Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - May 2018

To start of this bloom day I present you with this Exbury Azalea. Normally it has a lot of blooms but it isn't releasing all of the buds at this time. We haven't had rain this month so it is a bit too dry for too many blooms. Plus...the dreaded rabbits at half of this shrub last winter. I am just happy it has any blooms after that treatment.

The Buckeye shrub Aesculus pavia  is also reacting to this lack of rain. We will still have a few buckeyes just not as many as usual. 

This pretty little yellow Baptisia is not phased by the lack of rain. 

Neither is the catmint. I think this is the best it has ever looked. It may be because it is it's third year in the garden. 

The wind has played havoc with the big white irises this year. Kate doesn't seem to think a thing of it. She has some sparse blue blooms. She really likes more moisture than she is getting. I have threatened several years to pull her out since she goes dormant in August, as in dying to the ground, when we get our normal drought and high temps. 

The drying winds have caused the irises not to last so long but it is nice that these white ones edged in lavender have held on for today. You see we still have quite a bit of columbine blooming too. 

The first blooming clematis is all revved up. 'Multi Blue' doesn't seem to mind the dry weather. 

Around on the north side of the house the Jack-in-the-pulpits are blooming and looking taller than normal. I am glad they don't seem affected by the lack of water. 

What is Princess Annie doing you as? Why she is watching over the robins. If you look close you can see that these little chicks have a lot in common with the Honeysuckle blooms. 

The inside of their mouths are a dark orange while their "lips" are a pale yellow. They seem to be healthy. Mom and Dad are constantly bringing in the food. The chicks sit like this almost all day. 

Mouths open. The biggest one can almost launch it's self out of the nest. That would be a disaster. I hope it stays put. Their little eyes aren't even open yet. It won't be long.

For more blooms from all over flick over to Carol's May Dreams Garden to see what all everyone else has blooming this month. 

Other plants blooming at Greenbow

Weigelia 'Red Prince'

Kerria 

Variegated Weigelia with pink and white blooms

A blue columbine

Holly shrubs

Ninebark 'Little Devil'

Water plant

Snowball bush

Migration May

Such a busy time of year. What have I been up to? This post will give you a hint. It isn't only birds and flowers that are busy. I got a call from an 87 year old friend that said we needed to dash over to her place to see a 'Natural Phenomena that is happening in her garden'. So off we go to her house. We found her nearly dancing at the site of a tree frog clinging to her door. 

 If you have never had this little visitor I can say it is quite fun to open the blinds on your door and find one clinging with those little suction up toes. 

A day or so later we get a call from another friend and she told us she had a Harris's Sparrow coming to her feeders. This is a sparrow that is rarely in our state let alone just a few miles from our home. We dashed right out there and got a few photos through the window of this handsome sparrow. 

We walk Annie every morning. While she watches for moles to make a move...

We watch for new spring arrivals such as this Wood Thrush. It is always a thrill to hear the flute-like  early  morning concert performed by this beautiful bird. 

Then yesterday we helped with the Lawrence County, IL Spring Bird Count. Gary was  happy to be able to get a decent photo of this very skittish drake Wood Duck. Of course I would be skittish too if someone was often shooting at me.  

So this morning when I woke, I looked out the back door to see if the Robin was still ensconced on her nest. You can see her there. 

I doubt she goes any place what with three of these beautiful blue eggs to attend. The poor dear probably would have laid 4 or 5 eggs if she had been someplace where no one could bother her.

As it is I can hardly avoid the area. Annie stayed with friends yesterday for an overnighter while we were busy. She is sticking pretty close to home today.  

I had to get out into the garden to see what might be going on now that all the tulips and daffodils have been cooked to well done in the heat of the days past. Alliums are taking their place in this garden. You can see the purple iris are also making a show. How did this bed get so blue/purple?? 

I didn't wander long. I plopped into a chair on the gazebo patio. Looking at the dappled lush is about all I will accomplish this day. 

Oh, look over here. Our first Red Admiral butterfly taking advantage of the sun on a white Lilac blossom. Aaahhhhh.... 

Can't you just feel the warmth of that lovely spring sun.

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. I certainly did because to top off all of this we had a delightful visit with my son and his fiance. Happiness is...

April Delights

April is marching on. At last we are having normal temperatures. It has been raining this morning. After all the flooding earlier this rain was much appreciated. 

 The rain brought on some more double narcissus that go well with pale blue Muscari.

 The Hinoki cypress is the variety that gets golden edges with new growth and lots of sun. We haven't had lots of sun lately so it isn't quite as golden and I think it is just starting a bit of growth with this warmer weather. 

 I thought to plant some bright yellow tulips around the cypress to bring out the yellow highlights on the HC. You can see the beginning of my vision coming together. I can look out the patio doors and see these brilliant yellow tulips blooming. 

I can see that I need more early color out this way.

Looking across the patio to the other side of the garden you can see the Serviceberry is in full bloom.

Oh, look at the left side of that bird house.

A robin is making a nest.

I can watch her right out the kitchen door. She is way too close to the house but I am not complaining as long as the squirrels and House Sparrows allow her to stay there. Not to mention us going in and out of the door many times daily. 

The conditions were just right for her to bring mud to shore up the inside of the nest. She would bring a bill full put it into the nest then sit on it.

Then she would turn this way and that way. 

Then she would press down with all her might. 

She would swizzle down deep then push with her wings to get it just so. 

She studied her nest intently. 

Only stopping briefly to rest upon her creation to see if it felt quite right. I even like seeing the undertail coverts. I don't see them very often.

Hopefully our activity won't be a bother to her. I have made Annie use the patio doors all day. It is warm enough and the bugs are bad yet so I can leave it open wide enough she can come and go on her own. I am not the only one that loves this weather. 

A Day to Remember

Yesterday was a day to remember. It was a cold and windy spring day.  I looked out at one point and all seemed rather normal except I knew it was colder than usual.

I was admiring the color of this little hosta. No I don't remember the name of this one but the color is striking this time of year. 

I got busy and then walked by the kitchen door again and looked out. WHAT??? SNOW! I could hardly believe my eyes. This is mid April now.

I started watching this spectacle. The furry critters decided it was party time.

The cotton tails were acting like March Hares jumping and chasing around.

They weren't the only ones.

The squirrels perched on warm rocks trying to figure out just what was going on.

The Bloom Day beauties  were being covered.

The tulips I was admiring the other day also had a dusting of snow. 

Of course everything had a good dusting of snow.

Then about 10 minutes later the snow was all gone. Was this a mirage? I hope that spring doesn't follow suite and disappear into summer right before our eyes.

Spring has Sprung

Even though the wind is howling these warm temperatures and sun shine  are encouraging everything to bloom. I love looking out the kitchen door and seeing some color in the garden. It is difficult to stay indoors for very long with it being this warm.

I am not the only one that is enjoying the sun and warmer temperatures. 

Even many bugs have emerged. Bees, flies. It is nice to see them all. 

Trees are budding. By the end of this day the Redbuds will be open. This crabapple was planted only last year and it is all budded up. 

There is some pale blue grape hyacinths blooming their little heads off. Oh no, maybe it is the wind blowing their heads off. 

The first epimedium is blooming.  

The red, white and blue arrangement out front didn't quite turn out as I imagined but I am not complaining since they are so pretty no matter what the colors. 

The all white tulips are as they should be. This clump has multiplied this year. This makes me happy too. 

The wild violets are blooming up a storm too. Love seeing these cheerful little faces.

Who couldn't be happy when hearing the First of the Year House Wren singing at the top of his lungs on the patio this morning. 

I hope you are all having a good day. Have a great weekend too despite the rain and chill that is to move in. There will be more days like today.

In a Vase on Monday

I don't often fill vases full of flowers. Since it was Easter Sunday yesterday and this year the daffodils were blooming up a storm I thought it a good thing to pick a bunch for the dinner table. 

I put the daffs in a rabbit pitcher. Since it was so chilly here during the day not everyone wanted to go outside to see them so they got to see them this way. 

I also had a couple of tiny vases made up for the bathroom. I brought them out this morning since our bathroom doesn't have a window. I simply placed the small vases into the orchid pot. You can see the little grape hyacinths (left front) and the pink hyacinth on the other side of the pot. The small orchid to the right is also blooming. I think they look sweet together.

Even though I don't often participate in Cathy's meme of IN A VASE ON MONDAY,  I always go there to see what everyone is finding to put in their vases on Monday. You should go have a look too.