April Showers April Flowers

I've kitted up Cottage Garden Sampling's "April's Daisy".  It is stitched on Wichelt's Waterlily linen, a pretty pale green.  I'm looking forward to getting started.

While April showers might herald May flowers, they also contribute to a profusion of April flowers.  Let's take a walk and see what's blooming now.  

Ah Trilliums, I do love Trilliums.

A bit of Field Mustard (Brassica rapa) glows against a field of green.

This plat is not yet blooming, but I was so surprised to see it this early, I had to share.  This is a Columbia Lily (Lilium columbianum) - our native Tiger Lily.  As it does not bloom until late June / early July, I did not anticipate see a number of young, strong plants in mid-April.  

This poor plant is called Stinky Bob or Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) as it has an unpleasant odor.  It is a member of the geranium family and grows in moist, shady sites.  It's a non-native and considered a noxious weed.

This plant has a lovely name - Prairie Star (Lithophragma parviforum).  The flowers are supposed to be quite fragrant.

Again I'm stumped - I've no idea what this might be called.  It is a truly pretty group of bright blue blossoms against a green background.

On a shaded bank, along side a small seep, Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa).

Here's a close up of the flowers.

Hooker's Fairy Bells (Disporum hookeri) is another early flowering wild flower.  

It too enjoys the wet shade. Rainwater runs down the parallel-veined leaves, then drips off sharply pointed tips, protecting the flowers.  I admire it's pretty little bells. 

I call these Ladyslippers.  They are also commonly called Fairyslippers (Calypso bulbosa).

They are our native orchid and are hard to find.  It is such a treat to have a nice patch nearby.

They grow in the moss and duff of the forest floor in deep shade.

They are one of Spring's true ephemerals.  The plants are visible for only two or three weeks.  They then fade and disappear back into the forest floor.  

Is there a prettier sight than a group of Lamb's Tongue (Erythronium oregonum) growing along side a burbling stream?

We have a plant near the house with a triple blossom!

A Cherry perhaps?

The Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) has begun to flower.

Pretty creamy petals with a slightly green center. 

I can't tell you how pleased I was to discover a nice sized Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) near our front gate.  It's an early flowering scrub and a hummingbird favorite.

We have several large patches of Stream Violets (Viola Glabella) down by Dorothy's Creek and my sister's Dahlia Garden.

We'll end the walk beside a clump of Oregon Blue Iris (Iris tenax).  In a week or so, our meadows will be awash in blue / lavender blossoms.