Garden in Bloom

The one good thing about a cold spring is that the tree bloom lasts long enough to enjoy. The cherries, the dogwoods and the early magnolias covered the whole landscape in pink and white veils for over two weeks, it's very poetic.

Now that good weather is finally here it brought with it the glut of gardening activities that had been postponed due to unfavorable conditions. Another trip to the garden center is in order to find out if more annual flats arrived. The cleaning, weeding and dead-heading schedule needs to get on track. The fall perennials need dividing. Last, but not least, I still have a few seed packets to plant.

The clematis is already covered in buds, the peonies are a foot tall and the roses look very healthy. Life is good, or at least will be in about a month.
For now the flower beds are still dotted by cheerful daffodils; the latter always bloom late because they are planted on the north side. The hybrid ones seem to be thriving, all sporting fully double ruffles in bright tangerine, blush pink and lemon yellow. I forgot to check if they're fragrant.

I'm looking forward to planting lots of annuals this year, they really make a difference, especially in the shade.