Tag Archives: Spring

Morning Sky

Country Life, Thoughts On Life, ,

Ohio is moody. This was my view when I arrived at work on Monday morning. The view was indeed spectacular with the beautiful sky and the cottony, white frosted trees.

Some years it has been 70 and sunny in April. Other years there have been several inches of snow.

Yesterday it rained all day long and was in the fifties. Today it has been high winds and enough snow to pile up on the fence.

We had daffodils last year at this time. Overall, could be better, could be worse. Either way I know that I will be whining by the end of June that it is too hot. This too shall pass.

Spring Blooms

Country Life, Gardens,

Spring rebirth and renewal is always appreciated here.  It takes place in the heart and soul as well as in the garden.  Let me take you on a tour. 

Tulips and hostas emerge from the bed beside the house. 

Candy tuft hangs over the side wall.

Bleeding hearts are just starting to come out.

The dogwoods are flaunting their finery. These are just a few of the sights that rejuvenate my soul. I hope that you are enjoying and communing with the blossoming of spring wherever you are.

Peace be with you. 

Soon!

Country Life, Thoughts On Life,

Boy, do I miss these days of lounging on the patio and relaxing. Soon they will come again and the endless, grey days will be but a memory. 
I really do like the winter time. But even I am ready for a bit warmer weather, more sun, and green growing things. So here is a photo of one of my favorite early bloomers.

Nothing beats a peony, and especially a whole bed of them. Their fragrance is divine and they are a beauty to behold. So hold on dear ones. Spring is around the corner.

Spring Comes

Gardens, ,

Azaela

Gorgeous coral colored azalea! This bush grows beside our house which was built in 1830. The bush itself is quite old judging from the size at the base of the trunk. I have never seen another azalea that is quite this color. We can’t wait for it to bloom when spring comes.

Bleeding heart

A profusion of bleeding hearts, or Dicentra, grow at our side door. The foliage is ferny and the flowers do indeed look like hearts. They are a pretty little plant.

                                  Petunial  Begonia

And these were Mother’s Day gifts. The petunia from my daughter is a beautiful color. And the begonia is from her boyfriend. How special is that?! Pretty great. I look forward to moving them outside when it warms up. The weather is slow to warm up this year. These two plants will definitely brighten things up, physically, and in my mind’s eye whenever I think of the givers.

 

Scents of Spring

Gardens, ,

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The scents of Spring wake up the senses. Lilacs waft through the air and remind me of childhood days. We had one growing outside our kitchen window and the fragrance can still transport me back in time. It also makes me think of my Mother’s lilac perfume.

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The viburnum has a scent so glorious that it is the sole reason I planted it. One day I was at the library and noticed a most pleasing smell. I looked around the base of the bushes until I found an identifying tag. Viburnum. I obtained my own bush soon after.

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Lily-of-the-valley grow beside our door. I am blessed with its scent each time I go in or out of the house.

These are some of the plants that I would grow for scent alone. Their fragrance can calm my mind and make me focus, blocking out all else. These are gifts of nature.

More Flowers!

Country Life, Gardens, ,

Primula

These primulas came up in our yard this year. We don’t know where they came from but they are a wonderful gift. Once they are done blooming I will transplant them into one of the flowerbeds so we can mow that area again.

White violets

These white violets also grow in our yard. They come up every year and I love to see them. The flowers disappear before it is time to mow. How considerate they are.

Trillium

This trillium grows in our pine grove. Each year it adds another bloom. I would love to divide it but fear it would not flower if I did. I have heard they are very particular. Their trumpets surely are a thing of splendor and beauty.

Spring Time Flowers

Gardens, ,

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Yay, it’s time for garden photos again! These are blooms on my flowering almond tree. They are a welcome sight as they are among the first blooms of the season.

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The service berry trees are early bloomers too. If each of those blossoms turns into fruit we will have glorious service berry pies again.  Oh happy day!

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The dogwood always brings a smile to my face. It just seems to announce “Happy Spring!”

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And the ever faithful tulip. Planted by a former owner of our home, but an ever present  bloomer.

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And the lung wort flowers are ever an early surprise. These plants are all gifts of the season and harbingers of what is to come. Happy spring!

A Perfect Afternoon

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, ,

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What’s not to love? It was Saturday. It was warm. It was sunny. I got to hang out with my dogs. It was the perfect afternoon. Above are Shelby and Baxter wanting to know what we’re going to do next. What we did next was play with  the tennis ball.

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Phoebe and Shelby look on while Baxter brings the ball back. Shelby ‘ s favorite pass time is barking at Baxter and bossing him as he brings the ball back.

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And here is Nikki doing what she does best. Posing and being cute. Actually what she does best is try to eat poop while I’m not looking but I’m not going to count that as a skill.

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And here are Baxter, Shelby, and Nikki keeping an eye on me as I walk into the woods. You’ll notice Phoebe is not watching. She says if you’re dumb enough to get lost in the woods, I can’t help you. I’m having a nap.

And thus ends a perfect afternoon. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Spring Garden Walk and Memories

Dogs & Other Animals, Gardens, , , ,

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The weather was pleasant with sunshine and the temperature was perfect so I decided a walk around the gardens was in order. I started by checking on the trillium. It achieved its personal best for number of blooms this year at six. The trilliums grow in our pine grove, enjoying the shade of the  tall trees.

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Then it was on to check out the hemlock nearby. It is doing great. We purchased it when it was no more than a small twig from the County Extension Office, and have enjoyed watching it grow from a small Charlie Brown type Christmas tree to its current self.

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The ground cover throughout the pine grove is covered with Vinca vine also known as myrtle. It has these pretty bluish purple little blossoms at this time of year.

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Growing near the house we have a viburnum. The bush doesn’t look like much, although it does have these cute little flowers, but ohhh the smell. Heavenly! You can smell its glorious perfume from the door of the house. I wish there was a way to record smell so that I could share it with you. Maybe that will be the next wave of the future.

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Also near the house we have the woodland bleeding heart. Named for its heart shaped little flowers.

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And of course the requisite spring tulips.

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And continuing on the walk we see these the tiny, white violets nearly everywhere. They grow up in the lawn and so fall prey to the mower, but still they always seem to be there.

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The flowering almond is resplendent with many blooms right now. This little tree always makes me think of my beloved sheltie Duncan. Every evening, during his last days, we would take a walk to enjoy our time together and I have pictures of him in front of this tree. The tree is beautiful by its own merits but the memory of Duncan makes it even sweeter. He grew from being my greatest challenge to my greatest gift.

Duncan Almond

And so I will leave you with the memory of Duncan who has been gone from me two years next week. You can see his therapy dog tag in the photo. He was the light of my life but he also brought joy wherever he went and made the world a better place. Rest well my sweet boy.