What's Blooming?

So much has happened in the past month. The grass has turned green; the daffs are gone, but the tulips - well, other people's tulips - are going strong; the dogwoods have opened and the azaleas are just starting to pop out. Days are warmer and I long to be outside with my hands in dirt, instead of hunched over my desk keyboarding. Maybe next week.

Stop by May Dreams Garden to see what else is blooming today!

Half a Load is Better than None...

... if it's half a load of mulch that got spread this weekend, that is. The mind was willing, but the body rebelled around 2:00 both Saturday and today. What in the world could have happened? Twenty years ago I could have spread mulch for eight hours at a stretch without a whimper.

So, I did what any of you would have done and transplanted a few little bulbs to fill in the end of a bed, raked last fall's leaves out of the back beds, weeded Henbit until I wanted to screem, and pulled monarda out of its neighbors. If the hummers didn't love it so much, I would declare it a bully and hit it with the Round-Up, but instead I just wage war with it annually and hope the hummers appreciate all my work! Now everything is ready for me to finish spreading the mulch - hopefully a little while every afternoon so that by the weekend I will be done.

With a bit of leftover time, I made a few discoveries. The most interesting was this violet. I have lots of deep purple and lavender violets that I assume are common violets, and I suppose this one is, too, but I have never seen this color before. It really does have tiny dots all over it; its petals are curved backwards more than usual; and, of course, it's a volunteer.

Think I'll go sit on the deck and just enjoy the rest of the day and look at what else is blooming!












Lamiam- a variegated variety and candy tuft. Surprisingly, it lasted more than a week in the vase last week - who knew?