April Showers bring May Showers....

Our chilly wet Spring has continued.  I put my long-sleeved tops and sweaters away only to bring them back out for our trip to Fayetteville (the DHubby's 74th birthday) and subsequent weeks back home.  Every once in a while we have a dry, sunny day, but then another front moves through....  The yard couldn't be mowed for an entire month (March 31st to April 30th) and was quite jungle-like.  I began referring to one area as 'the water-meadow.'  I was wading out to cut asparagus daily.

But I must say, the plantings have been quite enthusiastic!  The irises were followed by the roses:

'Crepuscular' has dawn colors; 'New Dawn' is pale pink; and 'Little Pinkie' is a brighter pink.  

These amaryllis over-Winter in the garage and then begin coming back to life in February.  The darker red one had four blooms and the striped one just these two.

 The pomegranate never bears fruit, but the bright orange blooms are striking and attractive.  These probably did better before the live oak on the side of the house got so large.  The shade was deep, but improved when we had some limbs cut back.

The elderberries in the yard are all 'volunteers' sowed by the birds.  In Ohio they grew to about 6' at best; these are 9-12 feet tall.  Last year I did not cut off the heads and I had tons of berries, so I made jelly.  This year I will try to give them away or something...the flowers are so fragrant, and when they fall from the bloomheads it looks like tiny stars are scattered on the brick walkway.

During the 90's the DHubby and I made a couple of trips to upper NY state--a lovely area!--and at a barn sale in Brockton I admired a garden in the yard.  The little old lady gave me a spadeful of this plant--saying she did not know the name--and I kept it going all week until I could get home and plant it in our yard there in Ohio.  I've shared starts with neighbors all over, and I brought some with me to Arkansas.  I have it in several beds now, and I love that it has spread.  Every year the bright yellow is a joy to see.  

The big hosta has two bloom-stalks coming up; the mint (you can see it in the close-up above) is of course everywhere, and the violets are finished seeding.  Now it's just a matter of weeding the trumpet vines out and keeping my eye out for poison ivy...  

We have had *some* warm days, and a few dry ones, but the copious rain continues this week.  I begin to think we need an Ark!