Spring 2017-1

It's been awhile since I've posted to my blog...I took a sabbatical. Now I didn't stop gardening. I just took a breather from blogging. Gardening is my dirt therapy and keeps me centered. But it' time to talk about the Spring garden. It's early...about 3 weeks earlier than normal. I always marvel at the lushness of new spring growth and the freshness of the flowers after a dull and mostly colorless winter. I've seen each of these blooms many times but it always seems like the first time all over again. I took these pics of daffodil clumps before the 10 minute hail storm this weekend.

This first camellia is a tall slender variety and is stunning this year. The other is a late winter bloomer. The hail storm knocked off the freeze burned flowers.

Finally the edgeworthia shrub is getting some height to it. The bloom is at it's peak now.

Lenten rose's are slowly opening..this one is in full bloom.

I've got four Mahonia's but they did not bloom as generously this year.

Loropetalum is starting to bloom too.

Nothing can compare to a Star Magnolia..I wish the blooms lasted longer.

The yellow Magnolia in my front yard shows hail damage.

I'd like this Lily of the Valley shrub get a little more growth..it is a very slow grower.

I covered the Bears Breech during hard freezes hoping I'd give it a head start and maybe it would bloom this year. The hail did some real damage but it will recover.

And lastly I picked up some bag roses at Walmart this week. The pic below is #1 and #1½ 
bare root Double Delight after I removed the bags and filler material. The rose on the left is the #1 and was $3 more than the one on the right. I plan to plant them side by side and see if the grade makes that much difference. The root structure on the #1½ looks bigger but they aren't graded on root structure.