Norfolk Botanical Gardens - Early Spring 08

The temperatures today never made it out of the 40's, and it was overcast and very windy -- not a good day for people running a garden center. However, yesterday it got over 80 and it was sunny and warm, and fortunately I had the day off and opted to see the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. I rarely get to see the gardens in spring, so this was a real treat.

The Narcissus were mostly finished except for a few varieties near the administration building.

It is still in the early stages of the Azalea season, but there were several varieties opening at the gardens. Azaleas are the signature plant of the gardens and were indeed the first shrubs planted in the 1930's by a hard working corp of African American women as part of a WPA program.



There were a few perennials blooming including Creeping Phlox,
Epimedium,
and Pulmonaria 'Trevi Fountains'.
The Crabapples were also in full bloom.

I thought that the most spectacular trees were the Yoshino Cherries. I am not huge fan of ornamental cherries, but when they are at their peak, their beauty can not be denied.

There were lots of other things blooming yesterday, and I think I spent as much time looking at the camera screen, as I did looking at plants. I will try to share more of these as time permits.