Great pics, Jodi! You're obviously ahead of me, even though I think I'm a zone warmer ...... how can that be? ;-) I always enjoy looking at everyone's pictures & seeing what they have going on. My garden still looks pretty much like mid-winter - still has snow on it in places, though we're losing it fast now. Your peafowl are cool, too.

Take care, & thanks again. I enjoyed the look about.

Al

Very nice!
My Muscari are starting to show, as well! Nice timing ;-)

Peacocks...beautiful bird with an awful voice...

Josh

Thanks, guys!

Surprisingly, these peacocks are fairly quiet. The small peafowl, however, really have some loud voices for such little birds!

We're considered zone 5b, Al... but with the crazy weather patterns lately... I don't know! It kind of seems like my forsythia should be in bloom before some of these other things, but it's only now starting to open a bud or two. I should check my notes from a couple of years ago and see what the order of bloom was... either my memory is gone, or things are a bit turned around. Hmm...

Forsythia bloom erratically around here.
Some of them are brilliant yellow and full of blooms, others are spotty and sparse.

Josh

Now, you know Jodi I had to save teh ebst for last?

I just LOVE your pics and the ebauty your area has to offer with us. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and the time you took to let us in your world!

I have some pictures coming soon of teh first sign of life it what still looks like my lifeless ground.

I will be back for more and to share with you

You are the best and thank you again!

By the way, it was 90 degrees last year at this time, and no where near that this year:-(

Hi everyone:-)

Mike

Thanks, everyone! None of it would mean anything if I couldn't share it. I think that's one of the greater joys of gardening... sharing it with people who appreciate the same things! :-)

Josh, I noticed a few sparse blooms on the very top of our "climbing" Forsythia, which is trained up a fence, but the majority of buds are still tightly held. The young, small shrub we have is very sparse this year. I dunno... last year the thing was positively loaded with blooms! It was quite a sight! This year... not very impressive... yet. Time will tell, I suppose.

Mike, it's my pleasure to share the various vistas I get to view every day... and I always enjoy seeing your wonderful plants, and Josh's yard and rocks, and Al's bonsai skill and arrangements, and JoJo's moths and plants, and Nancy's awesome Adenium, and Laura's tropical scenes, and I hope I'm not forgetting anyone... I enjoy scoping out everyone's photos when shared! It's so interesting to see how others view the world and gardening, and see how they put their knowledge to work!

What is gardening for, if not to share all that beauty?! :-)

Hello Everyone...

Jodik...love all of your beautiful pictures...definately looks like spring is in the air for you!!!

Love thosee gorgeous peacocks too! They never pose when you want them too!!! LOL...Just wait a sec...turn away..then they will fan out!!! LOL...

I will be sending you package out soon...weather patterns look like it will be fine towards the end of the week..ill let youu know before i send it to you...

Hope you and your family are doing well...thanks for all of the great pictures...looking forward to many more!!

Take care Everyone...

Laura in VB

Hello all!

Jodi, I find that Muscari are one of the most difficult flowers to photograph!
This was the only semi-decent image I've managed in the past two days.....

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Josh

Thank you, Laura! I can't wait to see photos of all your Plumies in bloom this year! :-)

I know, Josh... I had focus issues. I think the camera settings should be on macro for this kind of shot, but I'm not really familiar with all the settings yet. It's a fairly new camera.

I used macro and non - the shot above is a non-macro, by the way.
For some reason, when I point my camera at Muscari, the camera always looks at something else!
Year to year, always the same.

Josh

Hello Eveyone...

Beautiful Picture Josh... WOW!!!!
Love the color and especially the detail in the shot!!

Bravo...

Take care everyone...

Laura in VB

Mine, too! It focuses on the grass or mulch in the background, and totally ignores the subject of the shot! Good thing I'm not going for a professional photographer award, or something! ;-)

Although, your muscari shot is much more focused than mine is. You probably have a better camera. Mine is just a Cannon PowerShot... a little digital number that travels well.

Speaking of flowers, though... I noticed today that some luscious candy striped tulips were about to open, and some of the hyacinths are showing their pink and blue colors... I need to reset the camera and get back out there! :-)

Thanks, Laura!
It took me eight shots, over two days, to get that single semi-decent pic.

Yes, Jodi, I want to see more shots! Our tulips are just about finished.
Get back out there! ;-)

Josh

Only 8 shots Josh?? LOL!
8 is actually good. lol.. Oh you wouldn't believe how many I take of just one little flower trying to use macro. Gotta love it when we get it right though. ;-)

Good Morning everyone!
I've loved seeing all the pictures and reading all the posts!

Jodi~ Mike is asking for 'Charlie' updates and photos. ;-)
The birds are beautiful!

Muscari are one of my favorite flowers! But I lost mine due to horrible soil, and that's all i'll say. lol...

As far as macro settings on the camera, yes it can be tricky! lol... My camera seems fickle when the light isn't real good on macro. Also the slightest movement of the camera causes it to lose focus. Can't take pictures with caffeine jitters. LOL!

My camera makes clicking noises and I tell it to stop yelling at me. ;-)

Great pictures guys and the extra effort shows.

I've also noticed blues and purples are very hard to catch the true color!

Jodi~ I can't wait for my special flowers to get blooming so more of the moths come around! I just love them!

Well, yesterday was a sore and tired one, so I spent the morning in the garden with camera and have a few pictures to share.

My Snap Dragons are in full bloom! I love these guys and they survived our hard freeze all on their own, no protection!

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Montiego Sunset
This plant is going on 3 years old.
Al~ This is the one I may work on for a bonsai. ;-)

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My darling butterfly flower is blooming now! I lost the label with it's name, so a refresher course would be great if any one knows the name. Hint at Al..;-)

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It doubled in size and this is going on it's second season.

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This is my newest flower.. And I hope it's unique beauty will bring a smile to someone. :-) It's the first plant I head to in the morning, with coffee in hand.

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It's called Cineraria. A perennial which I'm working this season to get more of!! I'm so jealous to see pictures like Jodi and Josh post of plants that show up/come back in the spring, and and are blooming with little effort. ;-)

JoJo

Great pictures, JoJo! And we're jealous that plants like Cineraria are considered perennial for you... they're only annual in our neck of the woods! I've seen them in brilliant blues, like you have, and also in luscious pinks, I believe.

I think the name you're looking for is Gaura, though I could be wrong... Al? Variety name is possibly lindheimerii? I believe it's a biennial here, although the one I planted a couple of years ago didn't return. We may be just a bit too frigid in winter.

I love snapdragons... but I grow very few annuals these days. I just don't have the time.

Great photos, JoJo! I really enjoyed them! :-)

Well... I made another trek around the yard this morning. More blooms show themselves as the days pass, and it won't be long before everything is leafed out and green, and the gardens take on the natural sequence of colors as blooms open and fade.

The Forsythia is opening more blooms, although it still looks sparse compared to what I remember from last bloom season...
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The huge, heavy blooms of the Daffodil doubles are opening!
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The lovely pastels of the Hyacinths...
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The first Tulips to open...
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And to almost open...
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These are really beautiful, with their unusual petal configuration...
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The first flowers of periwinkle blue on the Vinca, a perennial groundcover...
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A patch of spreading Muscari... in better focus!
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The fat buds of Hyacinths in red, white and blue, getting ready to explode onto the scene!
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Dark blue Hyacinths in front of a huge granite boulder that was pulled out of the hayfield several years ago!
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And finally, the very first bloom ever on the Magnolia I planted last summer! I'm very excited to see this fully open!
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I didn't get as far as the barn, so I didn't have a chance to photograph Charlie and his ever growing herd of fellow goats, or the horses, or the ducks that are beginning to lay eggs, or the peacock that had his tail fanned out this morning when I fed them all! I'll try to remember to bring the camera next time I head to the barn.

Even though many of the bulbs and perennials come back every spring, there is still a little effort involved in keeping everything going from year to year, JoJo... I have to ensure that the critters don't dig up and eat my bulbs, I have to rake debris in spring and renew the mulch every year, so there's enough cover to keep moisture available and to insulate over winter. Some items need pruning or dividing to keep them in shape, or to keep them healthy and give them enough room to bloom and spread in following seasons. It's work! But it's enjoyable work. :-)

I hope you enjoyed this turn around the yard... stay tuned... there's a lot more ahead!

Gorgeous pics, guys!! What a fun thread!

We're supposed to have temps approaching the 70s by the weekend, so the warmer soil should get things popping here. No sign of forsythia yet - been REALLY cold here for Apr. I'll be starting bonsai repots this weekend & even that's 2 weeks late. No doubt, spring will come in a rush here. I'll try to get some more garden shots you haven't seen yet. ;o)

Al

I just remarked yesterday that I wish we were two weeks further along, with regards to the weather and its stabilizing. We've been getting orders in that contain new rose types, and I can't pot up the bare root plants outside like I usually do. I'm afraid if I do, we'll get a few nights of hefty frosts, and I don't want to lose anything or set it back.

The uncertainty of early spring weather in northern climes has us guessing, hoping we'll luck out and avoid any heavy, late season frosts... but I know the moment I gamble, I'll lose. I hate betting unless it's a sure thing!

I don't envy you your upcoming bonsai work, Al! I'm reminded of all the upcoming raking and pruning I must do! Too early, and frost gets everything... too late, and I damage certain plants. It's only the beginning of April... I must be patient...

Beautiful collections, Ladies! ;-)

I just discovered the first of my wild Iris blooming.
And who could forget the Forget-me-nots? Yeah, they're literally everywhere....!
They've even managed to invade my potted Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale), which I find incredibly ironic.

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This was in a container....now it's released to the backyard beneath a redwood tree.
My Swordferns and Woodland ferns have all begun unfurling, so I had to act fast this weekend.
I think this Chainfern (Woodwardia fimbriata) will be right at home in its new location:

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And here's a Dryopteris (Oak woodland fern) unfurling....I have these all over the yard:

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Josh

Wonderfully woodsy, Josh! I love it! Your ferns are sure to do fine, and I do love that wild Iris! What a beauty! I must say, the species types have really begun to interest me lately.

Myosotis, or Forget-Me-Nots, are something I've always had trouble getting to come back in the spring. They're usually labeled as being hardy to this zone, but you can't prove it to them!

I haven't taken them off my camera as of yet, but I discovered and photographed some deep purple Trillium, I believe it is, with lovely mottled leaves, and the Magnolia bloom is much further along in opening today! It's the pink tinged variety. We also have the white Star Magnolia, but I doubt they'll bloom this year, still being ensconced in pots. I have to get them planted this spring. I just need to locate the perfect spot.

Thanks for sharing, Josh... most awesome! :-)