Garden Diary - April

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April

Flowers Around Town, in April
various dates

It started in the days of covid-19. Everyone was told to sequester at home. For me, a difficult part of the restrictions meant I could no longer go to visit gardens. Very sad. To make me feel better, Paul would drive me around town to look for flowers in people's yards. I did my best to photograph out the car's window, with an occasional escape out the door for an image while huddled against the car. Now vaccinated (multiple times, in the years since) I am still watching for flowers in other gardens. But now I can comfortably get out of the car and even cross the street.

Wednesday, 10 April 2024

A line of flowering cherries and purple rhododendrons along the property's edge
between Cafe Maria and The Corner Store on Rte 12, close to the junction with Rte 519.

Healthy, vigorous, and flowering in Wal-Mart parking lot planting spot in Flemington.

Because of its diuretic properties it's called 'pissenlit' in French, also dent-de-lion
for its jagged leaves. Hence our common name of dandelion. And yes, fresh young leaves
are edible in salads, older leaves cooked like other greens, and flowers made into wine.

Tuesday, 9 April 2024

No, these are not dandelions. Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara, flowers before its leaves appear.

They are supposedly similar in appearance to a colt's foot. Found at the bottom of Tinsman Road.

Friday, 5 April 2024

I notice a lovely weeping cherry, down slope and across a lawn on Ridge Road.

There are also some lovely small cup daffodils at the same property, closer to the road.

Thursday, 4 April 2024

If it is true that "April showers bring May flowers" we can anticipate that May will be carpeted with blooms. The first three days of April drenched us with more than 2.5 inches of rain. So when today offered gray skies but no precipitation, why, what could I do but photograph flowers around town.

There is a lovely small group of deep blue hyacinths outside the Loka Yoga studio.

On Route 12 just a few blocks from the flashing double red light in town.
the purple house I introduced you to last month still has daffodils in flower.

But now the Rhododendron 'PJM' closer to the sidewalk has burst into
glorious purple bloom, so many that the small evergreen leaves are hidden.

The sunny yellow daffodils at the house next door to the purple house are also still in flower.

Now they are embellished with a border of deep blue grape hyacinths, Muscari armeniacum.
Strong, saturated shades of both colors. Easily grown. And deer don't eat them. Rabbits either.

My friend David wrote, "Hi Judy - blue and yellow is a nice contrast. Pity those blue tulips
are so rare." That's certainly true. I replied that those blue daffodils are sort of scarce too.

There are some road closures but all three options that use Route 519 to reach Route 12

takes us past a house with three weeping crabapple trees. They vary a bit in size but each
is splendidly covered in flowers as their trailing branches cascade down toward the ground.

Indeed, lovely flowers around town in April.