The Spring Rush

With last week's "heat wave," spring has come on incredibly fast in central NC. Everything has come into bloom at once. Tasks multiply like rabbits and I cannot possibly keep up.

The feeling of wonder at spring's beauty is often hand in hand with the feeling of being overwhelmed. We have been replacing fence posts over the last few weeks, which has put us a little behind on other tasks. It's also time to repatch the stall and shelter roofs (tin roofs often need patching around the nails, and asphalt composite roofs need a fresh coat of asphalt every couple of years or so), mow the floodway fields so that they won't go back to forest, fertilize the pastures, raise up the floor of one of the stalls so that it doesn't get soaked near the door after every rain, add more screenings to the round pen, and repaint the house after just 3 years. The house was painted after the move but the paint is popping off again.

Everything that needs to get done usually gets done but it's going to take some time. Maybe it's best to think about flowers for now.

The lovely blue woodland phlox has come into bloom. I don't have as much as I had two years ago, but any amount is welcome.

'Louisiana'

This dainty Tiarella is wonderfully fragrant.

The brilliant PPPP with 'Homestead' Verbena

Everything has greened up so fast.

The native azaleas went from bud to full bloom in a couple of days.

The Encore Amethyst Azaleas are not covered with flowers, having been nibbled by deer earlier, but the color of the flowers that are there is very vivid. It usually has a lot more flowers in fall than spring anyway.

Who says native azaleas are less showy than the Asian species?

Piedmont Azalea

The apple tree blossoms came on quickly too.

This Mazus has crept out from under the 'Hansa' into the path in the garden next to the house.

I got this pink sorrell in a trade and it's much showier than the typical pink sorrell.

These little figs overwintered. If we don't get a cold snap, the fig tree will be in the best shape this spring that it's ever been.

In prior springs, we've been looking at many dead stems rather than leafed out branches. We've had this fig about 5 years.

It's been 2 years since we've seen the Wisteria in full bloom. Freezes catch it out about every other year.

Halfway open

A day later, in full bloom. Such a wonderful fragrance.

The iris are not usually quite this early.

'Nightfall'

'Crimson King' yesterday with the daffs that have kept blooming in spite of the warmth, thanks to afternoon shade.