Morning Walk

Ooh, the Iris Cristata is starting to bloom. We have a large section of these darling Spring plants, and some poison ivy has moved right into the center of them. Grrr. Still, it is joyous to see them return year after year. Having a blog record of what bloomed when, tells me that we are full month ahead of previous years. It'll be a long season. Can't complain!
The regular big iris are up and enthusiastic and the snowball bush, having been pruned within an inch of its life, is growing up and and not so much out, which was the problem last season.
And our white $2.50 azaleas are opening and making the bed look fresh and clean.
We have way too many phlox and I will spend some time transplanting them, as soon as the forecasted rain comes and goes. It's always easier if the ground is soft and moist.


Some of the lilies that I planted in pots last year, have easily survived and increased over our mild winter. I can just imagine the show they will provide in a month or two. And the white dogwood tree is showing off its blooms in front of the horseshoe pit. Dave and Mike play horseshoes regularly and Dave has installed some lights for nighttime matches.
Last year I had the hosta from the front of the house moved to this bed at the driveway entrance and now I have a new garden for MORE PLANTS! Yay! You can bet some of the extra phlox will appear here soon, and they will have plenty of space to multiply.
Our grassy field (aka dog run) always has Springtime standing water at the base of the hill and Dave decided to dig a great big trench down to the culvert, to help divert it. The rain runs off the hill and just accumulates because the ground here is all clay.


A new addition to the landscape is this little insulated hut that our man Mike built to cover the new water pump. Hopefully this will do the trick and we won't be having the well/pump fixers visit us again.

And we have YARD ART! Our friend Colleen gifted us with this
 recycling-novelty creation when she visited last week. It lights up, and will coordinate nicely with our blue flower pots, soon to join the deck arrangement.

Mountain Bluet in bud

Tiarella, or Foam Flower in bloom

I have been eagerly awaiting the sign that the hyacinth beans are sprouting and today I saw two green curving stems push through the soil in the flower box. Hurray!
We are so happy to have this dream house and garden to live in and work on. Actually it exceeds my dreams, since I never thought this far ahead. I just wanted some goldfish and a garden. Speaking of goldfish, they are already spawning like crazy and I hope to get some photos of them splashing around in the shallows. They turn on their sides and flash their iridescent colors, so I can really get a good look. Even the transplanted shibunkins are getting into the fray.

Borrowed image...but we have several
just like him.

Creeping Charley is getting out of hand in the Mexican Chalet Garden. The Gnomes stand guard, lest they be overwhelmed.