Spring at last

Hello and good morning!

While I'm busy working on several upcoming challenge posts, I thought I'd show you a little of what's going on in my garden.  Today's high is going to hit 82 and spring is in full force.  We'll be having a few days of chilly weather (nights in the 40's, days in the 60's starting tonight), but that won't stop these babies from strutting their stuff.

The big spring crescendo won't happen for another few weeks, but the ladies are gearing up now.

This is Maggie.  She's an antique rose and wonderfully fragrant, with a sweet, yet peppery, scent.  When the weather's just right (like it is this morning), you can smell her all over the backyard.  What a way to greet the day.

A closeup.

Zephirine Drouhin, another antique, also very fragrant.  She, too, can be smelled throughout the yard.  She's also thornless and a very enthusiastic climber.  I tied her back in the fall, but as you can see she didn't want to stay put.  (The climber on the side of the house, Climbing Pinkie, will be featured later when she's got more blooms on her.)

This is Lafter, a somewhat modern rose and one of the only ones (the rest are antiques).  She's not a pretty lass to look at except when she blooms, and her blooms don't last long once fully opened, hence the closeup of this partially opened blossom.  Her coloring earns her a place in the garden.

Lots of iris.  The red Knockout roses are just getting going.  They will be covered with blooms off and on until fall.  Such hard workers!

By the front door.  The bushy rose in front of the pot of pansies is covered with buds.  Give her another couple of weeks and she'll be a mass of pink.  "The Fairy" is her name.

The climber behind is another Maggie, not a true climber, but this one loves to ramble about.  She, too, will be covered in blooms soon.  The red rose in front is another Knockout.

Doesn't look like much, right?  Just a big, rangy green shrub (Pittosporum); however, since I have no plants in my gardens that get to just sit around and look green...

... this one blooms with these tiny white flowers which are rich with a heady, warm fragrance much like that of honeysuckle or gardenia.  For the next few weeks the garden, the back alley, and the sidewalk on the other side of the fence will be heavy with this wonderful fragrance, my gift to the neighbors. There are no prima donnas in my garden - all of my plants have to work for a living by either having beautiful blooms, fragrance, attractive fall foliage, or a combination.  Ha!

So that, dear friends, is a taste of what the beginning of spring looks like in my little corner of the world.  The iris are in full bloom, but everything else is just getting going.  Will share more later as their dramas develop!

Happy crafting!  (And gardening!)