 

Hyacinths are Back!

Temperatures Are Rising-Short But Sweet!

The temperatures dropped again and we had another light dusting of snow just two days ago, but I am feeling optimistic as the landscape slowly comes back to life. For now, happy spring in just four more days, and I think I will try to get some gardening done on the not-so-cold days of March!

Thanks for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my March garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday, Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.

Connect With Me 🌼

As spring approaches, it's time to plant your garden! Visit my Author Page 👈to learn about and purchase my books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey! If you have read any of my books and have found them to be useful, reviews are very much appreciated!

Also, check out my newsletter Northeastern Gardening News for monthly updates all to do with gardening! It's free to subscribe or you can pledge a donation to show support for my work, or upgrade to receive extra perks monthly right into your inbox!

Find me on Instagram at Northeastern Gardening and Facebook at A Guide to Northeastern Gardening Blog & Author Page.

Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved.