A dose of green....

I love visiting nurseries this time of year. All that lush green foliage with gorgeous blossoms. Such an inspiring and creative place. I love to see what colors they put together and what combinations they put into their baskets and displays. Nature's Harvest is one of my go-to spots for inspiration and a quick stop before a breakfast date this morning certainly didn't disappoint.

Around the yard....

Beautiful blue skies were back today after a weekend of heavy rain and storms. Last weeks stunning crabapple blooms are now but a memory with a carpet of pink blanketing the ground.I have spent the last few weeks doing lots of yard work. I was thrilled to find the compost bin that we've had for the last 7 years and never touched, was full of rich organic compost just perfect for all the planting I was preparing to do.
My first spring yard project was clearing the entire top of this retaining wall that goes the entire length of our backyard. It had some flowers that were transplanted to another bed, but mostly it was cleared, amended with compost and mulched to make way for all the veggies now planted there: cucumber, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and peas. You can see in the background the new fence that my husband is building and clearing of the shade garden we have behind it.
Strawberries were planted in a basket and clematis transferred to the arbor now the entrance to our other garden that has sunflowers, tomatoes, acorn squash and mini ornamental pumpkins.
The succession of beautiful blooms is showcasing lilacs and their delightful smell fills the air.
Other blooms around the yard in pots and newly planted in beds that used to be weed filled. The darling and fragrant lilly of the valley hides in the shadows of the lilacs along our fence.
This weekend we had a visitor, a mother wood duck and her brood of nine babies. What a treat!
Our resident garter snake. I never have found more (fingers crossed) and he doesn't cause any trouble. We'll see what Bodhi does when he sees him. Hope you enjoyed a walk around our yard.

Spring beauty....

I'm happy to say that we're officially done with winter here. Yes, in Minnesota it takes that long. We now move into one of the most beautiful times of the year. Mild weather with bright crystal blue skies and this week the crabapple trees are blooming. Doesn't get much better!

Planting day....

These seedlings were more than ready to be put in the ground. We worked the soil in our little garden and despite the rain and mud they are now in. Time to watch them grow!

The day began....

With beautiful warm sunny skies. It seemed like the perfect day to visit the arboretum to see what was in bloom after all the rain we have had. The humidity was rising and the temperature was supposed to reach into the 80's (!!). I found the hot colors of summer all around. The warm red, orange and yellow of the tulips and daffodils were stunning. It felt more like July than May.The temperature rose and rose throught the day and by evening a thunderstorm had been brewing. While I was at work hail the size of golf balls tumbled from the sky. My new car didn't fare so well with some pretty hefty dents. It's going to be an interesting summer!