Old Growth

We have three clematis --- often called Queen of the Climbers --- and they are some of my garden favorites. The plant pictured here is a Jackmanii - one of the most famous varieties, which blooms in large, dark purple flowers in early to mid summer. There are different types of clematis - some bloom from old growth, some from new. This picture shows well how Jackmanii sprouts from new growth, much of the old tangle will simply get covered by new shoots this summer. 

I'm glad to see the plant awaken this spring, but am now researching how to prune this queen because the skeleton of old growth is ungainly and top heavy. She'll get a hair cut this winter. 

Greening Up

I saw this tree this weekend (not sure what it is?) as K, O and I walked our neighborhoods for Green Up day. It was a warm, sunny day, too hot for sweatshirts and we got to see that the outdoors is in fact greening up.

This weekend we also tilled the garden for the first go-round, created a stone walkway in the front yard, raked the side flower bed, planted peas and basil and put annuals into the flower boxes on the front of the house.

Whew. We welcome spring in all it's fuzzy, frenzied glory!

Spring Finally

After the most brutally long, cold winter I can remember, it is spring at last. Weeks long stretches of sub-zero weather, little snow, frigid wind chills ... it all left me depressed. I never once wanted to post here about the landscape, the snowfalls, the bare branches. I only wanted to see it end. This year, even Easter was cold. We got snow that morning, and hunted our eggs indoors. This week, we've finally had a run of warm days and sunshine and these crocus blooms are the result. I almost don't believe it.

Dew-Catching Leaves

It's been a warm and wonderful fall so far. It started with a sunny, dry and unseasonably warm September and October is following along behind in similar fashion. The evenings and early mornings have turned crisp, but this week we're due for some temperatures in the 70s. I'll take it. This weekend O and I walked to the playground by taking a path through a graveyard. There are some huge old maples there, and no one rakes, so you get to see the splendor of uninterrupted leaf fall.

The sun was just right to sparkle the dew on the leaves brilliantly and when O saw me pull out my phone he came running to see what I was looking at. Diamonds, we agreed.

We noticed that only the backs of the leaves can catch the dew. Another lesson from mother nature. The face we hide from the world is often the most interesting.