So Much More, So SOON!

Wow! I came home to some beautiful new stuff! Was amazed after the weekend that so much more is in bloom so soon . . .

For example, the iris . . . .

The red and purple azaleas . . .



The wonderfully fragrant French lilac . . .











The double lavender azalea. (Note the white and purple ones in the background) . . .









This totally GIANT peony - think it is at least 6" across!! and there are more just like it on the same plant!




And the biggest surprise, a whole bunch of pinks. Last year I bought 6 little plants, thought they were about dead, but they came back triple what they were last year . . . stunning!

I Adore SPRING!

I have been told this is the "Pride of the Neighborhood." I can certainly see why. I love azaleas anyway, and would have planted little baby ones when I bought this house, but to "inherit" this magnificant specimen is beyond belief! Every spring, it amazes me at how absolutely beautiful it really is.

Here's a closeup of how delicate and beautiful each individual flower is:






And there are others - in the back yard. Almost as glorious! The white and the red (lavender and purple are still on the way):

Not to mention - the lilac that is wafting it's heavenly scent through the neighborhood!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

It was a busy, busy day in the back yard! Took my little camera out to see what was "up," so to speak.

Found the following: Narcissis; wild violets that grow in the yard and are purple, white, and everything in between; some orange/yellow tulips; a red tulip; perriwinkle; pink tulips; bleeding heart (which I adore!); and a bush full of flowering quince! Not bad for one day, plus a few daffodils that are still hanging on. I was so thrilled, I planted some new Oriental lilies. Can't wait for the blooms (hope the darned squirrels don't devour those!).

And speaking of squirrels, has anybody else bought one of those extravagent "squirrel proof" bird feeders? I got one a couple weeks ago. It took the squirrels a couple days to find it, and one to dismantle it. Somehow, they slip the spring that blocks the food from them. Of course, once they do that, the birds can't eat it either. I figured out how to re-hook the spring, and have done it as a daily ritual ever since. I may have to resort to something lethal . . . even tho it is not like me at all. Sigh.

Some Thrilling Announcements!

I am positively thrilled to announce that my Mandevilla vine survived the long winter months of absolute neglect in my home office and is back outside in the sunshine. The entire stem from last year died, but it sent up 4 new shoots that are green and growing. Pictures will follow IF we get some blooms this year. Actually, I'm hoping for more than last year, since the main stem is a year older.

Also, my Montmorency cherry tree - a Mother's Day gift that was installed last spring - survived the winter, is starting to put out some lovely bright green leaves, and is positively LOADED with flower buds!! I will put up pictures of that once they are out. I can hardly wait. Last year, when it came here, there were already 3 little green cherries. Of course, they ripened, and were devoured by either the squirrels or birds. All I know is one day they were there, the next day they were gone!

Also will soon be planting some new oriental lilies to go with the Stargazers. My tulips are doing great, and the peonies are showing signs of buds already. Soon the azaleas will be blooming which, of course, means prettier pictures for my blog!

Happy spring!

When Bad Things Happen to Nice Flowers

As a kind of follow up to my post last week, thought I'd share with you the first full day of spring in St. Louis : Below are a few pictures I took in the backyard this evening, when the sun actually took a quick peek out from behind some clouds. My forsythia, as you can see, was well on its way to being quite beautiful . . . as were the daffodils.

For some strange reason, I find these things still quite beautiful - the way the snow is balanced on the branches, the sun glinting off the frozen flowers. Just call me crazy . . .

Daffodils - and SNOW!

Isn't this about the cutest thing you ever saw???

Yes, that's a quarter laying next to it. Tiny, tiny! Too tiny to leave outside tonight in St. Louis. For those of you who never venture away from the computer screen to view the larger, TV, screen, the Midwest is being pounded by our first snow of the winter - I mean, spring. UGH! All those nice, early forsythia and daffodils I took pictures of on the 11th of March will soon be shriveled globs of yellow crud. Too sad.

So, tonight, after a wonderful, belated corned beef and cabbage dinner at my dad's (he does a great job of that!), I rescued my five precious miniature daffodils. They're too little to fend for themselves in this. So far, in the last four hours and 19 minutes, we've had rain, sleet, ice pellets, and now snow. From what they're saying, we could get "thunder snow" tonight. Won't that be fun??? Anyway, here's a picture of all five of the little beauties in their very own medicine bottle. Believe it or not, I dug that up when I was turning over the garden a couple years ago. Knew it'd be good for something! Hope the rest of the bulbs survive!

First Signs of Spring

While opening windows to let in the beautiful 70 degree temperatures and breezes we had here today, I noticed a ball of yellow. On investigation, I discovered:
















The first spring flowers are popping out all over the back yard. There were a couple crocus earlier, but nothing like finding a whole pile of daffodils to make you feel like cleaning the house - NOT. But anyway, just had to share the joy of the new life settling in on St. Louis!

February 2006

Geesh - almost an entire month has flown by with barely a peep out of me here! Bad blogger!

Everything has been a whirlwind for me this month. My birthday, still working and still loving it, busy with a broken computer (hard drive crash), trying to keep up with my son and his constant back-and-forths to work in Kansas City, spring's here - no it isn't - yes it is - no it isn't. If you've visited my knitting and needlework blog, you'll see I've been busy there knitting a shawl and making curtains for my office/guest room. Have also been getting things situated to begin a huge stained glass project - a fireplace screen that will be covered with irises. Beautiful. So, it's not like I've been sitting on my thumbs all month . . . .

Oh - and my niece is leaving St. Louis and moving to Kansas City (actually, Overland Park, KS) for a new job with her old firm. A nice promotion, but an upheaval here at home. I'm sure she will flourish there just as she always has, but it will be difficult for those of us staying here.

Anyway, hopefully, spring really will be here soon. My bulbs and azaleas think it's time and the robins are back. With the weather going from 70s one day to about 25 a couple days later with snow, I wouldn't be surprised to find frozen robins stuck to tree limbs one day! Would love to remove my fake squirrel's hat sometime soon. Perhaps he will get that new muffler next year.

It's about time to get back out in the yard and see if I can find plants other than hostas that thrive with no sun. Am also eagerly anticipating the blooming of the cherry tree I planted last spring, and seeing if I actually get some cherries this year (will have to beat the birds and squirrels to them!)

I really will try and be a better blogger.

Blu's Very Boring Spring Update

Ok - so tomorrow's April Fool's Day . . . and if anybody's a fool, tis me!! I have decided to adopt a pet – Am looking for a beta – one of those frilly, blue fighting fish. It would look lovely on my living room fireplace mantle! Altho the fish is still only an idea, it already has a name – Fin. May have to take a trip to the little fish store and see what we can find. Perhaps there will be a picture of the new arrival here soon!

In other news, have actually held this job 11 days now – and counting! Hopefully they seem to like me, and things seem to be going well. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Next big hurdle is the three-week mark. Once past that, I’ll breathe a sigh of relief!

Have been knitting in the evenings and trying to keep ahead of the housework and errands I used to have all day to do.

Not much else to report – spring has finally arrived – periodically – and the azaleas are getting ready to do their thing, the magnolias are coming out around the neighborhood, and the moss that covers the mud in my backyard is a lovely shade of chartreuse/green. Guess that means it is really healthy, although I’d rather have grass! My daffodils have put on quite a show this spring, the irises are getting ready, the bleeding heart survived the winter and is growing again, the forsythia is blooming - even though it spent most of last summer with a huge tree limb on top of it – and there’s little green leaves coming out again on many things. May be time to build that fence to keep the bunnies and squirrels out of the garden this year so I can finally have some spinach and those purple beans they’ve devoured the last two years in a row! We will see. The backyard animal wars continue!

Hope you enjoy the spring!