Tra La, Its May!

Roses blooming and our Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Family comes out to visit our Certified Butterfly Garden

The magnificent, extreme activity of  spring in the garden makes me hysterical with beauty overload!
All the hard-work investments of autumn and winter explode in growth, life and action. All the days of hole-digging, bulb planting, raking, and mulching fade in memory with the elaborate sensory extravaganza of color, scent, and burgeoning growth that includes plants and garden critters.

I know where the ladybugs live!

A residential wildlife habitat encourages plants and critters to thrive. I've spotted my ladybugs--on rosemary, in the pine tree, and looking expectant on a sunflower leaf.

  Our familiar butterflies have greeted us, the Cabbage Whites that love the bright blue of the lobelia. I have lots of blue in my garden just for that reason. Here is one on our apple tree-that's where it sleeps at night, or in the grasses. We have the habitat for the several types of butterflies to go through their life cycles.

Happy to help, earthworm.

Sowbugs doing their thing.

We have such a huge community of lovely earthworms, I call my yard the Mexico City of Vermiculture. 

 And they have been prospering in the composting over the winter--leaves, paper, tidbits from the kitchen--paradise for them and their fellow biodegraders: sowbugs (pillbugs.)

Early Iris.

We planted lots of bulbs in the autumn, and were rewarded with lovely colors and delicate blooms in the months February through March. Here are early iris. We had narcissus, daffodils, tulips and crocus, too. I plan on a special post about all these when the late iris shows up.

Heavenly color.

 I have been spoiling the butterflies with a variety of blue flowers. These are delphiniums. But truth be told, they aren't fussy. They also love dandelions and wild mustard. Of which I have much!

Busy morning in spring.

In our area, the hummingbirds remain all year. But they are overjoyed in spring! The fruit trees, this one a 35 year old apricot, are enthusiastically blooming!

Bee-ing busy.

 The bees are also always with us, but very much appreciate all the new blossoms! We have a couple thousand different varieties her in our area. I must confess I have let the mint grow crazy just to please the bees!

Peach jam?

We are optimistic about fruit on our little dwarf tree-please, peach, really try!

Pass the Tajin!

I started squash and other veggies very early indoors, so we actually have zuchinni in April!  Amazing!

Peace out!

 I realized growing roses is far from rare--but what a boost of sensory beauty every year! Eyes and noses blessed. Too bad they don't sing. Don't tell the other rosebushes, but I kind of favor the Peace Rose.

I am not too stuck up to hang a store-bought basket of butterfly-bee-hummingbird-pleasing flowers. The sweet smell is marvelous! The color and delicate shapes are too, too pleasing! Tis spring! Tra la!

A hanging basket with the sweetest smell.