New Performers

We can officially say it. It was a warmer than usual April. Unless I’m imagining things, I can’t remember seeing so much color so early. The last week of April brought in new blossom-performers from some more than usually lush groundcovers in the front and back gardens, several of which will remain anonymous because I can’t figure out what to name them.
In the front, the low green spearmint-looking groundcover which I transplanted from the back and, possibly, if I have my genealogies correct, from Plymouth before that, opened up its little clover-shaped baby blue eyes last week. I took its photo on a warm day last weekend, in between shifts so to speak; plenty more blossoms on these plants today. The same plant has weeks to go before flowering in the back garden, where it gets less sun.
The Mazus (that’s the name; one company calls it “Amazing Mazus”) is another plant I started in back and transplanted last year and the year before to the front garden. It’s blooming along the sidewalk in front of the house, a neat, full line of bright pinks flowers, and similar white flowers close beside. The flowers – which I have not succeeded in taking a decent picture of – are a small, intricate construction which look like they were designed by someone making accessories for a Lego set. They’re just starting to bloom in the back garden, where the biggest patch of them was seriously damaged either by winter cold or the March flood. They root shallowly and expand – and, apparently, contract – with great volatility. The back garden patch was much bigger at this time last year. They are a nice shiny bloomer around the edges of bigger, greener plants.
Finally, the pale blue speedwell flowered in the front garden as well. This variety is more substantial than the other groundcovers, their flowers spike up, and there’s a delicacy to the form and color of the faintly blue-tinted florets that’s very satisfying to contemplate.
This year’s project is to keep better notes of what we have and how they’re doing. The photos will help.