Spring Flowers

It was a lot of work getting the flower beds into some kind of shape and the weather never always co-operated. But the housekeeping is done and now we can sit back and enjoy the spring flowers.

After a long cold winter, it is uplifting to see a return to life all those bulbs and roots that made you sweat a year prior when you were planting. Although, I must admit most have been planted over the last couple of years.

This is the first year in many that we feel ahead of the game. Two reasons; first- we did a better job of fall clean-up and second… and most important, no greenhouses business to contend with. We do miss the planting & growing aspect of the greenhouses. The cold snowy days of winter working inside a greenhouse and enjoying being the creator of plant life was very therapeutic.

Our gardens kind of come in stages, right now, it is the yellows of daffodils & Forsythia bushes or the reds of spirea, dogwood, azaleas’ or Magnolia bush’s, along with purples of hyacinth, followed by red tulips. Hostas are showing their heads and buds are forming on Clematis and rose bushes.
The first flowers I see when I turn into my drive.


It won’t be long and the Iris, Peonies and Lilies will be coloring our world. Although we no longer grow as a greenhouse business; we do some plantings for annual color after the perennials peter out. We over winter, Bougainvillea’s, Brugsmansia, Elephant Ears and miniature orange trees for containers around the yard and this is the time to try and kick started them back to life after their meager existence.

I get great joy in seeing my wife stroll around the yard each morning, scissors in hand looking for flowers to cut, or a weed to pull. She has had such a tough time physically, health wise, gardening uplifts her spirits.
She always trys to have fresh flowers on a table.

The birds are singing and gathering materials for nest building. Currently we are awaiting the return of Baltimore Orioles & Humming birds, so put out the nectar feeders early. Last year we had six Orioles that spent more time in the backyard than I did. We feed the birds and with so many shrubs and trees around we seem to have an abundance of varieties. One thing we have learnt, feed the birds and they will come.
Cardinals are a constant visitor to the feeders, summer and winter.


Daffodils come in more than just yellow.


There are white ones also.


These hyacinth were from an Easter Basket of flowers a few years ago and are still going strong.


Our Magnolia seems to be slower than most to open up. Must be the variety.


Of course, there are lots of magnificent Forsythia bushes to bright our world.


What a glorious time of year to watch life unfold.

Soon after I took these pictures, it snowed.