Garden Pic's

It has been over a month since my last post. I can't believe how the time comes and goes so quickly. So, what did everyone think of the weather this weekend. Not so great huh? Well, the rain was wonderful and in a day or two you are going to see things springing up all over the place. Once the sun, rain and wind find a happy meeting ground and agree to work together things will all start falling into place. I can not wait to get all the veggies planted. Good old Mother Nature has been teasing us for far to long now. I started tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melon and jack-be-littles from seed. The cukes are growing great and really need to be outside, the tomatoes, seem to be growing at a snails pace and the cukes are getting out of control. Hopefully they will be okay for another week inside. Then I will transplant them and cover them with milk jugs. The veggie garden so far with beets, Swiss chard, radishes, peas and various leaf lettuces.

The famous frog pond. This pond is about the size of a dish pan :). And while hiking in the way back with a friend, we found this Marsh Marigold growing so of course I had to have a small one for my pond. Not much room for the frog now :) but...oh well.






Keeping tabs on the "DRAGON ARUM" is a must. This is such an interesting specimen. It's foliage is nothing to talk about but watching this unique plant develop and flower is quite amazing. The
huge dagger/spike/spear formation the bud makes is very impressive. The flower in quite interesting too and the aroma is an unforgettable stench. Yup! You heard me right, stench!!! If you want to eliminate some flies, hanging a no pest strip next to this baby will help. However don't wait because it only lasts a day. The stench that is. The flower is close behind by two or three days and that is it, but no matter, it is definitely a conversation piece. I will be sure to keep you posted on it's growth.

One of my favorite blooming trees is the Red Bud. Interesting name since the flowers are a kind of lavender/pink color but prior to flowering the buds ARE really red so it is easy to see how it got it's name. I love the contrast the flowers make against the bark, which often looks almost black to me. I should mention that I often have difficulty with colors :). It doesn't look very dark in this picture but when you see them from far away and especially when it rains, the contrast between the flower and bark is stunning. This is of course, my opinion for whatever that is worth.

One of the tulips in my garden called "Angelica" (I think) or something like that. I started out with 10 of these a number of years ago. This year I had only 3 bloom. I have less and less every year. They look like roses but I assure you, they are tulips. I have amended the soil, fertilized and still they do not multiply. I'm guessing if a few years they will be nonexistent...at least in my garden. :(

A bolder in the front yard with creeping phlox (which are lavender but this picture is lacking color), hosta's and day lilies. The lilac needs no introduction. I must say they are smelling very aromatic this year.
Who am I kidding, they do every year :). One thing I do when making purchases is consider the scent and the time of year each plant is blooming. I love going outside and smelling all the different aromas these beauties make since I can't bring them in I can enjoy them for a short time outside. The first to bloom with is the Star Magnolia. When that is in bloom you smell it as soon as you walk out on the deck. When that fades there are the Hyacinth. These are not as strong probably due to the fact that I don't have that many but they are still noticeable. Next is the Lilacs and lily of the valley. Wow do they pack a punch.
Those things are powerful, so strong in fact that sometimes I have to go in because to much of that scent will make me sick. Next are the star gazer lilies. I think that gets me to about mid to late June. The summer is vacant of aroma but when fall comes you are talking about a whole new set of smells. Oh my, how. . . delicious!!!

I hope everyone is enjoying spring and the new life it brings.
Thank you God for all of your awesome creations of spring (except I have to mention these few things I'm sure you overlooked: black flies, mosquitoes and poison ivy :))!