Spring Marches on!

 

Iris x reticulata 'Darkness' (my new friend!)

 The warm days are reaching into the 80's and the plants are popping...a tad too early.
            

Bulbocodium vernum

Somewhere I read this has recently been lumped with Colchicum...which would make sense. Under any name, it's a delightful denizen of the spring rock garden! Strange weather--week after week of sun and unseasonably warm while friends in the Northeast get snowed under! For once I wish we had a real deep blizzard to slow things down. The apricots and almonds are in full bloom in my garden, and I saw Callery pears in full bloom downtown. At least the forsythias will bloom their heads off for a change and not get frosted the first day!

Crocus vernus v albiflorus

The rest of these are mostly pix in my garden (with the exception of the Harmony below and Bob Nold's white reticulata I had to share! I'm not the only one growing reticulatas!

Iris x reticulata 'Harmony'

One of several plantings reticulatas at the Gardens at Kendrick Lake--still looking good after four years without Greg Foreman. I do wish they'd get some help to plant the vast empty spaces where plants died out however.

Iris x reticulata 'Harmony'

Iris x reticulata White form

I took this in Bob Nold's wonderful garden last Saturday: this is a white form of I reticulata he obtained from one of the Baltic sellers I believe. I'm very curious to see how this compares to my Caucasian white, which is now in bud.

Iris x 'Orange glow '

Certainly unusual--though not terribly orange in Colorado light....

Iris x reticulata 'Velvet Smile'            '

Iris x reticulata 'Velvet Smile'

From another angle...

Iris reticulata  'Kuh-e Abr'

I believe this is the correct designation...

Iris x histiroides 'Finola' (on right--interloper on left)

Iris x reticulata 'Darkness'

I'm pretty sure this is correct!

Iris x reticulata 'Palm Springs'

This is surely the darkest of the reticulatas--and a spectacular flower.

Iris x reticulata 'Palm Springs' on the right, I. 'Eyecatcher' on the left...

Iris x reticulata 'Eye Catcher'

Iris x reticulata 'Eyecatcher'

Narcissus hispanicus ssp. bujei ex Spain

Narcissus hispanicus ssp. bujei ex Spain

Narcissus aff Julia ?

I made the mistake of planting my hoop petticoats too close together...not positive which is which...

Iris x reticulata 'Palm Springs' with an interloper...

Iris histrioides v. sophenensis

I am going on the label on this: doesn't look very much like Iris histrioides 'Major' I've grown much of my life!

Iris histrioides v. sophenensis

Iris histrioides v. sophenensis

Iris x reticulata 'J.S. Dijt'

Iris x reticulata 

Lost the label on this one (or is it hiding behind the leaf?) I'll double check tomorrow...

Iris x reticulata

Another one I lost track of...