Just a note for those posting pictures. You can increase the amount of JPEG compression substantially and still get a photo that is indistinguishable from the original. By increasing the compression, you substantially decrease the file size so that it loads quite fast even for those using dialup connections. In many image manipulation programs, this feature is denoted by a % quality value. If you decrease the % quality then it increases JPEG compression. For my photos, I use Photoshop Elements and reduce the % quality to 60%. This reduces the size of most files to 50k to 100k. If this compression is not done then the typical file size ranges from 500k to 1000k and consequently it takes dramatically longer to load pictures of this size.

That's a good note from Tree Oracle for a desirable procedure.

However, there is a way to get around the slow load problem even if the file size unexpectedly came out pretty big.

I use dialup for a lot of reasons, but my browser (and probably most of them) has tabs for keeping several sites open at the same time. I generally have around four or five tabs open for sites I like to visit every day.

If there are photos that open very slowly on one post on Garden Web, I just open another tab and let them do their thing while I'm looking elsewhere. I'll sometimes have the New England Gardening Forum open on two tabs so I can read other posts on the second tab while the photos are loading on the first tab. That way I don't sit around staring at the screen, like watching grass grow.

I hope this makes sense.

Claire

I've got:

primula denticulata
daffodils
muscari
anemone blanda
phlox subulata
tulips (greigii? and bakeri)
forsythia
hellebore
bleeding hearts (pink & white)
dogtooth violets
primroses
rockcress
bluebells on the absolute verge of bloom
pulmonaria Mrs. Moon
one huge pink beautiful hyacinth that I think was in the compost because I never planted it - absolutely gorgeous and going on three weeks now!

Does the bloom on my lamium Orchid Frost count? I just pulled it out of the box from Bluestone, but technically it's now in my garden and it's in bloom, lol!

Not "in bloom" per se, but my lysimachia punctata Alexander is just gorgeous right now - swirls of pink and cream and light green - I like it better now than when it's in bloom!

:)
Dee

Andromeda
Peony Tulips
Hyacinth
Creeping Phlox
Violets
A few Dicentra
Grape hyacinth
Daffodils - White Lion

The Tulip and Hyacinth display would be AWESOME right now if the voles didn't get 70% of my bulbs. A couple of "clumps" emerged unscathed - just enough to show me what I am missing . . . but I am not still bitter or anything LOL!!!

I've got in bloom now:

Prunus 'Snow Fountain'
Prunus 'Thundercloud' (dropping petals now)
Azalela 'PJM'
Azalea poukhanense (Korean azalea) just showing color
Azalea 'Stewartsonian'
Azalea 'Olga Mezzitt' (just showing color so not really in bloom yet)
Polyanthus
Daffs ('King Alfred', 'Segovia' 'Jack Snipe', 'Geranium' just opening)
Muscari (a few still hanging on)
Dicentra spectabilis (pink & white) just starting
Mertensia virginica
A large planting of Scilla 'Spring Beauty' & Hoop Petticoat daffs ('Golden Bells')
Phlox subulata
Aneneme blanda (blue & white)
Viola odorata 'Queen Charlotte'
Viola 'Freckles'
Bloodroot
Iberis 'Autumn Beauty'
Tulips (Darwin hybrids)
Japanese pieris 'Karenoma'
Pansies
Johnny Jump-ups
Geramiums (annual - their "proper" name escapes me this morning!)

I think that's it...it's still early & I'm not thinking well yet.

Things are annoyingly slow in my yard this year. Seems like the whole town is in bloom except in my little space. I do have a couple of tete-a-tete daffodils, white rock cress & purple aubrieta, and a few hyacinths. My standard daffodils aren't even budding yet, and the rhodies & azaleas aren't ready yet either. Plenty of dandelions, though.

Slow here too on the coast.

in bloom:
early Daffodils
Scilla
Muscari
wild violets
Forsythia
various pieris
Rhododendron

in bud:
various dicentra, spectabilis, eximia, hybrids
epimedium
more daffodils
more muscari
blueberries

Claire

Well, now I can offically list lamium Orchid Frost, as the plants in my garden (as opposed to the new ones from the Blustone box) are in bloom (seems a bit early, but there they are nonetheless).

Today the bluebells opened, and I also found some wood poppies in bloom. These wood poppies have become one of my favorite plants!

:)
Dee

Daffodil,
PJMs,
Hellebores,
Epimedium (sulphureum),
Hyacinth,
viola laboradica,
creeping charlie, &
vinca minor.

Daffs
Muscari
anenomes
hyacinths
tulips
hellebore
violas
common violets
forsythia
vinca

Magnolia Stellata "Centennial"-all 3 flowers still in full bloom!
Forsythia
PJM Rhodies
Daffodils
Phlox Subulata
Japanese Andromeda-excellent display this year
Muscari
My Newfs dug up my new patch of bluebells planted last fall-You think I would know better than to plant with bonemeal-oh well!

Viburnum carlesii (Korean spice or Mayflower Viburnum) is in bloom! Just got back from a workshop in the southwest and was surprised to find it blooming already.

Also this shy creature, Darmera peltata:
{{gwi:1066437}}

and some very cool Checkered lilies (Fritilaria mileagris). Tulips, daffs, dandelions, minor bulbs, nepeta (a seed-grown, low variety), forsythia. Winter jasmine is still going strong, as is Merrill Magnolia, winterhazel, some heath and the trusty hellebores.

The early rhodies have started too.