Spring Lily-of-the-Valley IAVOM

Cathy at Rambling in the Garden has a meme that every Monday you post a vase of flowers.Cathy has a knack of having flowers all year round which encourages everyone to try to have something in your vase.  I don't often post but the pink Lily-of-the Valley is so pretty this year. Often the pink is washed out for some reason. This year they are so very pink. Along with the LOV are some small leaves of the mini hosta 'Cheatin Heart'. 

They vase is only about 4" tall, one of a trio of small vases that my daughter gave me years ago. I give them a workout this time of year.

While the Pink LOV doesn't smell as strong as the traditional white LOV it blooms a little earlier for me and adds a little sparkle to the garden.

If you want to see what people from all over are putting in their vase  pop over to Cathy's blog here for some spring time fun or perhaps even some fall colors from down under.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - April 2020

This is some Bloom Day. The wind is howling and there is ice on the tall bird bath out in the garden.  On the bright side there are quite a few blooms in the garden even if they are spread out. Like the  creeping phlox and the native phlox diverticulata are blooming. Hellebores are still sporting a few blooms but they are mostly going over to seeds. 

The Crabapple tree (that pink spot in the back of the above picture center) is blooming beautifully.

The first Iris Cristata ‘Powder Blue Giant’ started blooming yesterday.

There are several Grape hyacinths blooming. This pale blue one I have moved around to different places in the garden because it seems to like it here.

There are a few late daffodils blooming now but they won't last long in this freezing weathers. 

Dicentra Gold Heart came up early this year and has a few blooms on it. 

The pink dogwood out front is really pretty but is difficult to get a good picture of the overall tree. It is supposed to be Rubra but has always been pink. 

The native Columbines are beginning to bloom. This usually means there will be hummingbirds at any moment in the garden. Maybe this wind will blow them in to the area.

The Chocolate Chips Ajuga is blooming here and there around the garden. I like the way it pairs with the bright red twig dogwood Biltmore. My photo doesn't do it justice. 

I hope all is well with you and yours and you are able to get out in your garden today. If you can't pop over to Carol's May Dreams Garden to view other Garden Bloggers Blooms. 

Other plants blooming in the garden:

Variegated Soloman's Seal

Brunnera Ghost

Pulmonaria

Golden Alexander Zizia Aurea

Yellow terillium Luteum

Violets

various Tulips 

Spring Beauties Claytonia virginica

Leather leaf Viburnum

Button Spirea

Pink Flowering Almond Shrub Prunus Glandulosa

Eastern Redbud Tree Cercis Canadensis

Turkey

No this turkey isn't for Easter dinner it is a picture for Shadow Shot Sunday. Where you can go see more shadows here.

He/she is wondering what you are looking at.

Either a young male or a female. I think a young male because it wasn't very smart. It would have been a hunters dream to have a turkey cross a field and them saunter past where the hunter was await a shot. It was lucky this time that this hunter only carries a camera. 

I hope you have a Hoppy Easter. Don't eat too much candy...unless it is chocolate. 

Wednesday Woes

It seems that plants are barreling along into spring but all is about to come to a screeching halt. The prediction is that we are to have frost this weekend and maybe even some snow next week. We had to drag inside the plants I had put outside last week. The behemoths will have to sit in front of the patio doors until this cold spell passes by.

Instead of dwelling on the blah I thought that I would share a few pictures of what I am able to enjoy now. The 'pink' is taking over the front of the house. Redbud trees and Almond bush. 

The Almond bush has never looked better. 

It and the Button Spirea are romping. 

It seems like some things are blooming earlier than usual. Like this variegated Soloman's seal. The native Soloman's Seal isn't even up. I don't think it has been fooled by this warmer than usual weather.

It seems like the later Daffodils are white ones. I wish I could remember their names.

This pretty little yellow trillium is new to the garden. It is in a very protected place. It came from Tennessee so I suppose it is on track. 

I will leave you with this little spot of sunshine. I am not sure what hosta it is but every spring it injects some much needed light into a gloomy day.

I hope you all have a delightful weekend. Try to stay warm. It is going to be a little more difficult to do since we have had such nice warm weather. We are matching our record high for this date as I type, 84F (29C).  Cheers.

Weekend Wonders

There is so much happening in the garden now. I have to be out there often to try to keep up with it all. 

The Mayapples, Podophyllum,  are beginning to pop up. Always a delight to see. 

The trillium is beginning to set buds. I wanted to get these posted for Wildflower Wednesday but I didn't get around to it. Odd how with more time at home I don't seem to be getting ahead of chores or even getting to some things I want to do. 

We took Annie for a walk and I spotted these fiddle heads unfurling. These belonging to Christmas Fern. I don't know a lot of wild ferns but this one I have in my garden.

We came upon this convention of Turkey Vultures having breakfast.

Mallards are so very common around here year round but this gentleman looked quite dapper in his fresh plumage. 

A bird that isn't so common is a Barred Owl. We came upon this one standing at the edge of a flooded field. It appeared to be hunting frogs. We sat and watched it for some time. It didn't catch anything while we watched but it didn't seem a bit disturbed with an audience. It did keep an eye on us.

We are all doing well here. I hope you and yours are too.

As you might have noticed we haven't had much sunshine lately. The weather sort of suits the mood of the country. I am ready for some sunshine. How about you?