Camera and garden fun

Today was a garden day. I got all suited up to play in the dirt this morning and started with a tour around the property. The flowers were glistening with dew and new things had burst into bloom so of course I had to run inside and grab the camera. Pardon me if this is long but I just don't know how to leave things out! LOL

First on the tour was enjoying the sun on the red leaves of one of the Japanese Maples. (click on photos to see details)


We weren't here last year at this time. We moved in mid-June so I keep discovering new spring-blooming things. I had no idea this tree (shrub?) would bloom....and so spectacularly. It smells nice too. I have no idea what it is! And then under it is a wonderful yellow rose. Also a surprise!




The whole time I was snapping photos the birds were singing like crazy. My special favorite is Mr. Brown Thrasher who sings from the tops of the trees when he's not monopolizing the feeder or splashing in the bird bath. :-)


I am also thrilled to find I have a Clematis. It seems weird that I didn't notice some of these things last summer, but the extreme drought really held things back.


We also apparently have a Mock Orange.


I especially love this little Japanese Maple. I like the texture and all the layers. It's almost a landscape in and of itself.


The real gardening challenge at the moment is....chickweed....tons of it...ugh.


I cleaned out this area the other day. I left behind some violets and lemon balm and I think some mint. There is an Indian Hawthorne too. I just figured out what it was today when I saw them in pots at Lowes. There are bricks everywhere, I assume left over from when the addition was put on. Very useful for edging gardens.


So today I moved on to this mess.


To good result. :-) It's as chickweed free as I can get it.


Bees were buzzing around my head, I knelt in one nest of ants and disturbed other various creepy crawly things. I also surprised a little brown snake curled up amongst some bricks. I was a bit leery of poking around in the crevices in those tree roots (which were covered by masses of weed) but I managed to come out unscathed. :-)

This bit I had already cleared a couple of weeks ago and now something else is coming up all over. Sheesh! I have a load of mulch in the truck, and tomorrow I've got to start spreading it before anything else comes up!