Happy Thursday dear friends. Gardening season is in full swing, and I’m sharing my favorite early spring blooms!
“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”
Psalm 143:8 (ESV)
Our beautiful Chinese Snowball Viburnum!
Monday’s weather forecast for the week prompted me to head outdoors and photograph what was in bloom! Monday was all clouds, with little sun, hence the darker photos. Tuesday’s forecast was severe thunderstorms and possible tornados! We had winds and rain, but grateful for no tornado or damage. However, Chilton County where our delicious Alabama peaches are grown, was hit by a tornado. No injuries, thankfully. We have frost predicted for Friday and Saturday mornings. It is springtime in the South where weather changes on a dime!
I am not sure when we planted two snowball viburnums, but my best estimate is about fifteen years ago. Both had provided beautiful large and showy blooms for many years. Last year, one of them began to look very unhealthy. By the end of summer, it was dying a slow death and it was time for removal. The remaining one appears to be thriving and has produced stunning blooms this season.
Many people mistake Snowball Viburnum blooms for hydrangeas. These flowers start out lime green and then open to pristine white. Because the blooms are sterile, this viburnum does not produce fruit. Not only does the Snowball Viburnum make a splendid garden shrub, but it is also a gorgeous cut flower as you can see in my recent Monday Morning Blooms post.
We can no longer call this a shrub, but at twenty or so feet, it is a tree. It stands by our driveway on the opposite side of our house. Just below the Snowball Viburnum is a Bridal Wreath Spirea and a flower bed where we plant zinnias and sunflowers. You may notice the jet vapor trails above. The white display in the sky seemed to compliment the blooms on the ground!
As you can see, the blooms are large, about eight to ten inches in diameter, and resemble snowballs!
Our woodlands, with the old split rail fence, provide a perfect background to make the viburnum stand out even more!
Lady Banks climbing rose is considered by many to be the quintessential cottage garden flower!
The Lady Banks Rose blooms in early spring. Its buttery yellow double flowers are held in clusters and displayed on thornless slender branches.
Even though Lady Banks only bloom once per year, it more than makes up by its magnificent arching canes and small clusters of flowers!
Some of you may remember that our very old arbor with a huge Lady Banks Rose was blown over during a storm in October of 2020! The clean-up was a major chore for the Head Gardener!
Fast forward to 2022. RM decided it was time to expand the garden and include a new entrance and arbor. We had missed the early April shower of yellow and also the shade the foliage provided in the summer. Underneath the arbor was the perfect place for ferns or other plants that needed some shade. The new plants were only planted last spring!
As evident, the Lady Banks is an extremely fast grower. We plan to train some of the vines to continue to thicken the arbor. We are also hoping to allow some to run along the picket fence. We will see how that works out. Since it blooms on old wood, any trimming must be done immediately after blooming. Lots of work coming up for the Head Gardner!
Obviously not a flower, but my attention was drawn to the Bloodgood Japanese Maple’s brilliant color as it stands behind the wind spinner!
It seems our Bridal Wreath Spirea gets nipped by frost every spring…
…and although it was slightly impacted this year, it has still produced beautiful blooms!
The pure white flowers are borne in long sprays that can be fashioned into wreaths and worn on the head, hence the name.
I love this old-fashioned spirea for its graceful arching branches!
Thank you for visiting my early spring garden! Wishing you a joy-filled day!
Linking with: Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
Testing
Beautiful spring bloom captures, Pam. The Lady Banks did extremely well for its first year! and the sight of Bloodgoods is so pretty in spring!
We were hit by what’s been labeled as a derecho on Tuesday, with a couple tornado touch downs. We ourselves had no physical damage, other than losing a fridge and freezer full of food with no electricity now two days later and still without power. One daughter will need a roof and garage door replacement, but in my immediate neighborhood some huge oak trees caused severe property damage. so glad we took our tree out when we moved here! I’m hoping the threat of frost this weekend spares my little garden!
mo
Mother Nature at her best, both good and bad!
Thank you, Rita. I sent you an email!
I read your reply Rita and I’m very thankful your house was spared. I hope your daughter can get replacement garage doors and a new roof very very soon.
I absolutely adore white flowers, what a wonderful show your garden is giving this spring!
Thank you. Carole!
Beautiful signs of spring Pam! We’re a little behind you in the blooming department. So glad you replaced your Lady Banks on your arbor! Our Lady Banks really opened up after two days of 80 degree temps. What a gorgeous tree your viburnum has become! We have a Chinese Snowball Viburnum and a European Snowball Viburnum. Our Chinese variety is blooming now and the European variety blooms about a month later. So glad you didn’t have any damage from the storms. What a difference 24 hours makes, we went from 80 to 40 this morning and our friends in the NC mountains have snow this morning. Happy Thursday ♥
Thank you, Mary. The weather has been ever changing from day to day. We have tried to cover what we could for the possible frost in the morning. We often get frost here and ten minutes down the road they will not get any. Have a lovely weekend❤️
Beautiful Spring coming up around you. We are having the same crazy weather but ours is mixed with some snow. Have a great week. Hugs. Kris
Thanks so much, Kris. I would guess you are over snow especially in April. Hugs, Pam
Gorgeous Spring blooms Pam! I can’t believe how big your snowball virburnum bush/tree is! So stunning! I also love the climbing yellow roses and delicate Bridal Wreath Spirea. I know you and the head gardener work really hard and your labor of love rewards you in a beautiful way! Hopefully the chilly temps the next few days won’t hurt anything…
Thank you, Jenna. Gardening is always a challenge, but we enjoy it. Hopeful we won’t get frost.
Beautiful gardens. Thank you for sharing
My pleasure and thank you, Colleen!
Pam, you are having a beautiful show of blooms this year! Does the Head Gardener fertilize the snowball viburnum? I don’t fertilize and have noticed I have a lot of blooms but they have gotten smaller over the years. You’ve inspired me to plant a Lady Banks…it was my mother’s favorite too. There is a house near our church where the Lady Banks has grown taller than the house and is cascading down the roof! Not sure if that is good for the roof, but it is stunning at the moment!
Thank you, Roxanne. The Head Gardener did not fertilize this year. Yes, plant a Lady Banks! I am sure that Lady Banks is amazing, but I don’t think it would be good for the roof. Happy weekend!
I must try and find a Lady Banks rose as we have an arbor that needs to have a refresh. All of your white blooms are beautiful. Iv always loved spirea. It reminds me of my grandmothers huge bush. Lots of work for the head gardener so praying his health has fully returned. Praying storms and frost don’t come your way.
Hopefully, you can find a Lady Banks. It would make a beautiful showing on your arbor. Sweet memories of your grandmother’s garden. Wishing you a lovely day!
Beautiful blooms! Your snowball, Lady Banks rose, and spirea are gorgeous! I love spring. Our azaleas are blooming and our iris too! We’re waffling between warm weather and cold weather. The north winds were high yesterday and it was downright cold! Today is warmer and sunny. Have a wonderful day! Clara❤️
Thank you, Clara! I know your azaleas and iris are beautiful! We are expecting frost tomorrow and Friday. It is very windy today. Happy Thursday ❤️
Spring is definitely singing in your garden! That hydrangea tree is spectacular!
Thanks for visiting, Angie!
Beautiful spring garden photos. Your snowball and lady banks are gorgeous. I can’t believe how big your snowball is!
Your hard work is so appreciated! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Nancy. I was reading about the largest Lady Banks in the world at Tombstone. That is amazing! Happy Weekend!
I just made a note to purchase a snowball viburnum for my yard. I’ve always wanted one but forget to look for them at my local nursery. They are just gorgeous! There’s a yard here in Fairhope that has a complete hedge of them down the side of their property and I always slow down to take it all in – a complete wall of white “fluff.” Ahhh. Springtime!
Yes, purchase the snowball viburnum! A complete wall of white fluff sounds amazing!!
Definitely NOT a shrub! And definitely a dazzler! So much beauty here, Pam. I can visualize your upcoming centerpieces in my mind!
Thanks Jeanie! Gardening is hard work, but has its rewards!
So, SO beautiful. I would love to add a Snowball Viburnum to my garden. I can totally picture it surrounded by zinnias.
I know you would love the Snowball Viburnum! Thank you, Cindie!
Your spring flowers are a work of art – the scents from these bloomers must be lovely this time of the year!
Mary, thanks so much. I do love the scent of spring!
Pam, your snowball viburnum is absolutely stunning! I planted one a few years ago, and I hope mine will look like that one day. The bridal wreath spirea is so pretty. I love its delicate blooms. The Japanese Maples are always so impressive against the blue sky. Everything looks just beautiful, dear friend!
Thanks so much, Shannon! I know your snowball viburnum will continue to grow and bloom! Happy week, dear friend!
Wow Pam – the snowball viburnum is magnificent. No, it’s definitely not a shrub anymore. What a beautiful tree. The Lady Banks are gorgeous and I’m so glad they took to the arbor. I didn’t realize that you had to trim them after blooming – that looks like some work. The spirea and bloodhoods are really pretty too. I’m so glad you didn’t get any tornados – I read Rita’s comments and yikes! I hope the frost misses you too. Happy Monday!
Thanks so much, Kim. Gardening is hard work, but the rewards make it worthwhile. Wishing you a wonderful week, sweet friend!
Oh, those yellow climbing roses! There are no words to describe how beautiful they are! They look so pretty by your fence.
I am so happy you visited the garden, Cheryl!