If you check the "What's blooming" thread you will see some pics ffrom people's yards.

I have Daffodils, Tulips, Pieris, Hyacinthus orientalis.

I'm not in Mass. but am only 2 mi. south of the state line. Grape hyacinth and magnolia are blooming in full sun along with (in part sun) Pulmonaria/lungwort, Hellebore/Lenten roses, daffodils and primroses.

Coming up:
Columbine
Maltese cross
Black snakeroot
Tall phlox
Sedum
Bell flower
Siberian iris
Lamb's ear
Hosta
St. John's wort
Cranesbill
Lady's mantle
Brunnera
Bearded Iris
Daylilies
Catmint
Baptisia/false indigo
Lupine
Veronica
Globeflower
Anise hyssop

Leafing out:
Mock orange
Daphne
Lilac
Spirea

So far I see no signs of life from rose of Sharon but expect to see new growth/leafing out any time now.

I have some of the same things coming up as Gardenweed. Just noticed one of the hostas showing tips above ground. Sorry, I don't have Rose of Sharon or Muscari, so no help there. Any other plants you are wondering about? Maybe I've overlooked something.

Thanks! I transplanted some Rose of Sharon, and I'm not seeing any growth. I was trying to decide if they are alive.

Also, some grape hyacinth I planted the last two years at my parent's place didn't seem to be coming up as of last weekend.

Lilacs are budding around here to, as are maple. Dogwood are blooming, daffodils are almost past, tulips are starting to bloom.

Speaking of Baptista, what is the plant below? Is it False Indigo or Wild Ginger? It's growing near a spot I planted both.

This post was edited by edlincoln on Sun, Apr 27, 14 at 23:03

Ed, those are definitely not False Indigo [Baptisia] and I'm not sure if they are wild ginger, but if you use google images and type in Wild Ginger, it doesn't look like that. My False Indigo looks like hosta spears more or less when it is just coming up.

Those look like Monarda, do you happen to have any of that? It could be something else, maybe someone else will recognize it, but I have Monarda coming up and it looks like that.

Ed - is the stem square? It could be monarda. Looks like something in the mint family to me.

Although I don't have one now, at my previous home I had a rose of sharon and it was the last thing to show signs of life. Every year we would think that it had died (since we are near the edge of its hardiness zone) and every year it would surprise us. So be patient.

Also, bulbs planted last fall may not follow the schedule of bulbs that have been in the ground longer IME. However, if you have voles, I have had muscari eaten by voles. Right now in my warmest garden bed (that is a couple of weeks ahead of ones that stay under the snow longer) my muscari is just sending up clusters of tightly budded flowers.

I agree with Pixie Lou that your plant might be mint family. Gently rub the foliage. Is it scented? (Not all mint family plants are, but those that are can be distinctive.)

Cool!

I'd planted some Bee Balm and Wild Bergamot last year, but I thought they didn't "take". I'm psyched, I like that plant but never had much luck getting it established. Down side is it is a little too close to the Baptista. When will it bloom?

As far as the Rose of Sharon...I dug up, replanted and potted a few Rose of Sharon "volunteers" I got from my parents last year and a few weeks ago. One is just beginning to bud, another is doing nothing.

This post was edited by edlincoln on Mon, Apr 28, 14 at 20:55

Rose of Sharon and monarda/bee balm should easily thrive in your zone assuming the soil is healthy, well-drained & conducive to healthy growth. Check the stems on the monarda--square stems indicate the plant belongs to the mint family which are generally hardy in your zone.

In my (not extensive) experience, monarda is a mid- to late-season bloomer in Z6a with quite a long-season bloom period.

Altho' my baptisia doesn't have competition from other plants, I'd assume your plants would thrive without any adverse effects from either perennial.

Not concerned about the Zone...the Rose of Sharon seedlings were spawned by a mother tree that lives in this zone. I'm more concerned with my inept planting techniques. One Rose of Sharon overwintered outdoors in a pot. The Bee Balm is growing in a partially shaded spot where the soil is gravelly...but probably well drained. Would the baptista smother the bee balm, or vice versa? Would bee balm or baptista bloom the first year?

Baptisia is generally benign, well-behaved, doesn't spread or hog the garden. In my experience it simply comes up each year, grows quite large, needs a peony ring or other support to keep it from flopping, isn't bothered by pests and provides elegant early-season blooms.

Monarda/bee balm is in the mint family. While I made a conscious decision not to grow it, my neighbor has an impressive patch of it in her garden that is full, thick and covered with bees every year. Her husband keeps bees so it stands to reason her plants are heavily visited throughout the growing season. Mints tend to spread, some more aggressively than others.

I'd hesitate to expect either to bloom the first year altho' it's certainly possible the bee balm could produce flowers. IMO, the baptisia blooms are well worth the wait. The baptisia might produce fewer blooms its first year than in subsequent growing seasons.