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 14, 2014

Around Our Yard---Early April, 2014

Our pretty round flowerbed... The Daffodils are so pretty this year,  and these Pansies are thriving... You can also see some Lilies beginning to pop up. (taken on 4/10/14)
I thought you might want to see some early spring photos in our yard...  We took these pictures on April 2, 5 and 10,  2014...  I love to compare spring from one year to the next --since each year brings new and interesting challenges...

We had a terribly cold (but not too snowy) winter this year... This was the coldest winter for many years here ---so we have some damage to some of our plants/flowers that we haven't had before.. All of our Holly Bushes have been damaged some and are losing some of their leaves.  The Azaleas don't look very healthy yet.  Hopefully,  all of these will come back.  George thought we had lost quite a few roses ---but most of them have begun to show some signs of life,  even though things are 'later' this year than usual.

We always plant Pansies in the Fall---and enjoy keeping them all winter since they are pretty hardy...  They usuually bloom for us until it gets very hot in July.  However,  when we have several days of temperatures below zero,  they do suffer.  We probably have lost at least half of what we planted,  but the ones that lived are doing GREAT right now!

So far,  this spring,  we've had some Crocus blooms,  some Hyacinths and lots of Daffodils. Our ground cover (Minor Vinca--called Periwinkle) is hardy ---so it is doing great and blooming now.  The Hostas seem to have made it and are beginning to grow.  AND--we have some fantastic Tulips (although the deer ate some of ours while we were in Virginia last week)...  George has now sprayed Liquid Fence --and that hopefully,  will keep them away from our yard for awhile...  BUT--we have to spray ALOT during the Spring and Summer...  There are MANY deer in our area.

Get yourself another cuppa and sit back and enjoy the photos.  Be sure to click on them for enlargements --although I hate it when Blogger doesn't include the explanations with each photo....  Thanks, Blogger.  NOT!  ha




This was the last of some of our pretty Hyacinths.  Those are the prettiest little flowers.  (taken on 4/2/14)



The beginnings of some of our Pink Phlox on the big rock bed.  There's a little blue Periwinkle mixed in with the Phlox.  Our Candy Tuft has not bloomed yet.  This is a hard bed to get things to grow--since it's sloped,  and water pours down that hill after a hard rain.  (taken on 4/2/14)




Our ground cover (Periwinkle)--which we have all over the yard in areas which are hard to mow.  We love this hardy little plant (which grows wild around here)---and once it is established and thick,  no weeding is needed... Love it! (taken on 4/2/14)




A close-up of the pretty little BLUE Periwinkle blooms  (taken on 4/2/14)




The side flowerbed (taken on 4/2/14)  where you can see Periwinkle,  Daffodils and Hyacinths;




Here is what we call the Small Rosebed (on the flagpole side of the driveway).  The Daffodils in front have just bloomed and bloomed.  Behind them are Hyacinths and more Daffodils.  To the right is our Daylily Bed.  AND---you can see the container roses on the driveway  (which have been in the garage all winter).  All but one are doing well---and ready to be placed on either side of the driveway.  (taken on 4/5/14)




Here's that same bed looking the other direction, toward the road.  You can get a better picture of our Daylilies to the left.  We love Daylilies ---and have 34 plants in that bed.  Even though we still don't have leaves on our big shade trees,  I love seeing how GREEN the GRASS is now. (taken on 4/10/14)




Here's the other Rose bed --on the other side of the driveway.  In here we have Tulips and Daffodils and some Pansies blooming now (since the Hyacinths are gone).  From here you can see the road flowerbed where nothing is blooming yet.  You can also see two of the round flowerbeds --which have Pansies and Daffodils blooming. (taken on 4/10/14)



The Pansies which made it through the winter are doing GREAT.... (taken on 4/10/14)




Dad Adams' Daffodils blooming beside the sidewalk in front of the garage; (taken on 4/10/14)




More of our groundcover,  Periwinkle (taken on 4/10/14)




Another photo showing the Daffodils blooming along the side flowerbed (looking toward the back of the house); (taken on 4/10/14)




One of my favorite plants just beginning to gow,  our HOSTA;  We have several plants around the yard ---and I love it (again,  if we can keep the deer away)...  (taken on 4/10/14)




Finally,  one more photo from the front of our house  (taken on 4/10/14)
Hope you enjoyed seeing our yard.  My apologies for giving so many details.  I keep these from year to year to compare one season with another.  This is 'my journal'.... Anyhow--even if you don't read everything,  I hope you will enjoy these photos.  We love our yard ---but it does take WORK...  These past few weeks,  we have been spreading mulch with weed killer in it --hoping that it will help during the hot summers...

Now---if you are a flower-lover,  you might be asking why I am not featuring more Daffodils and Tulips.... WELL--there's a method in my madness.  I have an entire post upcoming devoted to both of these beauties... SO--just wait!!!!! ha

Hope life is good for you.  AND I hope you have a fabulous Monday....  OH--by the way,  I keep meaning to say that I'm not neglecting my birds.  In fact,  there are 4 little blue eggs in the Bluebird Nest Box... SO---we'll have babies soon!!!!  Yeah.

Hugs,

53 comments:

Ms. A said...

All your blooms are beautiful and your yard is looking so lush and green. I can't wait to see your eggs and baby birds!

Jo said...

Betsy, I love your journal and enjoyed every bit of it. The flowers are spectacular! I hope your roses and holly recuperate. Thanks for sharing this beauty with me. Blessings Jo

Small City Scenes said...

Beautiful Betsy. We have a lot of the same flowers blooming here. My Hostas are poking their little leaves up too. We don't have Roses though. The deer like them way too much. MB

Ann said...

I did enjoy seeing your yard. Nothing has bloomed here yet and I'm missing all the spring flowers. I did finally see some things poking up out of the ground but that's as far as it's gotten

eileeninmd said...

Betsy, your yard and flowers are gorgeous.. George has been working hard! Lovely photos, have a happy day!

linda m said...

Your yard is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing all of your gorgeous flowers with us. Nothing is blooming here yet although I have seen some tulips trying to poke through the ground.

Patricia Paschal Denton said...

Very pretty. I can tell you and George have put a lot of hard work into it

The Furry Gnome said...

You have a really beautiful yard! I've never realized until I started reading blogs like yours how much earlier spring comes to areas further south. It's remarkable to see pictures of different places and what's blooming. The snow has vanished fast here the last three days, but we still have snow along the fencerows. The very first flower is out, a dwarf iris. Enjoyed looking ahead two weeks!

Out on the prairie said...

Have some blooms around here, but it snowed last night but is melting

Out on the prairie said...

Have some blooms around here, but it snowed last night but is melting

George said...

You make a great yard tour guide. I enjoyed your tour very much.

Janice K said...

I love seeing all your Spring flowers. We are a bit slower up here, but we finally had a warm weekend and just about all of the daffodils were blooming when we got home from church on Sunday. Tonight they are predicting snow again. I hope they survive!

Betsy said...

I enjoyed seeing all of your beautiful flowers and reading about each of them. There are still no flowers around here-it was 25 degrees last night! The grass is beginning to green up a bit though.
Blessings,
Betsy

MadSnapper said...

spring has most definitely sprung in your yard

Shug said...

Beauty ALL around you!! I can almost smell the Hyacinth through this computer!!! So very pretty! Hoping that this cool front stays away from your beautiful blooms...it's cold here!!
Lots of work I'm sure, but so worth it when you see the beauty.
hugs,
shug

Anonymous said...

So many lovely spring beauties!

Connie said...

Beautiful spring flowers, Betsy! They are such a welcome sight.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

I hope your bushes bounce back. Your flowers look gorgeous!

Sylvia K said...

Spring in all its colorful beauty, Betsy!! Such delightful captures!! Wonderful to be surrounded by these!! I'm looking forward to your next post!!! Hope you have a beautiful week!!

DeniseinVA said...

The tender loving care you and George give to your garden really shows Betsy. It's beautiful! Love all the photos! A friend of mine used to complain how the deer ate her tulips all the time. Have a great week :)

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Betsy you have a beautiful home. Your flowers are splendid and I love all the photos.
I hope you have a Happy Easter!

Big Dude said...

Your place looks terrific as always Betsy - hope it doesn't get hurt too bad this week.

Ginny Hartzler said...

LOVE the periwinkles, the path, the hyacinths, and the little deep red pansies. All we have is a small forsythia. But we do not have all the time that you guys put in, tending and loving them.

Rose ~ from Oz said...

Betsy I really can imagine how much love and work is involved with a garden such as yours. Isn't spring wonderful in your garden?! Such a contrast to a few short weeks ago!
Keep those images coming!

Sweet Posy Dreams said...

Things are looking great in your yard. We just have crocus and the earliest of daffodils. And today -- snow flurries!

Miss Debbie said...

Flowers are so pretty and I love the terracing!

Serenity Cove said...

Your place looks beautiful Betsy!
I'm just starting to get some blooms. My pansies don't even come back when we have a mild winter. Yours are lovely.
I've never heard of mulch with weed killer in it. I would like to try that.
Happy spring!!

Nellie said...

You've some beautiful blooms there! Hopefully they will all come through the predicted cold snap with no problems.

Hugs,
Nellie

Peaches McGinty said...

Hi Betsy!
You have such a beautiful garden! I really have enjoyed your pictures. The periwinkle is so lovely, it adds such a pretty touch to your garden, the colour is gorgeous - the phlox are also beautiful! I have never heard of them (not unusual for me, I'm a novice to gardens!)the rosebeds are so grand too, I love them! you two have clearly work so hard, what you have achieved is incredible! ps I can't wait to see the baby blubirds! x x x

Joy said...

You have lots of flowers blooming already. Here is not yet blooming in my garden;)

Our photos said...

Nice flowers !

Susie Swanson said...

Your yard and flowers are so beautiful. We have quite a few little buds coming out as well. I enjoyed looking at your pretty photos. Hope you have a nice week and let's hope the Dogwood winter that's coming in doesn't freeze everything. Hugs, xo

Chatty Crone said...

You are back in the beautiful flower department. Sorry you got some damaged. Glad the others are coming up - maybe with all that cold they went into a deeper sleep/ They are beautiful - each and everyone!. sandie

Arkansas Patti said...

Your yard is always a showplace Betsy. I do hope the below freezing weather we are getting will not reach you. Not sure what it will do to your lovely yard.
My first hummers arrived today. Bet they wished they had flown slower. I'll have to take the feeder in tonight or it will freeze. Sigh.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Thanks for the walk through your yard.The green grass is as beautiful as the flowers,at least when I don't have to mow it.Your yard is a place of beauty and I enjoy each visit.

David said...

Betsy, Beautiful photos! Down here in the Tennessee valley, we also suffered some damage this past winter. It appears that we've lost between 2 and 4 critical decorative bushes... Are you ready for the freeze/heavy frost predicted for Tuesday night/Wednesday morning?! We'll be covering up the most sensitive flowering plants in our yard... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Small Kucing said...

I love the Hyacinths.

Was scrolling down then saw the White and dark purple pansies. For a moment there it looks like the face of a Panda

carolina nana said...

Sadly I have lost some of my plants over this very cold winter also. I have some large holly bushes that have black leaves on them in places.
I don't see any life yet from my roses so I'm not sure about them.
I am worrying about all the new things out now and my early garden plants with the temps tomorrow night into the mid 20's they say. I just want spring to come and stay !!!
Blessing and stay warm
Marilyn

camp and cottage living said...

Your flowers are looking so lovely, Betsy!
I'm still lovin that green you painted your house.

Unknown said...

Your garden looks gorgeous! All the diffeent colours and i love the pansies

Jeevan said...

It’s quite wonderful post and cool to eyes watching your pretty green and colorful yard! Hope to see more blossoms around your yard and also looking forward to view the flowers in close distance. Love the first one and blanket of Perisinkle... I love flowers and enjoy being among.

Rajiv Sankarapillai said...

All these are really cool flowers :)
Beautiful post :)

happyone said...

Your yard is looking mighty pretty and springing.
It is all beautiful.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Hi Betsy! I'm so glad to see my blog friends again after my blog break. What have you two kids been up to? Well, I can see lots of yard work, for one thing! It looks beautiful!! We have much to do in our huge yard. It's getting to be almost too much and we keep adding more projects to our already too long list. It's time to start mowing, too. Even in spite of the snow showers and freezing temps we had yesterday and last night. Crazy weather. Take care!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

This post give my spirit a nice little spring-is-popping-out-all-over boost. Our grass is greening up, and there are some buds on the trees; but I haven't seen many flowers yet. We had snow last night, but most of it is gone already today.

Randy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Randy said...

Betsy, LOL- as usual, everything is just simply gorgeous. Hope you and George are doing well. :0)

Dorothy said...

Your yard and flowers are beautiful!!

Sally Wessely said...

I must admit that I went *sigh* when I saw how green your grass is. Not that I wasn't already just oooing and ahhing over the flowers, because I was. I loved seeing these cheery flowers. I love the spring flowers. We don't have a thing blooming here where we live. I did see my neighbor's daffodils, but other than that zip. Next year, I will have daffodils. At least the dear won't eat those.

Tell me the story about Dad Adam's daffodils. Did they come from his yard, or were they planted in his honor?

Everything is simply lovely. I know the snow is covering things now. I hope the blooms don't freeze. At least you had some days of beauty.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Oh my! The colors in your yard are just amazing right now….I bet you spend a lot of time out there just enjoying it all. LOVE all your spring blooms.
XOXOXO

Carletta said...

Looking good!
Everything here was budding out and blooming nicely in our 85 degrees. Today there was a 50 degree drop from yesterday and it snowed with a hard freeze expected tonight. We'll see how it looks tomorrow. :(

Linda G. said...

All of the flowers are so pretty. You have a beautiful yard and home. Your front view of your home has wonderful curb appeal!

Rohrerbot said...

Watch those babies!!! Keep them safe:) The cold is so good for the bulbs. Your yard looks beautiful. Always a nice sign that spring has arrived:)