Tree Peony

 

Today our tree peony bloomerd!  Three years ago I bought a tree peony at an end of the season sale at Edgewater Farms.  This spring buds appeared for the first time.  We had a very severe frost a few weeks ago, so every night I went out and put an empty sump pump bucket over the peony so prevent damage to the buds. 

Early Spring Flowers

Our backyard has turned blue with forget-me-nots.  We receive a lot of compliments, and our neighbor across the street said that he took pictures.  Upstairs, when you look out the back windows from the hallway or the blue room, all you see is blue.  The bees and butterflies love it too.

The bleeding hearts are blooming, and so are the dandelions.

Springtime in our Woods

We have spent a lot of time outside this spring, taking advantage of the unusually early and warm spring.  The black flies are out now, which makes it less enjoyable.  Unfortunately we don't have screens on our porch yet, so the only refuge is inside.

We have spent a lot of time up in the woods.  Alistair has been climbing on rocks, jumping over logs, and finding treasures (like old dog toys and an angel garden ornament).  We've also been working on the paths.  Today we went for a walk in the woods.  Alistair enjoys hiking to the top to see our neighbor's tractor and sit on the stone fence.  He also like so to blaze new trails and clamber up some of the big boulders.

Most of the ferns are opening.  We have some Christmas Ferns, but most of the ferns are the common ones above. 

We also have a few purple Trilliums and some Jack-in-the-Pulpits, which are a fun plant.  I especially like the striped one shown below.