Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, April 2, 2012

Oh How I LOVE Spring!!!

I mentioned before that George and I walk the yard most every morning --checking out any new flowers and of course,  taking more pictures... Today,  I'll share with you another set.... Most of our Daffodils are gone (or almost gone now) --and some of the Tulips are gone... BUT--there's always new spring growth to enjoy!!!  I love seeing the leaves come out on the big shade trees in and around our yard...   Everything just keeps getting greener and greener. SO--today,  I'll share more Spring pictures for you.

Above is a picture of some of our CANDY TUFT.   Be sure to click on the pictures to enjoy them larger. 




Right beside the Candy Tuft,  we have PHLOX.   You can even see a tiny bit of it in the top picture.  I love this color  --but have never been too happy with our Phlox.  This particular bed is our 'rock bed' next to the downhill side of the driveway.  We have tried to get LOTS of things to grow here ---and it's quite a struggle.  We have semps (which do fine),  Periwinkle,  English Ivy,  Dianthus,  Candy Tuft and Phlox in this bed....  Maybe one of these years,  they will all do better.




You may not believe that this is a TULIP... It is ---a fairly tiny one which has the name of PEPPERMINT.... When the petals are closed,  the outside of them are a hot pink color.  They do look like a piece of Peppermint candy!!!!!   The picture here shows the tulips opened  when the sun hits them... As you can see,  the inside is white --with a pink center.  Isn't this a neat little Tulip????




I have quite a bit of HOSTA in the yard---and so far this spring,  it is all doing GREAT... Last year,  the deer got to several of them and ate them... Hopefully,  they won't get to them this year...... Grrrrrrr!  Above is a picture of three of our Hostas ---sharing the area around the trees with our Periwinkle ground cover.




This little patch of flowers (they are very tiny and close to the ground) are in the back of our home (on golf course property)...  From our deck,  that area looks like there is snow back there!!!!  These little WILDFLOWERS  (not sure what they are called) are just so pretty out there... They are white --from a distance,  but have a lavender look up close.  Once the golf course people come and clean up this 'rough' area,  they will mow the little wildflowers away.. BUT--we are enjoying them now...  Does anyone know what they are???  (UPDATE:  Thanks to TexWisGirl these little jewels are called SMALL BLUET. )




You saw our beautiful Red Buds in bloom in the last yard post I did...   Now---guess what else is blooming in our yard????  It's our gorgeous PINK DOGWOOD....    Oh WOW!!!!




George is the one who takes such great macro pictures of our flowers... I usually leave that job to him..  BUT---I took this picture of one of my favorite TULIPS named MARDI GRAS which I really like.  Hope you like it also.




Finally,  here's another picture of our yard --taken from the street.  This one is different from last week's photo from this angle.  You can see that the big trees are 'leafing'...  AND--you can see our pink Dogwood.  You can even see George taking a macro of one of the dogwood blooms.    All of the pictures in today's post were taken on 3/26/12, except for the Phlox--which was taken on 3/30/12.

Next--we'll have some Irises in bloom....  Then we'll have  some ROSES (yeah),  our Daylilies and Lilies....   Oh --how I love Spring.

Hugs,
Betsy

63 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Morning Betsy, I enjoyed the tour of your yard this morning. Everything looks so colorful. I especially love the tulips that you featured today. Hope you both enjoy your day.

Ms. A said...

Love it all! Love, love the phlox and pink dogwood and the Mardi Gras tulip is amazing!

amelia said...

Everything looks pretty wonderful in your yard today Betsy! At this time, we can only dream of such pretty flowers as it's still to cold! -10 this morning. Not as cold as it can be but too cold for such lovely flowers!!

Ruth Hiebert said...

The beauty on your yard is amazing. Thanks for sharing it.

Anonymous said...

You have a lovely variety of plants to enjoy right now! I particularly enjoyed seeing the tulip called Peppermint. We have wallflowers blooming this year which we didn't have last Spring and the perfume is wonderful. Also the tulips are really pretty.
I love the Spring ,too. I hope you have a blessed Easter.

From the Kitchen said...

The garden is beautiful!! Oh how I LOVE that dogwood. It's my favorite color.

Best,
Bonnie

Kelly said...

Beautiful, Betsy! Your place sings in spring!

diane b said...

What a riot of colour in your yard. Love the shot of george taking a macro. The pink dogwood is fabulous.

Anonymous said...

You have a very beautiful garden Betsy, and I love the special tulip, great photo. Have a fantastic day!

Eva

Gracie said...

What a lovely, lovely post here! Yeah, spring time is here, flowers, water and sun, love it. You've got a lovely place, look at those stunning view of the flowers, yard, trees.. everything is fantastic. Hugs from me

Catherine said...

You and George have such a pretty yard Betsy. A joy to walk around every day to be sure. I still have dead brown things in my garden. Hopefully by the end of April I will see some color! Hopefully! :)
xo Catherine

Anonymous said...

Good morning Betsy, your flowers are gorgeous! I believe your mystery flowers are called "Small Bluets", we have these growing in the lot next to our house.

The Peppermint tulip is beautiful, I would never have guessed it was a tulip! I am currently trying my luck at growing Fuschia and jasmine, so far so good.

MadSnapper said...

and spring loves your yard. wow, your house looks magnificent. i like that macro striped flower and all of these are just so beautiful. i do the same thing, each morning while bob throws the ball for jake at 7:30 my camera takes a walk with me and snaps and snaps.

penny said...

Betsy, you have one of the most gorgeous yards I have ever seen. I enjoyed seeing your spring flowers in bloom.
What a beautiful way to start my day, thank you for sharing.

Have a happy day,
cheers :)

Janice K said...

Those little flowers kind of look like we call Spring Beauties.

Your yard is amazing. Spring is early here this year but you have things blooming we probably won't see till summer. Just gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

GORGEOUS!!! You must spend a fortune watering your garden and yard. Or do you rely only on rain? Good job!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

It's always fun to take a walk around the yard with you. :)

Karin said...

Your Mardi Gras Tulip has interesting coloring! The Dogwoods are stunning! That little patch of flowers - are those not in the violet family? They grew in KY in the lawns even before the grass turned green. When they finished blooming we mowed and they didn't come back until next spring! LOVED the tour through your spring garden! I know you'll make this an awesome day! Hugs!

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, What a spectacular yard! Well worth all that work - and fun! Now I am jealous of your Pink Dogwood Tree. I am hoping to plant one here next year. Have a wonderful day!

Anonymous said...

I don't guess I've ever seen a tulip like that before - I love the periwinkle ground cover, so pretty!
The Pink Dogwood is awesome, so beautiful!
Love the red striped tulip! WoW!
Beautiful beautiful yard!!! =)

I'm wondering if this summer is going to be unusually HOT & LOOONG!

RoeH said...

I just love your house. If I ever get near Tennessee I'm coming to visit you and Misha. :))

Tracy said...

Betsy, your yard is beautiful...if you were doing the challenge this post would fit :) I love pink phlox and the Mardi Gras tulip is so gorgeous!

TexWisGirl said...

your pink dogwood is amazing! and i love your phlox.

those tiny blue and white flowers are called small bluet. they grow here all over our yard. love them. :)

Faye said...

Same morning ritual around here Betsy. When Willie and I go out to collect the paper always have the camera handy to capture the latest arrival. Yesterday it was doublefile viburnum, today the hostas are unfurling. Mostly though, I look to the sky. This morning the sun was a perfect gold orb--very little color after yesterday's rain. Your new header is just fabulous! Love a "talky" sky.

Your yard is obviously a labor of love--look forward to some more tours. Of all the blooms, love that soft coral pink phlox--much nicer than the gaudy purple color range, to me that is!

A Brit in Tennessee said...

I think my heart skipped a beat or two when I laid eyes on your Mardi Gras tulip, is there anything more beautiful !
Your garden is one of the most gorgeous sights, I'm sure the neighbors take evening walks just to pass by and take in it's beauty.
A testament to a LOT of hard work !
Thank you for sharing with us.
~Jo

Sylvia K said...

Oh, your flowers are SO gorgeous and so colorful! What a delightful yard you have! Easy to understand why you love Spring! Your photos are fantastic as always, Betsy! Hope you have a beautiful Spring week ahead! Enjoy!

Sylvia

Glenda said...

Just glorious, Betsy! The pink dogwood is my favorite, but your yard is one big bouquet!

Ginny Hartzler said...

I love spring, too, Betsy, except for all the darned tornado watches! I really miss the flowers in winter!I love the picture of your whole yard with George snapping away!!! And now to the peppermint tulip, I think we all want to see the pink other side of the petals!!! Candy tuft and Phlox, I will have to use your photos to identify them, I will not know what they are otherwise. The dogwood shot is lovely and i love the Mardi Gras!!! Why don't you like the Phlox?

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Gorgeous yard Betsy and I love your header!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Your gardens are lovely, Betsy! You and George take such good care of them and they reward you with beautiful flowers every year. The MARDI GRAS tulip is gorgeous! I also love the Dogwood blossoms. Even the wildflowers are wonderful!

Brenda said...

I so love Spring, too, Betsy! I love your dogwood tree. The color is magnificent!!! All of your flowers are so perfect. Very beautiful. Very beautiful indeed...
Happy Spring!!
Brenda

Cheryl @ TFD said...

This has been a beautiful spring! I love the Mardi Gras tulip. Your lawn looks beautiful!

Lynn said...

Oh my gracious, such a lovely yard with abundance of beautiful spring flowers. I love everyone but Mardi Gras tulip has to be my ultimate favorite. You did a sensation job of shooting that too! Beautiful all around. I love the thought of you two "walking round your spread checking out the flowers". How great is that? Blessings.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

What a great place you've made to live. I do love that unusual tulip.

happyone said...

Oh yes, I do love spring too.
The white tulip with the red is so beautiful!!

Cicero Sings said...

Your yard is looking beautiful. That tulip is real cute!

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

What a spectacular Spring garden you have, Betsy! Your whole yard is just beautiful. What balm for the soul and spirit!

imac said...

Hi ho Betsy, great to see all this colour of yours.
Learning a little every day here on Mac, sooo different to a PC, uploaded 28,000 pic to day lol.

nanny said...

Oh Betsy I am so with you!!! I could spend hours in your yard enjoying the beauty and making lots of pictures.

The peppermint tulip is so unusual and very, very pretty.

The pink dogwood took my breath away, it is the prettiest one I have ever seen. Pink must be harder to grow, there just isn't many of them around. They are wonderful.

We have been planting dogwoods every year since we moved here, 8 years ago. They grow for a few years bloom and then just die! Makes me so sad. We had some landscaping done last year and they planted one for me. It is about 5 feet tall....maybe the height will give it an advantage. I certainly hope so. I love dogwoods.

Rohrerbot said...

Betsy, I love your front yard....especially the pots lining the sidewalk! Nice work. Lots of beautiful flowers for the eyes to feast on....I love the Phlox and how you clump and combine your garden beds. Gorgeous!

HolleyGarden said...

Your phlox is just beautiful! And what a fun tulip to be pink on the outside and white inside! Your Mardi Gras tulip is gorgeous. Love those stripes! So unusual. And your pink dogwood looks beautiful - in both the close up and the long view.

Harriet said...

Wow! I sure have enjoyed looking at your flowers! Love the Dogwood!
How do you ever make yourself go in with all the beautiful flowers?
Harriet

LV said...

Your home and yard should be in a magazine.

amy @ Life in Pink Hi-Tops said...

Beautiful flowers. I tried to grow some phlox, but I have no idea what happened to it.

Connie said...

Your yard and home look so beautiful, Betsy, and oh how I love to see all your flowers. Spring is such a wonderful time of year. :)

carolina nana said...

Spring seems to be over at my place, it was 81 degrees today . I wonder how long the azaleas blooms will last in this heat?
Nothing else has lasted very long.
Your blooms are beautiful.
Blessings
Marilyn

Serenity Cove said...

Betsy...Spring is my favorite season too!!
Yes,Hostas are like candy to deer. One product that works for me is Liquid Fence. Spray it on a few times and the deer won't touch them. It reeks to high heaven but so far it has worked for me. I see their tracks in my hosta garden but so far I don't think they have nibbled any.
That Dogwood is GORGEOUS! My pink one didn't survive:(

Carletta said...

More beautiful views!
The dogwood is GORGEOUS!
We have the little bluets everywhere right now. I'd love to have a whole field of them. :)

Beth said...

You must experience a mental and spiritual 'lift' when you turn into your driveway---what a lovely place to come home too.
I miss our Cincinnati dogwood tree. I always looked forward to its blooms. I will plant one at the house we are going to build.

I enjoy seeing all your flowers and think the peppermint tulip is esp. cool. Thanks so much for sharing your bounty with us! :>)

Hootin Anni said...

I so love the 'yard' from the street view!! Gives us a whole new perspective. And I too have to go out and inspect flowers in bloom in our yard...just as you two do. Ohhhhhhh, that Mardi Gras tulip is simply perfect, in fact the image you shared is picture post card perfect. I would like to see the peppermint when it's closed to see just how it does resemble the candy. I bet it too is pretty.


My Tuesday Blog Post is: LITTLE HOUSE on the PRAIRIE A 1 room school house...if you'd care to drop by.

Have a glorious day.

trump said...

I love spring as well, although things were starting to get a little green before that here in the Lancaster way Betsy. Richard

Busy Bee Suz said...

*Sigh* It is obvious that SPRING LOVES your YARD too!!
Oh, the phlox and those funky tulips....love love love them all!

Big Dude said...

You grounds look magnificent Betsy and I love the shots you get of it. I'd be enjoying our spring a lot more if it didn't feel like mid summer in the afternoon.

Anonymous said...

You have such wonderful spring flowers! Love that tulip!

Christine said...

Wow, all that beauty! Love the pink dogwood, they're my favorite.

Shug said...

Oh My Betsy...I wish I were there to see your gorgeous yard in person...
That is the most beautiful pink dogwood that I have ever seen...It's colors are so rich! Everything is beautiful!!!
Enjoyed!! Enjoyed!!

Terry and Linda said...

WOWZER! I love spring also!!!


Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

Rose said...

Betsy, do you remember what the color of your dogwood was called? It is the color I LOVE so much...thought that was what I was getting when I got mine but mine is more of a brighter pink...well, since its injury is pink and white.

anyway, sure enjoyed seeing all of these.

Neal said...

You guys have such a beautiful yard. I know you must work in it a lot and it really shows. That pink dogwood is my favorite....I've always love them.

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

The mardi gras tulip is stunning. I'm planning to plant some candy tuff this year. Yours looks greatt!

Nava said...

Thanks--enjoyed the tour of the flowers. I really like the Tulip. We have a lot of white Dogwoods blooming.

Denise Covey said...

Hello Betsy, I saw your link at Downtown! I don't follow anyone from Tennessee but I do follow bloggers from most other states of the US. You share many interests with me, except I'm not retired, but I still like to try different things when I can and my husband is George too.

Love the flowers. Your yard is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing some beautiful pictures. I'm doing the A-Z blogger challenge where you post every day. One of my blogger friends is posting Texas wildflowers each day as her theme.

Denise

BlueShell said...

Good morning. Oh Betsy...I love trees, flowers, green...
I have to say you have a marvelous home, and a fantastic garden...so many beautiful flowers blooming...O I love them all...
Thank You dear!
BShell
(And I learned lot new English words too - But I still do not know what "leafing " is...)

Hugs
BShell