Around the Garden.

I'm so excited to see my Pieris shrubs blooming this year! They've been in the ground for a couple of seasons, and I guess they're finally rooting well enough to show off a little.
 

A couple of years ago, while browsing the garden center in our local Lowe's, we came across a poor neglected Alberta Spruce that was mostly dead. We plunked down our fifty cents and took it home. After some care, watering, and pruning it really began to flourish. I was a little distressed to see that a small section of it was dead after this past Winter, but the rest of it is growing just fine, and right now it has lots of bright green new growth.

It was February when we bought our house. We could spot some garden edging under the snow, and there were two Hydrangea bushes in the back yard, but it was evident that whatever had been there was now neglected. As the snow thawed and Spring rolled around we saw lots of bulbs emerging here and there: Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinth, and Tulips. The Hyacinths were planted in a spot where they obviously weren't happy, so I moved a few of the bulbs last year and they seem to be blooming a wee bit better now.

My mom has been kind enough to share some of her garden wealth with me as well. Two of her contributions for Spring have been small cuts of Cat Mint and a few pieces of Hens and Chicks. Cat Mint doesn't take long to take over the area it has been planted; it becomes all tangled and bushy, and sports beautiful purple flower all Summer long. And those couple succulents my mom started me on? Well, they're huge and beautiful, and their offshoots are taking over. I keep finding myself in need of new places to transplant them! But I love them.

Happy Spring! Soon the Lilac trees will be in bloom!