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In spite of the very changeable weather, going from rain to sun to wind, many plants continue to bloom at the Arboretum. A beautiful red and yellow Columbine is flowering in the Alpine Garden in front of a bunch of tiny yellow Daffodils. A large Geum is full of gorgeous orange flowers with delicate red venation in the petals and slender filaments topped by anthers covered in pollen. A lovely dark purple Tulip covered in raindrops is a sight to behold; thank you Judy Snow for this photo and Margery Ennist for the other two.

More and more plants are beginning to bloom now that we’ve entered the lovely month of May. A gorgeous, deep purple Dwarf Bearded Iris, Iris cv. Dark Vader, is flowering in the Progressive Garden next to the first parking bay. Close by, an Epimedium cv. Pink Champagne (Bishop’s Hat) is covering the ground with delicate, pale pink spurred flowers. Not to be outdone, a Cornus florida f. Rubra (Pink Flowering Dogwood) is in full, dramatic bloom at the end of a parking bay close to the Plant Sale tent.

Varieties of all of the above will be sold at the Plant Sale, so plan to shop early to make sure your choices are available!

Thanks again to Judy Snow for these lovely photos.

Steve Kanan’s Sunday Saunter this week brings us a beautiful collection of macro shots of tulips. Isn’t Spring wonderful?

Thanks Steve for the another update of this great series.

Thanks to Katherine Boyle for the photograph of a Ladybug approaching a group of aphids; Ladybugs are wonderful, natural pest controllers. The aphids suck all the juices out of plants, damaging and killing them; the ladybug, however, eats the aphids (as many as 50 a day) and does no damage at all to the plant. They’re great to have in your garden! You can see more of Katharine’s pictures in several recent photo galleries on our website.

Thanks also to Judy Snow for the pictures of a container collection (Pansies, Geum and maybe a dark leaf lettuce?) next to the sundial in the Rose Garden, a lovely lavender Pulsatilla halleri ssp.styriaca and a gorgeous Cercis chinensis cv. Don Egolf in full bloom.

Elizabeth Brannin sent this beautiful batch of Arboretum pictures, noting “Even though it’s quite cold Spring is in bloom.”

Thanks, Elizabeth, for braving the chill to captures these images of Spring.

These pictures sent by Steve Kanan after his Saturday visit show off spring blossoms — mostly tulips, but with a daffodil and flowering trees for good measure. Thanks, Steve, for the lovely pictures.