Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up April: Welcome Spring-Bring on the Blooms!

Welcome to my Garden!

Welcome! It has been a windy, cold, rainy April, but that does not stop the flowers from blooming! With some milder days mixed in with temperatures mainly in the 40's and 50's and the moderate rain, there are signs of Spring and the garden coming to life everywhere. Join me for a tour of my Long Island, zone 7b garden!

Welcoming Committee!

The welcoming committee stands by with beverage of choice in hand to greet visitors to the garden. Behind them, Spirea Double Play 'Candy Corn' adds a touch of brightness to the garden with its outstanding reddish-pink foliage, which later turns to orange, then to a mixture of light green and yellow with orange highlights, a color resembling that of candy corn; hence, the name. This addition is new to the garden just last year and I am loving it!

Hellebore 'Champion'

In the shade border, Hellebore 'Champion' is now in full bloom, displaying its pinkish-yellow bracts with pistils and stamens in the center. This evergreen with months of blooms is perfect for early arriving pollinators, with the first bumblebee visitor arriving just the other day.

Hellebore 'Merlin'

Also in bloom is Hellebore 'Merlin' with its pinkish bracts. It has been blooming for about a month now and continues to please, while in the same shade border is Hellebore 'Dark & Handsome'.

Hellebore 'Dark & Handsome'

I do love all the different varieties of Hellebores and how they bloom at different times throughout the winter, but I think just maybe 'Dark & Handsome' could be my favorite! It does point more downward that the other varieties, but the blooms are like no other!

Spirea Double Play 'Candy Corn' and Stachys (Lamb's Ear)

For some more colorful foliage, here is another view of Spirea 'Candy Corn' along with Stachys (Lamb's Ear). The soft white foliage of the Lamb's Ear has just started wakening up within the past few days.

Patio Border

Hyacinths are also in bloom right now. Here is purple Hyacinth with its fragrant blooms...

Patio Garden

joined by a white cultivar. Both exist right along the main patio within view.

Sedum 'Pure Joy'

Sedum 'Pure Joy' with its compact, lime-green foliage adds a nice touch to the garden throughout the season in anticipation for its later delicate pale pink blooms. It is also one of the most low maintenance plants in my garden, growing to just under a foot tall.

Sedum 'Angelina' (Stonecrop)

Here is Sedum 'Angelina' mixed in with a combination of several other varieties of Sedum groundcover along the pool border where it is in full sun all day. Later in the season, various colored blooms including yellow, pink and white will rise above the foliage, depending on which cultivar is blooming.

Peony 'Bartzella'

Another bloom to look forward in late May to early June is that of Peony 'Bartzella' This hybrid is a mix between the tree form and perennial form of peony, creating a stronger, sturdier plant with large yellow blooms that do not flop over. Springtime is certainly full of anticipation!

Pool Border

Along along the pool border are the forming buds of Allium 'Globemaster', which will bloom in early June along with blooms of Daylily 'Stella D Oro' to follow.

Allium 'Globemaster'

Here are the buds of Allium up close!

Pulmonaria 'Leopard'

One of my early spring bloomers in the shade garden is Pulmonaria. This variety is 'Leopard' with its deep green foliage that is freckled with white spots and complemented by bluish-purple blooms. 

Jacob's Ladder 'Golden Feathers'

Jacob's Ladder is another shade plant known for its foliage, with blooms to follow.

Patio Garden North

Along the north side of the patio garden, the bright foliage of Nandina 'Obsession' continues to please along with Weeping Norway Spruce and Dwarf Cryptomeria. Soon the blooms of Ajuga 'Black Scallop' will accompany them.

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar Driveway Border

While waiting for Liriope (Lilyturf) to start its new season, the trunk of the mature Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar along the driveway is now visible to see.  This tree has certainly grown over the years into a huge specimen.

Driveway Border

Here is another view along of the Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar with Golden Skyland's Oriental Spruce and Coral Bark Maple in the backdrop. There is also the foliage of Boxwood, Japanese Garden Juniper, Blue Star Juniper, Hinoki Cypress and Mugo Pine to accompany them.

Dwarf Japanese Andromeda 'Cavatine'

A familiar sight in spring are the blooms of  Japanese Andromeda. This is Pieris 'Cavatine', a dwarf version of the plant with small, bell-shaped white flowers that somewhat resemble those of Lily of the Valley.

Forsythia Blooming!

And of course it just wouldn't be spring without the blooms of Forsythia, which can be seen everywhere right now on the island. I planted this one on the street median years ago so that I could watch its early bright yellow display.

Thank you 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. 

IN THE NEWS! Celebrating three months since The Houseplant Guide: How to Easily Select & Maintain Indoor Plants came to be! If you are into houseplants, this may be the book for you! I cover over 120 plant selections with full color photographs of each one and detailed descriptions on care and maintenance.

Other Places to Find Me:

You can 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!

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Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2025. All rights reserved.