This week in the garden

I'm still reading The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. It's a very long book and full of informative details. It takes close reading which makes it slow - but very enjoyable - work. I say all that to explain that I don't have a review for you this week and so, instead, I offer this placeholder.

In addition to being slow reading, my progress on the book has been slowed because I've been spending quite a lot of my daytime hours in the garden. It is that time of year, after all. The garden demands my attention after its (relatively short) winter nap.

 In the vegetable garden, the curly kale is at its sweet and succulent best.

The sugar snap peas on their trellis are just beginning to bloom. They need to get a move on. Spring is heating up fast.

 Next to the vegetable garden, the wild blackberries are beginning to plump up.

The green anoles are out and about. This one enjoys a sunbath while resting on one of my succulent plants.

 The gerbera daisies are beginning to bloom.

 Is there any sunnier bloom anywhere?

Do these blooms really look like kangaroo paws? At any rate, that is their common name.

There is a Northern Mockingbird war going on in my backyard. Two pairs are vying for control. This one dares you to try to take "his" seeds!

Just a week ago the redbud tree was full of blooms. Now it is full of tiny leaves as it begins to green up.

The Japanese maple is putting out leaves and blooms, but at a much slower rate than the redbud.

The male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are passing through. They usually lead the migration with the females and first-year birds following.

The amaryllis bulbs that I've planted in the garden over the years are just getting ready to bloom.

This canna has been trying to come back since January. Twice it got nipped back by cold weather, but that won't happen this time.

 Autumn sage, spring sage, every season sage - the Salvia greggii is in bloom.

 It comes in raspberry pink, too.

 A Red Admiral butterfly rests on the emerging lantana.

 The lime sedge seems to glow in its shaded bed.

The Carolina Wrens have been hard at work building a nest in the bluebird box outside my kitchen window. They abandoned it once before. We'll see if they follow through this time.

 The yarrow is in full bloom now.

I used to see nothing but fox squirrels in my yard but a couple of years ago they began to be displaced by the gray squirrels. Now I see nothing but grays - no more fox squirrels.

On its trellis by the garden shed, my 'Peggy Martin' rose is in its glory at the moment.

There you have it - a walk through my garden at mid-week and I hope to have that review for you in a few days!

Comments

  1. Your garden looks beautiful. You can tell you've put a lot of work into making it look gorgeous.

    The 'Peggy Martin' rose bush looks lovely and so does your kale.

    The green anoles are a hoot to see. :-)

    I like the animal photos you've added as well.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, CR. I love anoles. They are among my favorite garden critters. I always enjoy it when they start showing up in the spring.

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  2. I also have been reading slowly. Though I have been working from home, I have been working a lot of hours. I am also in the middle of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment which is fairly long.

    Great pictures, especially of the anole.

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    Replies
    1. Most everyone I know is working from home these days. And that transition was made relatively easily, which I guess should tell us something. Although I'm not quite sure what!

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  3. Time spent outdoors is always the best time of all, but especially now it seems. The books will still be there when you go back inside, Dorothy.

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    1. I have a neighbor who sits on her patio reading. How can she do that? There's so much going on around us, so many dramas we need to be watching. I've never understood people who can read outdoors. Reading is an indoor activity in my opinion.

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  4. I LOVE your pictures, as always. I'm so glad it's a more going-outside time of the year. My whole house is full of flowers because everybody knows I love them so much, and me being a teacher it's kinda hard in the corona virus time... so I received a lot of flowers!

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    Replies
    1. Flowers are always a mood booster. Even more so in these dark times.

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  5. The gerber daisies are just so delightful!

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  6. Beautiful! It has been rather gloomy here the last few days so bright flowers are just what I needed!

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  7. I loved every picture in this post!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Judy. I'm thinking of making this a regular feature of the blog. The garden changes so quickly at this time of year. It would be nice to document it on the blog.

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