Backyard Garden One Week Later

Here is an update for our friends still in Florida for the Winter. 
Hey!  It's Spring here so hurry up & come back to town!

These pictures were taken yesterday...a day of sun & some clouds...so the light varies considerably (info for you camera buffs) if you were wondering.
First my pink star magnolias.

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I planted two of these as you can see.  One is close to the pond.  Honey and mason bees adore these trees.  I have cut branches in January for forcing indoors for Valentine's Day dinners.  So beautiful and fragrant.  Pollinated flowers go to seed from whence you can start new trees...or just enjoy the ripen red seed pods in Fall & Winter.

Next those hardy waterlily pads just forming last week.  Now you see them open on the water.   And yes, they are red even though I previously said only the bottom of the pad is red.  The pads are or will be a deep rich green when the water warms.  The current red is because we just had a few 30 & 40 degree days.  As you can see there are many already.  In my small pond that I dug in back in 2001, during the Summer many times I will have 7 or 8 pink waterlilies open at one time...with about 15 frogs that sit on the lily pads.  I can't wait for Bon Bon to discover frogs!  By the way, waterlily flowers make great cut flowers and their scent is better than any perfume that I know of.  My pond size is about 4 by 7 feet.

Here is a picture of some purple hyacinths.  Orginally a potted gift they now grace the yard from year to year.  Their blooms are doubles and, again oh so fragrant!

Every year we have several Robin families that return and raise several broods each.  This year one family has almost completed their nest on a part of the pergola.  See the ultra long grass strands used in this nest.  Most unusual.  If not destroyed by a predator I will watch for eggs and their hatching and of course take pictures.

New rose bush leaves are out on my rosa rugosa.  Did you know that rose petal & leaves are edible?  And, of course the rose hips are too.  The hips are very high in vitamin C.  In WWII hips were used in Europe as the main source of this vitamin in tea, baked goods, jams & jellies as fresh citrus was not obtainable.  And, the flower is not the only part scented...some leaves are too!  Oh!  What I could tell you about roses.  But, that's for another post.

 

One of my white hellebores...with freckles!

A native American current bush that smells like cloves discovered by Lewis & Clark in their explorations.  The bloom is yellow & they will open this week.

My coral herbaceous peony up 12 inches!  This one I had mail ordered from Martha Steward.

One of my seven tree peonies, all with big fat buds already.  Each has an exotic name.  Each has fragrance.  Each is huge with flowers 10 to 12 inches wide.

Nanking Cherry blooming.  I have 4 of these.  Native to Wisconsin.  Delicious with cherries you and the birds can eat!

Bon Bon who is finally staying still long enough for me to take his picture now.

A Spring bouquet that I French beaded a few years back.  It contains Dogwood, Tulip, Daffodil, Lily of the Valley, Pansy, Bluebells, etc.

So, you people in Florida.  See what you are missing!  And, don't forget about all the other birds, insects, etc.  My sewing machine is positioned in front of a backyard window where I look out often.  Mucho activity for so small a yard.  Stay tuned there will be more!