Around our Yard this past month

White Dogwood

George and I love to 'walk the yard' most every morning --taking pictures of new flowers/growth.  SO--I put together a group to share with you today.  These pictures were all taken on various days in our yard beginning on April 5 and concluding with May 4, 2014.  Hope you enjoy them!  Be sure to click on them for enlargements.

White Dogwood bloom;  (I made a huge deal in an earlier blog about our pretty Pink Dogwood --but hadn't shown off the white ones yet!)

Taken from the road--looking toward one of our redbuds and our big white dogwood  (See my Sweetie working hard???)

Here's a very pretty and interesting TULIP... Any idea what its name it????

PEPPERMINT STICK TULIP  (perfect name,  isn't it?)

Wild VIOLETS in our Yard  (We don't have many--but they are pretty though when they bloom.)

Another photo showing off our big REDBUD while it was in bloom;  You can also see Tulips and Daffodils in bloom then---AND George is starting to put his container Roses along the driveway.

Looking UP the street --showing off the beautiful White Dogwoods

Beautiful PHLOX in our big side rock bed!

FIRST CHERRY BLOSSOM TULIP  (I will have an entire blog post showing off our Tulips--like I did the Daffodils,  but haven't put it together yet.)

One of the 6 AZALEA bushes in our backyard

Another of our Backyard AZALEAS;  I love this color!

One of many HOSTAS in our yard;  I especially like this one --although I love them all.

Our first blooming IRIS this year,  named Honey Glaze;  I'm sure I'll have a blog post showing off all of our Irises --once they bloom. 

JUST the BEGINNING of our beautiful RHODODENDRON;  Once the blooms all open,  this one will be gorgeous --and I WILL share more photos!

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These next four photos show our HOME during various dates this past month... Amazing all of the differences---and the best thing is that not everything blooms all at the same time,  so we can enjoy our flowers throughout Spring ---and Summer and even into Fall.

APRIL 5-- Only things blooming then were lots of Daffodils,  Crocuses, and Hyacinths

APRIL 10---Daffodils blooming --and Tulips beginning to bloom

APRIL 17 --Big Changes!!!  Redbuds (on right) and Pink Dogwood (left) blooming and a few leaves popping out on our big trees!!!!

MAY 3---LEAVES on BIG Trees--and lots of growth from our Roses;  Pansies and Irises blooming now!

Amazing,  isn't it??? Spring is just SO awesome!!!!  Now --while waiting on more Irises to bloom and more Azaleas and our Rhododendron,  we are also waiting on Lilies and Daylilies and of course,  our beautiful Roses!!!!!!   SO--I'm sure you'll get to see many more photos from our yard!

My surgery is OVER --and I did well... Had it by the laparoscopic method --so I was HOME by 2:00 pm  (after getting to the hospital at 6:15 am)....  I am sore (to be expected) and will take it easy for awhile---but things went well--so I'm not complaining.  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Have a FANTASTIC and BLESSED weekend.
Hugs,

Emoticons

Even though the PANSIES are SMILING, I have to have SURGERY!!!!

 Bet I got your attention!!!!!!  Some of you know that I have been experiencing some stomach-issues for awhile... WELL--the pain has gotten worse the past few months --so my doctor decided that I needed to get an ultrasound of my GALLBLADDER...

I did just that ---and guess what????  My gallbladder is FULL of stones!!!  Fun-fun!!!!  My options were to just live with it (and put up with the side/back/shoulder-blade pain) --or get that 'thing' taken out!!!!

I decided to get the Gallbladder taken out now that they can hopefully do it by the laparoscopic procedure (which is day surgery with little discomfort or recovery time).  YES---this has caused us to make some changes in our travel plans ---but we feel that it is something  I need to get done..  SO---we won't allow this little 'bump in the road' to deter us much.   You all know me----I don't let things get me down anymore than necessary!!!

SO---my day surgery will be on Thursday,  May 8, at the local hospital here.  I'm sure that George will be keeping everyone posted as to my surgery --and I hope that I won't be out-of-commission very long, if at all much.  Please say a PRAYER for me/for us and for the doctors and staff at the hospital on the 8th.  Thanks.

NOW---for some better news !!!!!   Even after one of our most wicked winters in a very long time,  many of our sweet little PANSIES made it through---and are now smiling brightly.  We love Fall Pansies --and plant about 72 or so of them each Sept/Oct.  The Pansies are hardy little flowers and make it through our winters fairly well.. They give a little color to our yard through our drab winters...

BUT--this past winter was COLDER than most (with temperatures dropping down to  a MINUS 10 degrees -F- on two different occasions).  Our yard did and has sustained some damage ---including about 40% of the pansies we planted (planted 72 and have about 49 left).   We also lost a couple of our Roses --and some of the others aren't looking very healthy yet.  Some of our Hosta and Lilies got a little damage from the last freeze (but hopefully, they'll be fine).  Our new Clematis which we just planted last Fall has not shown any sign of life --so we may have lost it.  And one of the biggest losses appears to be our 4 Holly bushes in front of our house... All of them are losing their leaves.  Don't know what will happen to them.  Winter was a ROUGH one for many of us this past year (although we didn't ever get much snow here---just the cold temps).

SO--on a better note,  I'm going to show you some of our remaining Pansies --which look healthier and healthier with each warmer day.   They will live until it gets terribly hot sometime in July.   The Pansies are the  ONLY 'annual' that we plant these days... All of our remaining flowers are perennials....  BUT--we love the Pansies and will continue planting them each Fall I'm sure.

Sit back and enjoy some coffee or hot tea or cocoa ----and smile as you look at the sweet little Pansies.  Be sure to click on them for enlargements...

 

Well ---how 'bout that???  These little guys are happy that the winter is over and that they can smile again and make us all HAPPY.   (We are ALL happy that this winter is OVER.)

Did you lose plants/shrubs/flowers during the horrible winter of 2013/14?????  I heard from one friend that she lost FIFTEEN of her Roses....  (She lives farther up north than we do.)  YIPES....

Have a wonderful week... I'm not sure how much more blogging I'll be doing this week ---but I'll be back as soon as possible.  Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.

Hugs,

Emoticons