Spring is in the air......

I LOVE SPRING! All of my favorite flowers bloom in the spring. In no particular order, here are my top 5.

I adore Tulips. They make me so happy when they finally pop up. I know..... the simple things. They are easy to plant and maintain. They come back every year and have so many different colors.

Lilac smells wonderful. I seriously think about pulling off the road everytime I see a bush and stealing some. Thank goodness I have one in my own yard as it won't be good for a cops wife to be tagged as the "Bouquet Bandit".

Climbing plants are beautiful and chaotic. It's good to have a little chaos in life. The Clematis is my favorite of the climbers. They come in brillant colors and are easily manipulated to grow how you want them too. Mine has not had the best start to life. As it flourished last year, I gazed in amazement at how fast it grew. To my dismay, my wonderful "kids" ran through that flower bed and broke it off. All winter I wondered if I would get my Candy Cane colored beauty back. The sun came out and POW.... it grew and grew and grew. Can't wait to see those blooms.

Daphne comes next. It doesn't seem to be the most hardiest of the bunch, with its bendy branches. When it rains, they are immediately laying on the ground. You can't beat the fragrance. Mmmmmmm

Last and certainly not least comes Lithadora. This is a hearty ground cover that produces the most vibrant blue flowers. Last summer I found one that has blue/white striped flowers. What I like about this beauty is it doesn't attach itself to the ground, so a it grows, it is easier to shape. Alternative ground cover, like Vinca, attaches itself to the ground so it makes it harder to control. Vinca does have a nice purple flower though.

I have to say that our home is at it prettiest in the spring. When we moved here in Summer 2006, I have to admit, I really missed my other yard. It was lush and established with all kinds of planted bulbs, ground cover, roses, a lilac bush, clematis and so many others. My grass was so green (thanks to the sprinkler system my wonderful husband and father-in-law installed) and it was the envy of the block. I love color but really like things easy to take care of. Now that I have "furry kids", my backyard is dedicated to them. Don't you worry, I still have my green grass, although it is not so envious these days, and all of my top 5 faves. I decided against planting bulbs in the back fearing that little paws might trample them. There is losts of grass for ball chasing and a huge patio for Mom and Dad. My front yard is just to show off to the rest of the neighborhood. :-)

Enjoy these pics of the Past and Present!

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