BOISE, Idaho — Spring is all about flowers, and this spring brought a burst of brilliant colors and some of nature’s most beautiful blooms.
We are letting some of our fellow Idaho gardeners show off a little and are featuring some eye-catching shots of three of Mother Nature’s most spectacular blooms.
In the midst of this spring’s explosion of colorful blooms, nature has given us some real standouts.
Garden master Jim Duthie shares pictures of the wonderful things that many of our friends, neighbors and fellow gardeners have been growing in their gardens.
The photos were posted on the 'You Can Grow It' Facebook group; take a look, and find out how you can share yours.
You may not grow them, but mother nature does; morel mushrooms are a very popular and tasty treat to find in Idaho's forests this time of year. Barb Greene found a good assortment of morels in her yard that will be a delicious addition to dinner.
Spring blossoms have really put on a colorful display this year, and the show is still going on. Kathryn Hardy shared pictures of her pretty blue and white lupines that are blossoming in her garden. Many varieties of native wild lupines are currently blooming in Idaho's back country.
Cheri Davis shared photos of her first peonies of the season, an eye-catching display of bright red and white striped blooms.
A tape measure was needed to show the size of Lori Engstrom's beautiful red peony flower, measuring at a full six inches across!
May is when irises tend to make their grand appearance. Brett Hansen's first flower to bloom in his garden was a frilly purple iris. Vicki Tyler also found showy purple and yellow bearded irises in her yard.
Diana Rodriguez loved the blue and white irises that were newly added to her garden this spring, and Heather Knighten shared a unique salmon and burgundy colored frilly bearded iris.
Irises are popular because they are so easy to grow. There are nearly 300 varieties, with more being developed each year, in a huge range of colors. In fact, the name ‘iris’ comes from the Greek goddess of the rainbow.
These frilly flowers sit atop tall stems amidst sword-shaped leaves. Many are in solid colors from white to yellow to purple and almost black.
Nyla Norris shared a shot of her pretty purple clematis, the first one of the season in her garden, and Roy Cordingley got a shot of his flowers still covered in droplets from the morning dew.
Susan Buffington found her first pink 'Nelly Moser' clematis blooming against a green background. She also shared pictures of her azaleas that just started to bloom; the pink flowers are called 'lilac lights' and the orange flowers are known as 'mandarin lights'.
California poppies are also popping up, like the ones in Lynn Imel's flower beds. Joanne Jackson had a different variety of poppies in show-stopping red with black accents.
Doryne Wendel shows off her spot of beauty in her garden with a nice display of blooming pink lewisia and some lavender dianthus.
Gardens are meant to be enjoyed at all hours of the day or night, like the photo Cory Morey shared of his garden at twilight. Rich Morris also shared the view of his garden after the sun set.
Do you have lots of shady areas in your yard? Randy Woods did and planted a variety of shade-loving plants and shrubs, including lamium, a japanese maple, and several kinds of hostas.
Jim and Sheri Stairs are residents of an assisted living center, and also the center's unofficial gardening and decorating committee. The couple has added a whimsical flair to the grounds through their unique approach to gardening.
The couple used a variety of objects as pots for their flowers, including a red bike, boots and a kitchen sink!
Spring flowers are at the height of the season right now, and more summer blooms are coming. Follow Idaho's News Channel Seven for more great gardening tips.
To join the 'You Can Grow It' Facebook group, text the word ‘grow’ to 208-321-5614, and we’ll send you the link to join.
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