in the garden~

with a large garden area I have way to many pics, but I garden because it makes me happy, to many pics are not a bad thing to me, it means I am EXTRA happy! when we bought our home there was no color, I relish every shade of the rainbow popping up slowly but surely around our acreage. after the driest winter months in California since the mid 1800s we have been getting spotty rain, enough to quench the ground and start to put on a real show in my new garden... 

several things scream California to me, when I was little, lupine and golden poppies covered the pastures, I don't see that much these days, but I am starting fresh here...

this is hands down a favorite plant for the scent, allen chickering salvia, a large shrub you can't wait to snap and sniff~

my first blooming clematis, I planted about 2 dozen varieties, was surprised to see Guernsey cream blooming already!

even a common white azalea was dazzling to my eyes, it's all starting to feel like home..

I am wild about flowering trees, with such a non winter, for the first time in my garden life I have flowering cherries and crabapples blooming at the same time. love this snowdrift against the brilliant blue...

mt Fuji flowering cherry is a little beaten after a recent hail storm...

this tree is a far cry from my neighbors tree with 1000s and 1000s of blooms, but we all have to start sometime!

the first rose to open in the rose garden, purple splash, a climbing rose~

floribunda will always be a dear favorite...

I have never grown lilacs before, this came with the house, it has zero fragrance. I did plant 6 others that I thought were exceptionally fragrant, but they are tiny and showing no signs of spring life yet...

I just love dawns early light...

we recently had to remove this gorgeous dead tree, even in her final moments she still looked glorious to me...

my neighbor was kind enough to let me cut down her dead oak, the guys did it in one cut, for about the time it takes you to scroll to the next pic is was down in just a couple of minutes...

I hope everyone is staying safe during these trying times, I find great solace in gardening, books, and baking, its uplifting to be home safe with loved ones, this too will pass...