Yellow All Over

After all the grayness of winter, it is an absolute revelation to see yellow-flowered plants springing up in the garden.  Usually the yellow blooms in my part of the world appear in sequence.  The little yellow miniature daffodils come first, eventually to be succeeded by their later flowering narcissus relatives.  Once the mini daffs are … Read more

Thorny Beauty

Right now I am in love with my flowering quince bush.  It is currently covered with white to pale pink flowers that look like apple blossoms and light up the front garden.  Occasionally the shrub throws off a bright scarlet bloom just to liven things up and remind me that my plant is the result … Read more

Gaping at Grapes

I saw the season’s first grape hyacinth yesterday.  It was a little early, but clearly it was positioned in the best possible spot and flowered bravely despite making an appearance on a day when temperatures were more wintery than spring-like.  Had I been willing to get down on my knees to sniff its small flowerhead, … Read more

Sweet Scents of Early Spring

In early spring every sprout that pushes up from the ground is a cause for celebration—unless, of course, the sprout is onion grass.  While I struggle to accept the things I cannot change—onion grass is one of them—I celebrate the plants that emerge bravely and mark the season with beauty and fragrance.  One of the … Read more

Squirrel Landscaping

I am an inveterate walker and when I hit the pavement I am on the lookout for lovely gardens, interesting plants, and trees engaged in the daily miracles that make them essential to the planet’s existence.  Right now everything is about to rev into high gear as spring looms ahead.  You can almost hear the … Read more