Virginia bluebells - Mertensia virginica

Virginia bluebells - Mertensia virginica

Origin:

Native to Virginia, planted from seed by myself, never fully flowered before the stem broke.

Flowering Quince - Chaenomeles speciosa

Flowering Quince - Chaenomeles speciosa

Origin:

Alien, from China, introduced into our garden by my wife.

Common Blue Violet - Viola sororia

Common Blue Violet - Viola sororia

Origin:

Native, very common, many people consider it a weed, I pull them up by the thousands but keep patches because I do love the flowers.

Camellia - Hybrid

Camellia - Hybrid

Origin:

Alien, from Southern & Eastern Asia, Hybrid, introduced into our garden by my wife.

Grape Hyacinth - Muscari Botryoides

Grape Hyacinth - Muscari Botryoides

Origin:

Alien, from France & Italy, introduced into my garden by my wife.

Candytuft - Iberis

Candytuft - Iberis

Origin:

Alien from Southern Europe, introduced into my garden by my wife

Strawberry - Hybrid

Origin:

Hybrid, a cross between native and exotic strawberries, introduced into my garden my myself.

Indian Strawberry - Duchesnea indica

Indian Strawberry - Duchesnea indica

Origin:

Alien Exotic, very common weed introduced from Asia, likes moist shady sites, easy to pull up but almost impossible to eradicate

Bittercress

Bittercress
Origin:

Native, common lawn weed

Henbit - Lamium amplexicaule

Henbit - Lamium amplexicaule

Origin:

Alien, from Southern Europe, common lawn weed which has established itself across north america. Also know as dead nettle.

Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis

Origin:

Alien, from Southern Europe, cultivated by the Greeks and Romans, a commonly grown Herb, I planted this in my garden.

Unknown - Possibly Spiraea

Origin:

Planted by a previous owner, most likely an alien

Periwinkle - Vinca Minor

Periwinkle - Vinca Minor

Origin:

Alien, native to Europe and Western Asia, widely planted ground cover, planted in my yard by a previous owner

Purple Crocus

Purple Crocus - Crocus flavus

Origin:
Alien from Southeast Europe. Planted in my yard by a previous owner

Daffodil Yellow & White

Narcissus - Yellow & White Daffodil

Origin:
Alien, south western Europe, first cultivated by the Romans, widely planted in English gardens, planted in my yard by my wife.

Daffodil Yellow

Narcissus - Yellow Daffodil

Origin:
Alien, south western Europe, first cultivated by the Romans, widely planted in English gardens, planted in my yard by my wife.

Forsythia × intermedia

Origin:

Alien, Hybrid, Forsythia is a widely planted ornamental spring blooming shrub. Asian in Origin, planted in my yard by a previous owner.

Spiderwort - Tradescantia virginiana

Spiderwort - Tradescantia virginiana

Origin: Native, planted from seed by myself

Status: Established perennial

Dutch Yellow Crocus

Dutch Yellow Crocus - Crocus flavus 2/17/09

Origin:
Alien from Southeast Europe. I see these first flowers of spring in various places around my neighborhood, possible planted by the previous owner of my house. Although these are non-native, they are neither invasive nor unsightly so I leave them alone; they bloom for about a month then go into hibernation for the summer.

First Flower of Spring

It snowed here in Richmond VA. still, the first flowers of spring have arrived. I'm am relatively new to gardening so I will attempt to document every new bloom throughout the growing season. My garden is a mix of flowers and plants: what was here when I moved in 4 winters ago, what my wife has planted with her focus on a whimsical English Cottage Garden, and what I have planted with my interest in native and medicinal flowers and plants. I will try to give as much information as possible about each bloom: its common name, its scientific name and its origin both to my backyard and to this country, why I grow it and why I haven't eradicated it if that particular bloom be either weed or alien.