I love Spring! The 2 Saucer Magnoloias are in complete full bloom. Sometimes a late freeze catches them and damaged to budding flowers, but not this year!
The front yard tree...
The backyard tree...
I planted them about 30 years ago. Because in a small park across the street from where I worked, I saw them for the first time (a dozen around a reflecting pool) and thought they were the most beautiful trees I had ever seen.
I had to research to figure out what they were. And they require some maintenance. They grow rather twiggy on their own, and I didn't realize at the time how much effort the Park Service put into keeping the branches "open". I do some work on them every couple of years, but even with an 8' stepladder, it is hard to get at the crowded top sprouts.
I do what I can. But I may have an arborist visit and do better work.
The other Spring thrill for me are the daffodils. Daffodils are wonderful! The deer and rodents can't eat them (the bulbs are slightly toxic) and they seem to have no disease or insect problems. They seem to live darn near forever and multiple on their own.
The only thing I could ask for is more colors. White/yellow/orange seems to be about all they can do. But that is still pretty impressive.
The early daffodils in the front box are blooming. And there is a later-bloomer variety emerging. So I get 2 shows in one place for longer.
The old backyard circle is blooming... Five varieties of slightly different blooming time. If I had it to do over again, I would have just mixed them all up so the the entire bed was blooming somewhat for months. To make up for that, I am going to put some thin-bricks in empty spots ( I bought 60 last Fall to hold down landscaping fabric) and add random daffodils there next Fall. Eventually, it might all look "fuller, longer". And there are some tulips and hyacinths growing among them.
