Spring!

The definition of "spring" is "to leap forward," and while this is not the definition of the season, it could be! In the past two weeks, my garden has vaulted firmly out of the slipping clutches of winter and firmly into the lively, new season. Almost all trees and shrubs are awakening, and colors are becoming vibrant. 

Redbuds, dogwoods and Japanese maples create a tapestry of pink, red, white and purple.

The white flowering shrub on the lower right above is Pieris japonica 'Cavatine.' Below is a close-up of its blooms:

I have about twenty Japanese maples in my garden, and I love them all! Here is emerging foliage of four of them:Clockwise from top left: Butterfly; Vitifolium; Orangeola; Sango-Kaku

Hellebores are wonderful late-winter bloomers, but their blooms persist for months, gradually fading to shades of green. That double one on the left, by the way, is a chance seedling!

Looking toward summer, this scabiosa, or pincushion, bud will soon be ready to open:

The color of Deodar cedar 'Feelin' Blue' is especially vibrant this time of year:

A scene inside the woodland garden:

I am grateful for these flowers that grow wild in the woodland garden:

Cultivated flowers in the woodland garden include these sweet pinks:Top: Korean spice viburnum, in bud and bloom. 2nd row: Magnolia 'Jane.' 3rd row: Camellia 'Taylor's Perfection.'

Most of my daffodils finished blooming weeks ago; these in the woodland garden are among the last to flower:

Finally, I am newly smitten each year when I see the emerging fronds of autumn fern, Dryopteris erythrosora:

Happy spring!

All Kinds of Glory

The earth reveals all kinds of glory. Azaleas are blooming and Japanese maples have unfurled their brilliant leaves in the front garden. The woodlands are becoming a tapestry of green and white as fresh foliage emerges and dogwood blossoms open. Birds are making babies, my onions are poking up in the vegetable garden, the days are longer, the breezes are exhilerating and good smells permeate the air. Such are the dreams of spring that kept me through winter's dismal clutch on the landscape, and they have finally come true. 

The following scenes greet me as I wander through the garden, taking it all in:This Japanese maple is in the front garden, outside our dining room window.

An April view of the front garden from the patio

Another view of the front garden from the patio

Looking toward the patio from the front lawn

Another view across a portion of the front garden from the front lawn

Looking toward the wooded area next to the arbor garden

Looking across the woodland garden from the front lawn

Dogwoods in the woodlands

Top: Magnolia 'Jane' continues to bloom beautifully, despite last week's brief temperature plunge below freezing. Many of the blooms turned to brown mush, but new ones quickly took their place. Clockwise from above left: Magnolia 'Jane'; Apple 'Red Delicious' blooms; Phlox subulata grows behind an unidentified wildflower;Trillium cuneatum, also called Sweet Betsy.

The last daffodils of spring. Did you see the tiny hover fly in the top photo?

Mockingbirds are nesting in this rustic birdhouse in the front garden. The evergreen tree in the background is Cryptomeria japonica.

Spring was a long time coming this year, but I doubt that means the same of summer with its high humidity and heat. Meanwhile, I plan to enjoy every day of this glorious season! 

Note: Pease check out my revised Woodland Garden photo gallery on the sidebar, which includes newly updated woodland garden photos PLUS photos of individual woodland garden plants. Enjoy!