Since my calendar doesn't have a date for the beginning of Spring, I will just have to announce its arrival in my front yard. All the daffodils are in full bloom right now, along with my wonderful magnolia (Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star') has covered itself in the droopy white stars that make me so happy. A small bush-like tree, will never shade the front of the house like the green ash tree did but gives so much pleasure to me and my neighbors. My neighbor of 20+ years always welcomes it, but AWAYS asks me why did I pull it up after the blossoms are gone and it wears its green leaves! Gently, I remind her that it blossoms first and then comes to the leaves.
The daffodils came up along the walkway to the house – again, but I will have to dig them and thin out the clumps that have formed. They used to be a single line along the walk, but now sorta lost that look. Oh well, when I do that, I can stretch the line down the driveway to the sidewalk. When I consider that those bulbs have remained there for over 10 years, I have to admit that I have gotten my money's worth and then some!
In the pictures I have included, you will note that my front yard is really a spring garden with roses, verbenas with a short background of Nerium oleander ‘Petite Red'. I've tried other later blooming plants out there, but the hot winds of Suisun really took a toll on them and burnt leaves are really not my thing. On the other side of the driveway is the last remaining African sumac (Rhus lancea) which will be leaving soon. A wonderful tree for bees – it's a winter bloomer – and you can hear the buzzing of wings from the front door. Since it's a pollinator favorite, I hate to remove it, but the suckers growing in the neighbor's block retaining wall and into the cracks in that side of the driveway; so this will be its final year! However, all it not lost as that will make room for 2 more very small Magnolia – an evergreen white flowering variety and an evergreen pink flowering variety (you notice that I've blanked out on their names.
The backside yard is coming along nicely, although I have my doubts that my hostas are still among the living; the excellent news for me is the Fuchsia triphylia (Gartenmeister Bonstedt) are doing very well for their first winter in the ground. After babying them in a pot for a few years, it was time for them to “sink or swim” in the shade bed.
So you see, Spring is here! At least in my front yard!