Spring Is Busting Out All Over!

Spring in our neck of the woods has been slow to commit.  We've had rather cool temperatures and plenty of moisture during most of April and May.  If you read my last post, we even had some unexpected snow late last month.  The upcoming weekly forecast is for more rain but warmer temperatures and as we are in the middle of May, I'm hoping for more enjoyable outdoor time!

The gardens are really starting to blossom and bloom.  My mother used to love springtime best, and I find myself looking forward to it more and more every year!

Join me on a little walk around the house.  Let's start in my Secret Garden.

The hostas have really grown quickly.  Here is the east side of the Secret Garden.

The west side...

I enjoy this big bed of bronze-colored iris every year.  I received a start of these from my mom years ago.  Earlier this year, I shared some with a friend who remembered Mom.  Her starts bloomed this spring and she sent me a picture.  What a nice way to share Mom's 'green thumb!'  

Another storm approaches..

Several pictures from the back of the house.  This lavender colored clematis fades to white as the blooms age. 

One of two variegated weigela with pink blooms.

Sallie is surveying my kitchen herb garden.  What do you do with the space containing a satellite dish??  Since it's off the grilling porch, I grow my herbs here along with dianthus and a couple of small spirea.

The peonies are just getting ready to bloom and I hope the rain doesn't ruin the blossoms.

The front bed is filling in nicely with perennials.  I add fewer annuals each year.  The flowering magnolia, hydrangea and boxwoods form the foundation plants and a variety of smaller plants take turns blooming.  

The columbine in the front bed has really grown this year and the alliums have, too.

The false indigo is so pretty when it blooms but I always cut off the seed pods after they form.  If I didn't, they would really take over! 

I'm trying a new color combo for the planters on either side of the front door. 

The front berm is highlighted now with the blooming ninebark and purple salvia.

I have to share these adorable pictures my SIL took of little Jack watching the farmer put in his crops next to their house this weekend.

As you can see,  Jack was inspired to "help," too!

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you have a beautiful week in your neighborhood!

Zenda

Snow in Spring?!

We've been enjoying some lovely spring weather the last few weeks and our gardens had just started waking up.  

This is the front garden between the front door and the garage.  Showing off now are flowering magnolias, candytuft, daffodils, grape hyacinths, peonies and columbines.

The front berm includes the crabapple tree and lilacs blooming.

We had a replacement added recently.  A deer used one of the crabapple trees to sharpen his antlers and severely injured the bark.  The tree did not survive the winter.  I love the looks of Japanese maples so we added this beauty!  We've had lots of rain and mild temperatures so I'm hoping it gets a good start and feels happy here.  Note: we added a little barrier to protect it from our deer neighbors.

The peonies have grown very quickly and are just preparing to bloom!

I just love our blooming crabapple tree in the spring!  The bees love it, too!  They were really working and the whole tree literally buzzing.

I was so disappointed when we lost one earlier this year.

I added some new peonies to the edge of our yard behind the house.  Last year I added native hydrangeas (Annabelle) and some lilies that needed to be divided.  They are all coming back but thought adding color earlier than these bloomers would be nice.  These new peonies are just starting to come up.

Clematis that were planted last year are also getting ready to bloom, too!  I forgot which color I planted where so it will be fun to watch them blossom!

Wednesday, we had an unexpected snow and two nights of freezing temperatures.  Our gardens had just started waking up so out came all of the spare sheets and old table clothes to cover our tender vegetation!  

Temperatures during the day, even though it snowed, hovered around 36 degrees F so I took the freeze coverings off so they wouldn't get wet; didn't think the peonies would appreciate wet, frozen blankets.  I'm happy to report all efforts were successful!!  The peonies made it and so has everything else!  The lilacs, the crabapple, columbine, hydrangeas, magnolias all are still blooming and look quite proud that they braved our 'winter in April!' 

The weather is going to be much warmer this week (70s and 80s) and I'll say we have had our last killing frost.  We'll be planting the rest of our garden veggies.  Time to get busy!!

Thanks for stopping by and I'm wishing you a blessed week!

                                                                                    Zenda

Little Signs of Spring

 Our spring weather has been a bit of a tease this year.  Lovely, warm temperatures are followed by cooler weather.  We've had quite a bit of rain during the last several weeks, too, but it's apparent the seasonal page has turned.

Jack and I took a walk around the property today.  It was a beautiful sunny day so come on along!

We started at the pond feeding the fish.  Well, we tried to feed the catfish but the only ones interested today were the bluegill.  Jack was a bit disappointed.  I guess the catfish are still hiding out on the bottom.

As we strolled around the house, we found little signs of spring in the gardens.

Jack checked out the garden faucet in my Secret Garden before spying the blooming bleeding heart.

Early blooming daffodils and grape hyacinth (muscari) are in the front bed near the front door.

 

The candytuft mounds are at their peak right now!  They survived the winter well.

The iris, hostas lilies and hydrangeas are all spouting and greening up.  I'm looking forward to their colorful blooms!  Until then, I'm enjoying these other little signs of spring!  How are things looking in your neighborhood?

Thanks for joining us on our walk today.  Enjoy your week!

                                                                                        Zenda

 

A Real Easter Celebration

We had a wonderful time this Easter weekend being with several family members!  Now that vaccines are part of our lives, we feel safer being together.  The weather was lovely so we spent most of the time outdoors.  We shared a delicious carry-in lunch then all participated in the traditional Easter egg hunt.  The kids enjoyed playing together outdoors and the adults enjoyed watching them and visiting in the beautiful sunshine.  What a big difference from last year!

Here is Jack's family!

Here is our whole crew!  

We also had an extra special reason to celebrate this weekend!  Our son, Andy and his long-time girlfriend, Jamie, became engaged a couple of weeks ago!!  This was the first time the extended family was together to congratulate the happy couple.  

  

They actually became engaged March 6, after a round of golf.  Andy had planned to pop the question several times that day but finally the right moment came when they got home and he proposed in the kitchen!  

These two have dated since they were in high school and have been friends since grade school!  Jamie has recently achieved her degree in general dentistry and is now seeing patients not far from their home.  Andy is an agriculture sales representative in eastern Illinois. 

We are just SO happy for them!!  It will be fun to see what they plan 

for their special day!

I'm hoping each of you had a very blessed and healthy Easter!  Wishing you a wonderful week!

                 Zenda

Happy Easter

We are so excited to be able to be together this year for Easter!  Our family will be over Saturday evening and then J's family will gather at my mother-in-law's home Sunday.  (She is VERY excited!!).

I'm setting the table using some items I found recently at HomeGoods.  The tablecloth, placemats and napkins will go well with some other things I already have so I'm looking forward to use them throughout spring and summer.

Our napkins resemble bunnies.

I'm really loving this new bowl recently acquired from Target.  

I think I'll be using it a lot through out the year.

We serve our meals family-style so adding too much to the center piece doesn't work for us.  It's fun to include a bit of whimsy, though!  

Our family has been very lucky getting vaccines.  Our kids have all been able to receive doses due to their work and  J and I are scheduled for our first doses the 7th.  We have much to be thankful for this Easter season!  

The outlook is much brighter this year.  

I'm wishing you a very blessed Easter!

Zenda