April First Views in the Town Mouse Garden


When I started posting First Views of my garden a few months ago, I was hoping for a better history of the garden itself. Yes, which plants bloom when is important, but I wanted more than close-ups. I envisioned colorful photos starting in February with the pink manzanita, but I'm realizing how difficult it really is to get a garden photo that makes the flowers stand out. Above, the Salvia spatacea (humminbird sage) is beautiful in the morning light, but do we see the flowers?


This photo is a little different. The first poppy really stands out against the bright green of the feathery poppy leaves. Poppies are early this year, and many of the plants are stunted from the lack of rain. I hope the extra two inches we got in March will help them recover.


The bridge view is similar to the first picture - only when you look closely do you see the Heuchera maxima's lacy flowers at the other end of the bridge. In front, the Zauschneria californica is starting to green up after heavy pruning in December.


A little to the right of the bridge are the Japanese maple in a pot, with redwood sorrel and Western bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) in the background.


Here's the Dicentra, looking pretty against the dark leaves of Carpenteria Californica (which I hope will bloom in 3 weeks for Garden Tour day).


In the front garden, the big news for the pollinators has been the arrival of Phaeclia tancetifolia. See the fuzzy purple flowers in the foreground? Also blooming early this year, I see bees and bumble bees each time I'm out there. I'm also hoping the Salivia apiana (White sage) to the right will recover from the very dry winter and bloom soon.


And above, from the other side, the Lepechina fragans (pitcher sage) shows its pretty lilac flowers. I wish I could share the fragrance with you!


The side strip in the front is starting to look filled in, with Salvia leucophylla, Phacelia, deer grass, and succulents.

Of course I'm hoping others will join and show off the first views of their gardens (first week of the month is fine). I'm putting a Mr. Linky widget below so you can add your own post, and I'm looking forward to visiting!

Comments

Nell Jean said…
OH! Almost forgot first views after I thought of it on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Looks good at your place. We had rain yesterday. Let me go out and look, maybe you'll see me later.
Kate said…
Hi Town Mouse!
You have such an incredible variety of salvias growing in your garden, and some of them always seem to be in bloom! Happy April to you.
I have a hard time capturing the essence of my garden with long views as well. It works best when I have a lot blooming at one time in the cottage garden. Now, that spring is here perhaps there will be more long views for us all... Thanks for hosting!
I am finally able to have something to show although it is just the start of the season...cold weather has stopped the fast growth and another freeze is forecast...glad to be participating!!
ryan said…
I'd post but I'm short on time and I feel like I'd have to clean up all the materials I have stacked everywhere, between my still not quite finished office/shed and a recently finished client garden. Worthy shots of the garden take me a while to make. But you have some nice ones in there and it looks like you'll have a lot going on in the garden soon.
Hello--new to your garden party, and looking forward to reading the links! Thank you for hosting!
I think that's why I shoot so many macro photographs. Our terrain here overwhelms the other garden views, and delicate blooms get lost in the enormity of it all. You do have some lovely blooms in April though, and like you, I hope the poppies will bulk up a little with the March rains.
I'm back and finally have views to share. Calfornia poppies are just getting going here and new plants keep coming up. Some of my early poppies died in the unseasonable warm. I'm grateful for every blossom.

Your salvias are lovely. It takes fine tuning to get everything just right. You've done a great job.
Country Mouse said…
Here I go! I did my post! Ah, now I can relax and visit other gardeners' first views! Your garden looks very lovely - I can't wait to see it on Tour day!
Sue Langley said…
Hi Mouse!

I'm lagging behind, but as I say in my blog post, I've taken a fulltime job at a garden center. If only my back will hold up! I've been too tired to read any posts, much less write any. I can't complain, though...my employers read my blog!

I love all your color,...the Cleveland sage already blooming? You have a lot of structure in your garden that really shows off your plants.
What we all should do is have the best of our first views photos put in one of those self published books you can get online.
I really like your hummingbird sage and am hoping that mine will get bigger and bloom this year.
BernieH said…
Yes I'm another one who doesn't really enjoying sharing long views of my garden. It's hard to capture a long view that really looks good. I still do so enjoy other gardeners' long views though, including yours. So keep it up.
Lisa said…
Thanks for sharing! Things look lovely.

My Western Bleeding Heart pooped out this winter. It was doing great, and then just disappeared. Sigh.