BOISE, Idaho — Spring is all about flowers, and this spring has 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. Rachel Pascua’s flower garden includes some of the most spectacular, including peonies and clematis, right at the top of the list.
And right along with them, irises, with their wide range of bright colors, like these in Nancy Main’s garden. Here’s a sampler of some of these wonderful bloomers, courtesy of our fellow Idaho gardeners.
Irises are popular because they’re so easy to grow. There are nearly 300 varieties 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.
Others are specially bred for unique color combinations, like this pretty purple bearded iris, streaked with white, in Patty Underwood’s garden.
Or Joanne Jackson’s stand-out specimens in yellow shades, and in two-tone blue.
Susan Buffington grew this mauve beauty, as well as these mango-colored blooms, and this one that really pops in yellow and magenta.
Shawn Kessel shows us a simple but elegant white iris with blue edges, as well as these stately bearded irises in pure white and periwinkle blue.
Solid purple might be the most common iris variety, but it can’t be beat, as shared by Debbie Benson-Rogers.
And Deanne Hoots captured this show-stopper in purple and white.
Here are a couple of unusual shades of purple and mauve growing in Maria Ziebarth’s flower bed.
Lastly, Lauren Rugh shares this iris, which is a pretty pastel blend of pink, white and purple, with a bright orange beard that leads into the center of the flower.
Another dazzling spring bloomer is the peony, like these shared by Marcia Alvarado. There are almost three dozen species of peonies, which produce a profusion of puffy flowers ranging from purple and pink, to red, white and yellow. They are majestic flowers, but their blooming season only lasts about a week to ten days.
Patty Underwood grew this pretty pale pink peony.
And Gloria Nordin shows us this dazzling pure white peony, along with this unique yellow beauty with an orange center.
Sue Page has a rose-like stand-out with a pink blush.
And Shawn Kessel shows us this frilly double peony.
Finally, Lauren Rugh shares an exceptional Chinese peony, called a ‘bowl of beauty,’ with its ring of dark pink petals surrounding a pale pink center.
But the clematis tops the list among the most spectacular spring blooms. There are over 300 kinds, and more are being developed all the time. It’s a woody vine that loves to climb, with a profusion of eye-popping star-shaped flowers, like these beauties growing over an arbor gate in Hailey Diekin’s garden.
There’s an old saying for clematis: “hot heads, cold feet,” meaning that clematis likes full, warm sunshine, but it’s roots like to stay cool and moist. Kristin McKie’s lavender clematis is really eye-catching as it climbs this trellis in her yard.
Terri Boules also has a lavender variety. Notice the subtle stripes on the petals, and that fuzzy center will eventually become the seed head.
Rob Fredericksen shares this pretty shot of his ‘multi blue’ clematis, with a sunburst in the center.
Lauren Rugh has a nice sample of a ‘Kilian Donahue’ clematis with its ruby red and fuchsia striped petals.
And Jolyne Dickinson’s ‘Vancouver star’ clematis is stunning with its bright white petals with a faint pink stripe.
Finally, Patty Underwood shared pictures of two spectacular clematis varieties in her garden; this ‘Nelly Moser’ in pink and lavender, and this unusual red ‘Rebecca’ variety, which really pops in her home landscape.
These flowers will soon be replaced by a new wave of different blooms, as Mother Nature continues her spectacular show through the summer.
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