Easter weekend

As we celebrate the holiest days of the Christian calendar, our gardens seem to be declaring the glory of the Lord with every leaf and bloom. What a beautiful spring it has been. And so much earlier than usual. Here are the views around our yard today.

The weeds are taking over and we need to get out there SOON or we'll be sorry! But with all the rains we've had it's been hard to find time. At least they'll be big enough to grab and the earth soft enough to give them up. We're afraid our valiant little Blue Spruce (in the background above) gave up the fight in last summer's heat.

Columbine and Bleeding Hearts are blooming their hearts out on Rock Garden Hill. 

We love Speedwell (Waterperry Blue variety) and have planted it numerous places all around the yard. It blooms beautifully spring and again in the fall, turns a beautiful red late fall and winter, before blooming again. And in the meantime, it forms a tight groundcover that keeps most weeds at bay.

This is a new plant we put in last fall, hoping for some variety in color––and boy did we get it, even before it blooms! This is Penstemon (Beardtongue) Dark Towers variety and will have lavender pink flowers on it early- to mid-summer. It's supposed to attract hummingbirds, which we would love!

More Columbine on Boulder Hill. It's always a race to see if the Columbine finishes blooming before the Wild Bergamot overtakes it.

I'm so pleased with this row of shade trees that are finally big enough to do their job! That's an Autumn Blaze Maple in the middle, flanked by two Lacebark Elms. The one in the foreground was a birthday gift to me from my hubby last year. Lacebarks are wonderful, fast-growing trees and we're delighted to have two of them shading our back deck.