The past couple of days have been typically beautiful spring days. My Dearly Beloved and I have been out in the garden raking the leaves and debris off of the flower beds. We have pulled lots of weeds. I had my first casualty of the gardening year. This tool broke way too soon. I hadn't even worn the tag off of it yet. I really hate breaking this tool. I didn't even know I liked this tool until I received it as a gift christmas before last. I used it all last year but it didn't make it through this season. If you like certain tools and use them often you know how I feel. I know that Carol would know how I felt if she broke one of her hoes.
Of course our Overseer was in the garden. It was her job to alert us to the meter reader and to keep all squirrels and cats at bay while we were out.
We had to take a little break in the action to watch as this Robin was busy building a nest in one of the shrubby trees out front. There is another Robin building a nest in the apple tree in the back garden.
The Saucer Magnolia is all abloom like I can't remember it ever blooming.
Dearly Beloved took the above two photos.I tried to get an overall shot of the Magnolia. Somehow it just doesn't show up in photos as it does in person.
Behind the Magnolia you can see the forsythia blooming. I call this arrangement my "Folly". When I stuck these two forsythia into the ground I was just going to leave them there until I found somplace for them to take up a permanent residence. I had bought them as a table decoration for easter one year. Then I forgot about them. They sent out these L O N G branches so I decided to tie them up over the garage window. They made an interesting (to me) arch. I like pulling into the garage and seeing either the brilliant yellow blooming or the dark green of the leaves. Some years this arrangement is stuffed full of blooms. This year it has a bare spot or two. Most were caused by those galls I wrote about this winter. I will cut them out and hope that it improves the bush. Now if I could also get the House Sparrows not to build nests here it would fare better.
Behind the Magnolia you can see the forsythia blooming. I call this arrangement my "Folly". When I stuck these two forsythia into the ground I was just going to leave them there until I found somplace for them to take up a permanent residence. I had bought them as a table decoration for easter one year. Then I forgot about them. They sent out these L O N G branches so I decided to tie them up over the garage window. They made an interesting (to me) arch. I like pulling into the garage and seeing either the brilliant yellow blooming or the dark green of the leaves. Some years this arrangement is stuffed full of blooms. This year it has a bare spot or two. Most were caused by those galls I wrote about this winter. I will cut them out and hope that it improves the bush. Now if I could also get the House Sparrows not to build nests here it would fare better. 
Lisa, I like the arch of forsythia! I never seen them anyway but as bushes. Luna looks so healthy (and pretty)in the pic with the daffodils. Which are gorgeous by the way. No blooms here yet, but the buds are getting fat. The saucer magnolia, is that different from a regular one and how can you tell? Tell DB not to let you work him too hard!
ReplyDeleteLove the photos and the Robin shot is my fave! Spring cleaning, I need to do inside and outside!
ReplyDeleteHow terrible that your tool broke so soon. I'd write the company. A good gardening tool should last for years if not decades!
ReplyDeleteCarol, May Dreams Gardens
Lisa, I can't get over how your daffodils are blooming! And your photos of the magnolia make me homesick for the one we had at our old house. They are the most beautiful trees when in bloom.
ReplyDeleteThe magnolia is lovely!I think spring has sprung for sure at your place, Lisa. It's beautiful! I haven't seen the robin's nesting yet here. They are all over the place, so maybe soon.
ReplyDeleteLuna looks like she knows she matches the Daffodils - "I'm ready for my closeup now!" How do you keep those Forsythia managable? They are lovely (even with bare spots).
ReplyDeleteI love the forsythia arch! And luna is picture perfect. What a beautiful blog entry. Spring has definitely Sprung in your area. Woohoo!
ReplyDelete:-)
Dawn
Your pictures made my day! This magnolia is great. I love the robin and I'm glad to see Luna.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see all those happy blooms, Lisa. We're still wayyyyy behind you, but I have hope...these past few days have assured me that spring will come Meanwhile, it's also very good to see Luna out and about and looking well. She's such a sweetie!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just hate it when something that's become a favorite breaks? Grrr! Beautiful magnolia and I also love your forsythia arch.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful magnolia. I can imagine it in person. How wonderful to have robins building their nests in your garden (I think the blackbirds in my garden have hatched already!)
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see that Luna is doing well.
Beckie, a saucer magnolia has these big blooms. The star magnolia has smaller all white blooms. That is the only way I can tell the difference. You don't have to worry about DB. He can take care of himself. He is the one that is after me to get out there and get the beds cleaned up. He learned last year that if you do it early it takes little effort the rest of the summer to keep them looking good.
ReplyDeleteMon@rch, you mean to say people actually clean inside during spring??
Carol I think this tool was not meant to last decades. I am hard on things too.
I agree Rose that the Magnolia is beautiful when the weather cooperates and lets it fully bloom. As you might know this doesn't happen every year.
Robin it won't be too long before your Robins are building nests.
MrMcD, the forsythia just has to be pruned a couple times per year. I always wonder if I cut off the blooms but it seems to have plenty.
Thank you all for commenting. Luna seems to be doing well on her medication. We just take every day and enjoy. She was obviously interested in something else when I took the picture or she wouldn't have sat there long enough for me to take her picture.
lisa - i love the forsythia! nice work!
ReplyDeleteThe forsythia is beautiful! What a great idea. I noticed your daffodils blooming, (great pic). Only my minatures daff's are blooming. This is the first year for most of the bulbs I planted. I planted a ton of them last fall, so much so that believe it or not I got tired of planting.
ReplyDeleteIt REALLY is getting to be spring. Great robin shot and that magnolia is gorgeous...a perfect art subject, hint hint.
ReplyDeleteLisa,
ReplyDeleteGood thing you have an overseer - those meter readers can be pretty sneaky! My four legged friend only comes for the occasional visit, so I have to rely on my two-legged little boy to chase any squirrels or rabbits who dare to set foot in the backyard.
I love how your forsythia frames the window. No forsythias at my current home (yet). So many things to add, so few places to put them.
Cathy
Dear Lisa,
ReplyDeleteIt is a great feeling to get the beds all cleaned up. I worked a wee bit before the cool down and the rains came. Hope to get out some today before another round of thundershowers. Your Magnolia is beautiful! I love seeing your daffodils too. The Robin photo is great!
Spring, my favorite time of year.
Sherry
How beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see it all blooming in your garden!
Lovely Robin too!
What a lovely dog to keep you company and join you, sitting under the forsythia arch and listening to Robin's song :)
ReplyDeleteDoesn't Luna look lovely amongst the daffodils. She looks well.
ReplyDeleteMagnolia, beautiful magnolia I can see it in its full glory.
I like the forsythia arch, very artisic.
Glad u have spring, we have had terrible night frosts that have done a lot of damage. Nevermind, that gardening.
Lisa, sounds like gardening is underway at Greenbow... how exciting! The magnolia is fabulous as is the unintended forsythia arch over the garage window... nice folly.
ReplyDeleteThe robin photo is the prize winner with nest building material in her beak. DB is a pretty good shot!
Luna has her job figured out and looks quite lovely standing guard.
meems @Hoe&Shovel
Wow, you are way ahead of us with nature! Nice photos of blossoms! But spring has sprung here, too. It is so good to be outside, isn't it ?
ReplyDeleteOh i am happy i chanced upon your blog and see that you are a gardener as well as an artist!
ReplyDeleteI'll be back to read more. Very nice photos!
The Magnolia and Forsythia blossoms are a sure sign of Spring!
ReplyDeleteLovely photo of your dog in the garden! Happy Spring!!
I hate that when our favorite tools break!!hugs NG
I hate it too when I break something, especially garden equipment.
ReplyDeleteLove your golden arch *folly*, more people should have such a glorious spring arch in their gardens. Then we would see more happy smiling faces, don't you think?
Lisa, your forsythia arch is inspired genius, keeps the window from being blocked, highlights the yellow blooms and makes you smile. Luna makes me smile too.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteSpring is so lush in your garden! I saw the flooding in your previous post. That was hard on the wildlife, but the rain sure pumped up the blossoms at Greenbow.
My neighbor's Saucer magnolia drapes a bit over our fence and we enjoy it each spring, but a too-dry fall & winter meant a mediocre show this spring. Your saucer and Carol's star are outstanding in 2008. I don't have either of those, but hope the 'Little Gem' [a small evergreen, Southern magnolia] will make some flowers in late spring and summer.
Sure the galls don't win - the forsythia arch is so festive!
It would have been fun to meet you for Spring Fling, Lisa, but with a little luck we in the Garden blogging world will have more chances to meet in real life - see you one of these days, kiddo!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I like the way you did the forstyhia - I've never it grown like that. Very creative!
ReplyDeleteLuna's such a pretty girl! She looks very happy sitting next to all those daffodils (jonquils?)
ReplyDeleteYou have definitely got spring going on there!