Well, I guess we should resume these threads again! I lost interest over the winter, but I know some folks did post some winter blooming threads. Kudos to you. I thought it might be nice to get back to the old, familiar format.

Please do remember to include your location and zone, otherwise it doesn't make much sense. I had been hoping to compile a what's blooming calendar of forum entries by plant and by zone, but when my computer crashed, I lost all of that data. It was a work in progress, arranged by plant, zone, and by the contributor in an Excel file, but it's gone now. I think it's recoverable from my old hard drive, but life's too short and I don't have the time. Maybe some day...

I'm in zone 6A, southwestern PA. Nothing much in bloom here except for my species crocus, which are in full swing now, and have been blooming for maybe a week, now. My 'Jetfire' daffodils are getting buds and will be blooming in the next few weeks. In general, though, it's still pretty bleak this far north.

If you want to get blooming data from this forum, I've found the best thing for me is to do a google search. The search feature within the forum seems pretty limited, or maybe I just don't understand how it works. For example, if I want to know when a plant bloomed for me last year, I just Google ' "Kristin" "Hummingbird Forum" "Plant name" "What's blooming" ' and it comes right up. It's really handy because memory is such a tricky thing. I was a faithful contributor, so I now have a complete record for last season. You can also try a Google on ' "Hummingbird Forum" "What's Blooming" March ' to get a general list of what has bloomed in March in past years. I think we have an unbroken set of "blooming" threads for all of last growing season, and I think part of the 2007 season beginning in the summer.

The Missouri Botanical Garden also has blooming data. Here's an example:

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/bloomd.asp?code=J210

Me again. Zone 6A, southwestern PA. Add to the list:

'Jetfire' Daffodils--Just opening
Chionodoxa 'Glory of the Snow'--The first ones opening beneath the daffodils.

Hi Kristin--- I hate to see any post not get any attention but many of us northern people have nothing to bragg about at this time. So Im here to tell you nothing here. Im sure some of the southern people will have some to report to you.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

My first Helleborus blooms are about to burst open depending on the weather tomoorw they should be open by the weekend.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Zone 6b --- NJ
I have some dwarf iris in full bloom, the hyacinths have buds, and the daffodils, Dutch and Siberian iris are showing some green.

The honeysuckles --- dropmore scarlet, alabama crimson and goldflame have quite a few leaves and so do the bush roses.

I continue to stare anxiously at my red buckeye. No signs of life on the chewed up stump.

I was also bold enough to move my thrift clump to make room for all the Greggii that I'll be planting.

Suchie

I noticed that the salvia lyratas are in bloom in vacant lots and roadsides - this should provide hummers with nectar. Also, catalpas are sporting their beautiful flowers now - these blooms look like they may provide nectar also. There are many other weeds/roadside plants in bloom, but these were the only two that I think may benefit hummers - the others would just benefit butterflies and bees.


Sherry

You know, I think this is one of the most useful threads anyone has started. I've followed along with some to check out whether or not I wanted to try a particular plant in my garden. For my own garden, I finally started a calendar dedicated to garden stuff. Twice a month or so I make notes on what has begun to bloom/is no longer blooming. It helps. Only thing in my garden blooming now is sweet peas, trumpet honeysuckle, pansies, diascia, and tulips. Oh, and an amazon dianthus. I'm really liking that one. Zone 8b
dell

Dell, you've made my day! I'm glad this is useful. It's useful to me because I can check back with google searches and see when things bloomed for me and for other people in previous years. Sometimes it gives me ideas for plants I might want. Oh, and you can thank Lisa in NJ for reminding me to start this thread again!

I think this first began in the summer of 2007. I remember kicking myself for not thinking of it earlier that year. 2008 has the full year from spring to fall. Now we've got the chance to get a second full year of blooming records. So, have at it, everyone--especially you southern folk. You must have lots going on now coinciding with the return of the hummingbirds.

Like you, Steve, I don't have much blooming right now. It won't be long, though, before things start to emerge. Those daffodils sure are a nice splash of color. My hummingbirds seem to know when my columbine will bloom, and that's when they first show up.

I haven't been posting my flowers lest good hummerfolks think I brag too much, but y'all asked for it:

Calliandra haematocephala
Calliandra californica
Calliandra tergemina var emarginata

Odontonema strictum [purple]
Odontonema callistachyum

Justicia brandegeana
Justicia spicegera
Justicia spicegera 'Sidecaro'

Cuphea salvadorensis
Cuphea cyanea 'Caribbean Sunset'
Cuphea 'Joan Garvey'
Cuphea llavea
Cuphea schumannii
Cuphea 'Pink Flamingo'

Malvaviscus arboreus
Malvaviscus pendulaflora

Sinningia sellovii
Sinningoa douglasii

Salvia purpurea 'Lavender Lace'
Salvia microphylla
Salvia microphylla 'San Carlos Festival'
Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'
Salvia coccinea [red, Pink Dreamsicle, vermilion, white]
Salvia subrotunda
Salvia mexicana 'Dan Lane'
Salvia 'Purple Majesty'
Salvia miniata
Salvia confertiflora
Salvia splendens 'Van Houttei' [burgundy, light orange]
Salvia greggii 'Cherry Queen'
Salvia elegans
Salvia madrensis
Salvia guaranitica 'Van Remsen'

Passiflora vitifolia

Aesculus pavia var pavia

Russelia equisetiformis
Russelia sarmentosa

Bletilla striata

Canna indica

Abutilon pictum
Abutilon megapotamicum

Fuchsia [heat-tolerant]

Callistemon citrinus

Lobelia 'Candy Corn'

Lonicera sempervirens

Wintering birds still present are 1 female Black-chinned and 2 female Ruby-throateds. A trickle of migrant Ruby-throateds are passing through. Spring banding starts tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9

All I can say, Nancy, is wow!

Here is my pitiful list:

Species Crocus--finishing up
'Jetfire' Narcissus--At peak bloom
Glory of the Snow--Peak bloom
Leucojum aestivum--Just beginning

My Pulmonaria is starting to bloom but it was hit pretty hard be the many freezing nights that we had so it is coming up pretty sparse.

I picked up a Winter Honey Suckle and it is blooming but I haven't seen them use it, sure does smell nice though.




Martin
--
Vancouver Island, zone 8B
Nikon D70/D200 300 f4 af-s, 400 2.8 af-i
www.frogpondphotography.com
www.frogpondphotography.blogspot.com

Helleborus
Calliandra emarginata (inside)

Crocuses -

Salvia subrotunda (inside)
Red Hibiscus (inside)

Carol
Milford, CT
Zone 6

Oh, and I almost forgot--Forsythias.

I noticed the other day that the red buckeyes in the bottom of the hollow had buds about to open on them - I think I'm going to go and see if they've opened, even though I'll have to wade through the water to get there. Since I've read on this forum about how much sugar their blooms have, I hope the hummers find them!

Sherry

Dogwoods (all colors)
Pink fringe
Camillas
some Azaleas
Coral honeysuckle
1 Salvia c. 'Lady in Red" that had voluntarily come up in a pot, so I shoved it in the greenhouse and it kept blooming all winter, lol. I moved it outside for the hummers.
Canna Oxaca
Spirea
Iris
Lily of the valley
And a bunch of stuff I have no idea...growing in the woods.
I think my hubby called one big white bush "Hog Haul"?

Maryjane
W Ga
Zone 8a

Kristin,
I, too, thank you for starting this up again. I thought about mentioning it awhile back but I believe you mentioned having a rough time & didn't want you to do something if the timing wasn't right. I find this valuable & looked forward to it. Unfortunately, I don't have anything blooming but 2 lone Gartenmeister Fuchsias & the plants from my Father's Funeral (I have missed being on here again lately). We had snow last night but hope it doesn't affect anything bud-wise. Lots of tulips & hyacinths poking up & buds on the lilacs & growth on my honeysuckle.

And to Nancy.....brag away. I love it!!

Joni
Elwood, IL
Zone 5

Joni, I'm so sorry to hear about your father. You're in my prayers.

Maryjane
W Ga
Zone 8a

Just today, Salvia guaranitica 'Van Remsen' opened its first flowers, so I added to my previous list.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9