Spring Has Sprung!

 As I looked around the garden this weekend, I realized that although the pansies are still the only things in bloom (as they have been since before Christmas), there are some hopeful signs of new growth.

In the front garden, the daylilies that were planted in the foundation border are naturalizing beautifully.  I can't wait for them to bloom so I can figure out what varieties there are, since I lost the diagram I had noted them all down on. The new ones that I planted a couple of weeks ago are also poking their leaves through the mulch, but I didn't get any photos of those. I was pleased to note that the gazanias that I thought had perished in the winter freeze have perked up and are leafing out like crazy.

Here's a different view of my "little path to nowhere" and you can see more daylilies.

Also in the front, on a different day,the Indian Hawthorns are absolutely covered in buds.

In the back garden, I saw something I'd never noticed before -- tiny flowers on the dwarf burford hollies.  I suppose there had to be flowers,  in order for there to be berries, but I swear, I have never noticed them before!

Over in the corner by the utility boxes, Dolly Madison is peeking out, just over a week after I planted the bulb! (I wish I had labelled the daylilies in the front bed, like I did with these in the back)

As I was sitting on the patio this morning, drinking coffee, I nearly jumped out of my chair when I saw this guy sitting on the telephone pole opposite.

I zoomed in as far as I could, but I know nothing about hawks and wasn't able to identify him. Anyone know what type of hawk he is?

One thing that surprised me -- I would have thought that, with this guy close by and keeping watch, the birds in my garden would be keeping "vewwy vewwy qwiet" but perhaps they felt safe in the boughs of our pine tree because they were singing as much as they always do, keeping me entertained.

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.