What’s in bloom in late April? Not all that much in my garden. I’ve got two azaleas in bloom, a bunch of bulbs, and some pansies I just purchased from an unnamed big box store. Oops, there goes my resolution to buy from a local garden center.

Of course, my garden is mostly about texture since I prefer foliage over flowers. Here’s an interesting combination that’s popping up in my pond bed.

Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ or Golden Creeping Jenny forms a low mat of butter-yellow leaves, bearing bright yellow flowers during late spring. It lends a nice color accent when grown beneath shrubs or taller perennials.

Hosta ‘Elsley Runner’ is a cultivar of unknown origin. It forms a low mound of green foliage that is ovate and dull on top. It bears pale purple, tubular flowers that bloom in July.

Athyrium niponicum var. Pictum or Japanese painted fern is one of the most popular cultivated ferns. It is a deciduous fern with a weeping habit which typically grows to 18″ tall and features a slowly spreading clump of triangular, variegated fronds (to 20″ long). Fronds are a soft grayish-green with an overlay of silvery hues accented by contrasting dark maroon midribs.

In the backyard, I’ve planted a bed of Pieris japonica ‘Prelude’. This cultivar has lovely white flowers and tons of them!

Some early rhododendrons are in bloom in late April. Here is Rhododendron ‘Olga Mezitt’ which has striking dark pink flowers.

A very early bloomer that’s still hanging on is Helleborus ‘HGC Pink Frost’. It’s usually looking a bit ratty by now since it likes to bloom in late winter but this year has been somewhat cold so the flowers have lasted. It’s hard to get a photo of these because the flowers are shy and hang downward.

A reliable spring stalwart is Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’. This plant is a must-have for those of us who garden in dry shade; it looks good all summer long.

Another woodland native is Stylophorum diphyllum or Celandine Poppy. Both this plant and the Solomon’s Seal are woodland natives and will naturalize in your garden.

Tulips and daffodils are also in bloom but would not cooperate for photos.