a walkabout

the beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. ~harriet ann jacobs

it’s been one of those VERY RARE spring mornings in my neck of the woods…one where it’s cool, sunny, AND without the usual gale force winds.

seriously…the line in the song from the musical ‘oklahoma” – “where the wind comes sweeping down plains” – is no joke.

at any rate, i decided to take the opportunity to do a little walkabout in my backyard.  take in all the loveliness.

care to join me?

the first stop is this ‘may night’ salvia.  i’ve shared my love of this flower many times on my blog and it continues to delight and inspire.

i got a late start planting my tulips bulbs so they were a little late coming up.  but better late than never right?  oh and water droplets from the sprinkler for the win!

and my iris….oh my heart how i love these.  and their delicate scent.  i literally go out and stick my nose into the center of the bloom and inhale deeply.

a new addition to my garden this year is three varieties of david austin roses.  i totally blame my daughter for turning me on to this type of ‘garden’ rose (vs. hybrid or tea rose).  cannot wait to see how they do!

my wisteria is just getting started.  looking forward to their pendulous clusters of heavenly blossoms.

and let’s just pause here for a minute to take in this lilac ok?

this is its third spring in my backyard and this year it is covered in blooms.  this color is divine.  the scent is intoxicating.  and in the morning light (with the help of the sprinkler) it was magical.

sidenote::wednesday evening i was talking to my mom on the phone when i saw something flitting around near it…a monarch butterfly!!!! and when i got off the phone i took about million pictures of it.  this blog post was originally going to be about said monarch, however i accidentally deleted them off my sd card.  {{shaking my head}}.  at any rate, even without the photos, my life is now complete.

so next up is this early, spring clematis.  (i didn’t save the tag and have forgotten the name.)  i love the way the stamens curl up from the center.

my hosts are staring to sprout up and unfurl.  i love the vibrant color contrast of the chartreuse center in the leaves.

i’m also excited because this is the first year for my weigalia to bloom!  this variety is called ‘wine and roses’ and, besides the bright magenta blooms, i love how its sprawling nature covers up a very ugly part of the retaining wall in our back yard.

oh and of course, as in any garden, a few weeds.  which to be honest i don’t really mind.

there is lots to look forward to in my garden as well.  the peony buds continue to grow and expand (with help from the ants who love to eat the sticky-sweet coating from the surface of the bud).

this new columbine i planted last year seems to like his new spot and is covered in buds.

and my existing rose bush is getting ready to explode with pale, pink petals.

so much beauty…it is good medicine for the soul indeed.

so that’s the garden tour….thanks for coming along with me today!  gardening is immensely more gratifying when you can share it with others!

happy friday friends!! love, kelly