Spring in the Garden

This has been an unusual spring for us.  In a twelve hour period we’ve had snow, rain, hail and thunderstorms.  Our temperatures have been 30-40 degrees different from mid morning to mid afternoon, with the high temperatures being in the MORNING and the cold setting in by mid afternoon.

My flowers are a bit confused as well.  Some of them are stunted, some took advantage of the one 80 degree day and sprouted only to have sleet and snow fall on them again.

We have started some of our cold weather veggies already.  The peas, lettuces, spinach and endive are popping through the soil, and the onion sets are finally in the ground.

My strawberry bed is looking a little shabby. The squirrels wrecked havoc on it last year, but there are a few little blooms!

My two larger flower beds on the outside of the yard house tulips, bee balm, spiderwort, daisy’s, Easter lily's, roses, Echinacea, coreopsis, azaleas and gladiolas.

I also have a small iris garden up the hill just beyond the two tulip gardens.

To the left of the sun porch I have a long flower bed that houses more irises, red hot pokers and peonies.   I also plan annuals throughut this bed once the irises have finished blooming.

The backyard has flower beds everywhere I can find a spot.  My favorite two are right off the patio.  This one holds a Bradford pear tree, lambs ear, grape hyacinths, daffodils, tiger lily's  and lamium.

Here I have black eyed Susan's, salvia, lambs ear, lavender, tiger lily, chrysanthemums, columbine, daffodils, sweet Williams, spiderwort and a rhododendron that doesn’t like me very much.

Behind our little garden shed I added another hodge-podge flower bed.  Here you’ll find bee balm, spiderwort, lamium, Echinacea, chrysanthemums, tiger lilies and chamomile.

To the far back left of the yard I have an L shaped flower bed.  Here I have a bleeding heart, salvia, black eyed Susan's, day lilies, and a wisteria bush/tree.

Finally at the back of the house I have my newest creation.  This one has both a lilac and forsythia bush in addition to various hostas, vinca, sweet Williams and fever few.

Here are a few up close photos of what is currently in bloom.