Exciting News in the Garden

A friend, who lives a few miles away from here, emailed me the following photos, taken just last week:

This was a beautiful, gentle snow, lacking the dangerous icy edge of the snow event we had a few weeks ago. The snow was gone within a couple of days, and now we are heading full tilt into spring with warmer temperatures and birds singing by the thousands to announce the coming season.

I have never heard so many birds. Cardinals, bluebirds, sparrows, mockingbirds, robins, thrushes, wrens, towhees, crows, geese, doves, chickadees, and many others are warbling, twittering, chirping, calling, chipping, whistling, peeping, squeaking, and squawking. Even the hawks are up there, screeching out of tune, but nevertheless contributing their voices to the symphony.

Overnight the hellebores have begun to emerge, overdue by at least a month. I love the embryonic quality of their new leaves and buds:

Hellebores are best appreciated up close. The details of each individual bloom are fascinating:

Other flowers are more cautious, remembering the frigid temperatures of recent weeks. Daffodils are poking their heads up, their blooms soon to appear. Quince buds are swelling. Within days these shrubs will be covered with thousands of blooms. I found the first forsythia flower, and tips of camellia blooms are showing. 

This is very exciting news. The birds proclaim it. I know it. Spring is almost here! Finally!

August Images

Today the sky was hot and heavy, like a sultry woman breathing too close to the earth.

There was a sprinkling of rain, just enough to add moisture to the thick air. It is what is expected of August in Alabama. Yet August is different from July. Still hot summer, yes, but a month of transitional images. 

August shows some age. There are signs of things passing, flowers dying or plants heading into dormancy:

I notice the weathered wood:

And rocks that have been here far longer than we:

But the year is not yet old. There are still things growing and green:

And flowers with bright colors:August weeds also grow quickly. The rabbit I have shown in other posts has become a friend, for he has a taste for weeds in my lawn. The rabbit is the most eco friendly way I know to get rid of them, so I don't bother him. He doesn't seem too afraid of me, as long as I keep a respectful distance. These shots were taken with a telephoto lens:

'Tropicana' canna lily leaves are spectacular this month:

'Tropicana' has amazing seed pods, too:
And August holds promise of things to be. Look close to see the ants working in the first photo below:Despite today's heat, tomorrow will have flowers.'Fuyu' persimmons will ripen by November.Burford holly berries will be red by Christmas.

My birthday is this week. I am showing some age, depending on the body part, but life still has a lot going on and plenty of promise of things to come. 

Happy August!