Can't get enough of this spring

I am lovin' spring 2010! Temps are pleasant, maybe a little on the cool side, but this means the lovely ornamental trees and shrubs will entertain us with stunning color a bit longer than if we were baking in 85-degree heat.

The Lady Banks rose is absolutely glorious. I've taken several photos from different angles, but can't capture its beauty. The pink azalea is brightening up one stretch of the house. My neighbor says its name is Mimosa. All I know is that it's a stunning deep pink.

I didn't get a picture of the loropetalum in time to catch its brilliant hot pink blooms, but that'll leave one good picture for next spring. I'm letting this plant grow tall. I saw one last year in Raleigh that was as big as a full-grown Bradford pear.

We've cut back the camellias. Yeah! So happy to catch them this year right after blooming.

And it's only April! So much wonderous color to look forward to this summer.

Red Bud's first good year

The Red Bud tree I planted two years ago has finally shown its color. The photo at right was taken a couple days before it really popped. I love this early spring garden, bare as it appears, because the creeping phlox is hot pink and contrasts so nicely with the tender, spring green of the daylily leaves and pony tail grasses.

The Lady Banks rose on the arbor is just beginning to flower and should look spectacular this year. You can just see the weeping cherry in the left side of the photo. The grass is still crisp and brown but we've turned on the sprinkler system and it'll be healthier in no time.

The holly bushes near the house foundation are full of bees. Not the stingy ones--the big fat friendly ones that love Spanish lavender. Something smells good in the garden, but I can't figure out what it is. The holly?

Azaleas are beginning to bloom. Spring is a truly hopeful time of year.