SPRING!

FINALLY it is officially Spring. I've been getting out in the yard to dig in the dirt every chance I can get. It does my heart good to see things coming back to life.

Of course, there are the obvious and expected things like Crocus Booming


Giant alliums coming up


Tulips Coming up


Lamium blooming


and the Rhododendron's showing a bit of color, buds just getting ready to pop.

(I'm especially excited about them since we moved in here in June, after they were all finished so this will be my first season to see them bloom.)

However, there are still plenty of plants in the yard I have yet to identify. So, friends, neighbors, it's time once again to play NAME THAT PLANT.

Do you know any of these?


MYSTERY PLANT 1 - low ground plant with small white flowers


MYSTERY PLANT 2 - I don't kn0w whether to call this a tall bush or a bushy tree - it's over 6 foot tall...no clue what it is.


MYSTERY PLANT #3 - this is and evergreen shrub of some sort planted behind my rhododendron. I was hoping it also bloomed but the little bud things don't look too promising.



MYSTERY PLANT #4 -


I have several of these and think they are pretty, but I have no idea what it is.

There's lots of other things coming up...I will catalog a few each week, some I know and some I don't. Also - coming soon, photos of our complete remodel of the front yard. GASP. Yep, we have begun. Chopped down the giant locust tree much to our neighbor's horror. Then we started tearing out lawn. Not ALL of it...we have a nice curving strip in the front which I affectionately refer to as my "bikini lawn". Behind that, however will soon be 3 4' x 8' raised beds surrounded by bark and off to the side a fountain that I will plant geraniums and marigolds around. Then, in front around the ugly light pole that our housing development requires for every yard (ugh!) we have taken out a big section of grass where we plan to put in 3 rose bushes, some tall ornamental grass, lilies and maybe move the delphiniums from the back yard that never get enough sun to bloom.

We also bought a serpentine weeping cherry and a weeping pussy willow tree to plant in front.

It's all a torn up mess right now, but we're diligently working on it and hoping that it will be beautiful when we get it all done.