Spring is Here 2014!

Here's a shot of my "freebie" Jack-in-the-Pulpit that is getting bigger each year.  As you may recall, it just appeared in my garden a few years ago and I'm happy it's here!

This is my "back from the dead" bleed hearts plant in the rock garden! I thought I had lost it for good about 3 years ago, but last year a little sprout appeared, and this year it's flowering again!

I lost at least one of my long-standing columbines to the cold winter, so I had to find a replacement. Isn't this one cute? I think it's a double flower because it doesn't have the standard columbine shape.

And last but not least, a first for our neighborhood pond. Baby geese! (See the yellow fuzz balls behind mom and dad?)  We don't see a lot of baby ducks or geese because our pond is a little to "hub-bubby" with lots of kids playing in the water.  But this year we lucked out.  The Geese family has even been walking up to our bird feeder area (about 20 feet from the pond) and scrounging around for leftovers. Fun!

Self-seedy, sometimes weedy

As with any garden, you have to be willing to yank (or dig) out the plants that no longer suit you or that try to take over.  We spent at least an hour yesterday pulling forget-me-nots that were past their prime. Don't worry...next year's blooming plants are in place and plenty of seeds fell so we'll have lots of little blue blooms in a couple of years, too.

Entrance to our backyard.

Mystery columbine. Showed up a couple years ago next to the fence. I'm leaving it there.

Dames rocket. Was part of a wildflower mix we planted when we first moved in to the house quite a few years ago. It moves itself around (via seed) but I haven't had to pull much of it.

Second bloom on my freebie Jack-in-the-pulpit.

Yes, weedy. The last of the Forget-me-nots in the yard waste cart!

Garden shots

I love the leaf pattern in this coral bells plant. I don't know the flower color, but it doesn't really matter --  the leaves are so colorful!

Mr. Jack-in-the-pulpit showed up in my garden about five years ago. For the first three years, all I had was the leaves, and I was so hoping I had a freebie trillium. In year four I found out I had Jack.  I thought I lost it last summer when the tree guys dropped a tree section directly on the plant (my husband declared it a goner). But here it is again!