Everyday...something different.

Spring is FUN!
Everyday something new pops up in the garden.


Jack Frost-Brunnera macrophylla




Forget me-nots have almost the same flowers as the Jack Frost above.
These annuals are from last year and are scattered all over.




Pink Anemone Clematis




Last of the spring flowers to bloom.





Sum and Substance Hosta starting to unfold.

New this week

New from DH....yes, every year he can't help himself.
I AM the one who's supposed to pick the plants and shrubs...
BUT he won't listen to me !!!!

This Laurel is by the front door and has a strong scent that's kinda nice.
Schipkaensis Laurel-Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis'
This is smaller that other Laurels.
And yes it's another evergreen!
Oh ,good pick dear :)










OK...I say pretty weed...he says flower. (Found it's way into his tomato bed).
Got an ID at gardenweb.
Some have called it a yellow rocket or Barbarea vulgaris.
The more I read tells me it's a invasive WEED ! Anyone else recognise it ?

April Whimsy

Nelly and Arnold

From the beginning...


One shade bed is getting a makeover.
Just about everything in it like the spreading juniper, azaleas or lace cap hydrangea weren't doing very well...just getting old and less attractive every year and blocking everything in back of it.
Anyway, everything was way too tall and crowded for this small bed.
Also lost that False Cypress tree due to storms... Hey...you know what? More SUN now !




Seen a Witch Hazel on a couple of blogs I visit and loved it !
So new to this bed is (let's hear the drumroll)...
Arnold Promise Witch Hazel-Hamamelis x interm.'Arnold Promise'
Blooms Late Winter/Early Spring with fragrant yellow flowers.
In the fall the gray-green foliage becomes a bright orange.
The bed gets 2 hours full sun at the edge and 4 hours indirect to the Cypress in the back.
Some old hostas and Irises who had no real home got moved here.

Now, the question is... what else will I put there.
The Witch Hazel will be the only new shrub in this bed and want it to be the center of attention.
Thinking about adding some colorful Coralbells-Heuchera and maybe a few different hostas, also Solomon's seal might work.
In a week or two the nurseries should have all their perennials available.
Can't wait !!!



A closer view of the Witch Hazel. Sure is different from anything already in the garden.




Also moved this Barrenwort to the new bed...was in full shade.
Think it's gonna like it's new home.




Donna at Mourning Dove Cottage-NC and Fer at My little garden in Japan gave me some good ideas.
There used to be a 40 ft. tree (in the circled area)lost due to age and last years winter storms.




One of the ideas from Donna and Fer was a Holly tree...see, sometimes I listen !
Nelly Stevens Holly
This tree can grow to 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide. Growth rate in ideal situations is 2 to 3 feet per year. Likes sun/partial shade.
I know I'm cutting it close since this time of year it gets a few hours of full sun (good)then probably will become 4 hours indirect sun when all the neighbors trees fill out.


Always wanted a holly but the American Hollies take so long to grow and I have no patience.
This large over-priced Nelly Stevens that DH just had to buy should work great.
Thanks girls for the advice ! Oh, you too honey.:)


Nelly and Arnold are my latest love!

More Spring Bliss

Female Dwarf Skimmia-Skimmia Japonica Foremanii
This dense evergreen has beautiful small star-shaped white flowers in the spring.
Come autumn it has clusters of maroonish colored fruits.




Red Tip, Photinia x fraseri.
Another evergreen...love my evergreens !
One of the brightest shrubs in the backyard.
It also gets small white flowers in spring.




Spotted Dead Nettle-Lamium maculatum 'Pink Pewter'
Love my Lamium !!
Also Hosta 'Abba Dabba Do '


'Honeybells'
Getting bigger every year.
They say it gets to be 4 feet wide...maybe I'll wait and see.
This is not the prettiest hosta but if you divide it...well more hostas !!




PJM Rhododendron
Gets to be 4 feet x 4 feet in part sun to shade.
It's in a more shady than sunny area so it will never get that big.
I personally think this is one of the best little Rhododendrons to have.

Larger Pictures

This post is to answer Shady's question about how to make pictures larger.
There are different ways of doing it(please share). This is my method.
Also remember the file size of the picture has to be the size you want on your blog.
Just use the highlighted red or blogger will shrink picture.
What ever size you made your photo before uoloading will stay exactly the same.
Test to make sure it's the right size for YOUR blog.They will not be clickable.



First this is the normal uploaded picture and the unseen HTML codes.
All the arrows are reversed just so you can see it.





Only what's highlighted in red will be kept.
>a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-
LaRtjwzjqRM/TaXQQoF2hCI/AAAAAAAAEYE/G8108_tyM5o/s1600/31-2.jpg"<>img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LaRtjwzjqRM/TaXQQoF2hCI/AAAAAAAAEYE/G8108_tyM5o/s400/31-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595107096136156194" /<>/a<




Now this is the larger picture. And here is what the code looks like.

>img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LaRtjwzjqRM/TaXQQoF2hCI/AAAAAAAAEYE/G8108_tyM5o/s1600/31-2.jpg"<





How it's done is by removing the a href and replace it with img src don't forget the space between img and src.
Only keep what's highlighted in red. Delete everything else.


Hope this is helpful Shady (or anyone else who might want to give it a try).
Have fun!
Oh, by the way it's a Phalaenopsis Orchid (Moth Orchid).


Last minute info. Resize before uploading.
I use Paint.

The most wonderful time of the year

An early morning view of my private and half shady backyard.
Winter may have seemed long, but now ...
here comes the most wonderful time of the year.
It's all alive again !
This may seem simple but it makes me happy.














Weigela variegated




Euonymous shrub..Micropollus,. Have to check with the nursery.




Mix of part shade plants




Barberry Shrub-Berberis thunbergii and friends








Self seeding "forget-me-nots"




Can't forget columbine.








Siberian iris








PJM

Hmmm

Okame Cherry pretty but...




Tall and thin due to location. Keep wanting to make it shorter.
BUT don't think cutting the top off is a good idea.
Maybe GW tree forum can help.






Red Tip, Photinia x fraseri



Is this the same thing coming up near by.
Sure looks like it.





Thread Leaf came back...woo hoo !




One and only.
Think it's a hyacinth.