Hard To Believe

It is hard to imagine that just one month ago the world was still mostly brown. Yes the daffodils were blooming and there was the growing foliage of other bulbs and meager hints of the wild abundance on the forest floor, but the trees were bare and brown sticks and leaf litter were a dominant feature.



The world is very different now. The ground is carpeted in a lush cloak of fresh green and speckled with the thousands of blue, pink and white Hyacinthoides. Columbine are every where.



The rhododendrons and azaleas continued to gather momentum. The deciduous shrubs have leafed out with the trees, adding to the green bounty.



The late spring perennial bloomers have their time in the spotlight. Hundreds of iris, Hesperis and columbine join the Hyacinthoides in their waning days.



A golden yellow orange azalea



And a deep deep Go Gators orange mingle or clash with the dominant pinks, blues and white.



Take a moment to rest your eyes before we move on.



The bearded iris collection runs the gamut in colors and size.



And runs from one end of the ridge top garden to far end of the roadside vegetable garden. The iris have been spread hither, yon and beyond.



This spring without a doubt has been much more floriferous than last. The columbine and Hyacinthoides were froze last year and the bloom was muted. They are a major element in the garden this spring, companions and a prelude to the rhododendrons and azaleas.



Someone commented that the wild cultivated garden was looking more like an actual garden this year. I think picking up three quarters an acre of sticks and dried stalks for two springs and my ongoing removal of any Clematis virginiana I see is being noticed. Some might just consider it due to the excellent bloom this spring.



The reality is, now it is all easier to see.