Southern Blooms

Well, looks like Blogger is acting up again this evening - I'm unable to upload photos. I did save a draft of these recent photos of blooms from the garden so will post them and let them accompany my few words. This pale camellia is so beautiful and is actually just over the fence in my elderly neighbor's garden - I share it because I tend to it, watering it when I'm out dragging the hose around, and picking up dead blooms to prevent disease. Blue hyacinths are my favorite and the scent is intoxicating. When I smell the first one each Spring I know that Winter is almost over. It's not that I don't like Winter, I really do, in fact I guess I prefer it over Summer in this area. I will never be a hot weather person - how could I be after growing up in the cool, damp climate of coastal England! I think one's body knows where one is most comfortable. I truly believe one is never going to feel "at home" when made to inhabit a place that has a climate much different from where one was born and spent one's childhood.
This Japanese Magnolia tree is just gorgeous when in full bloom as it was just before Easter. It's one of the earliest blossom trees in this area and I just love it. The Southern Magnolia has huge white heavily perfumed flowers - they look like large handkerchiefs scattered among the dark shiny leaves - and those leaves make such a mess when they fall - don't want one in my garden!

I've spent most of this weekend playing in the dirt - there's just so much to do this time of year. Taking advantage of the lovely weather, no beastly mosquitoes yet, and DH's help, made it so pleasant. We prepared the two beds where we grow vegetables - dug over, added compost and redid the concrete edging blocks as they were tilting and annoying me. Will plant the first week of May. Mulched all the Azaleas, Rhodedendrons and large shrubs. Sprayed the Roses as I already see black fly and aphids - yuck! Mowed the lawns. Pulled out another million teeny oak trees, products of the gigantic acorn fall last Winter - oh my aching back! Filled the bird baths and bird feeders, then sat on the deck and had a nice chat with our young single guy neighbor who bought his house last Summer. Shared gardening tips as he's a novice, and DH introduced him to Trader Joe's Bohemian beer - which he really enjoyed. Later, after much needed showers, we opened a bottle of wine and sat in the gazebo watching the Chickadees bring supper to the five babies in the nest. The evening bird songs were melodious, the air was comfortable and still as the sun set, and it was just great to be alive.

Tomorrow I'm out there again to start on my Summer pots, paint a table and a mirror frame, hang an old window above the potting table, and hopefully start sewing the cushion covers for the porch furniture. And..................... there are people who are bored with life, glad I'm not one of them!!