Spring! Has It Finally Sprung?

I think Spring may finally have arrived at Dragonfly Corner! At least that is what the new yard flag says. The sun did not shine, again today. But thankfully it wasn't too cold to play.

As I was walking around the gardens looking for positive signs of spring, I found a little surprise. Not one quite like Lisa found, but I'll take it as it made me smile. I usually find at least one the Easter Bunny hid well enough to keep the grand girls from finding it. And it does look a springy lavender in among the new growth on the iris.(name unknown, but they are purple and white)
Another surprise was the buds on the daffodils. This was the only bunch were I found some. I suppose it is because they are on the south side of the house and a little more protected. Soon, very soon!

The Asiatic lilies are poking their heads up and look bigger this year. Maybe the bulbs are growing and putting up stronger stalks with lots more flowers. I know these don't last very long compared to other perennials, but they do come in such an array of colors and I use them for pops of color in what are otherwise neutral areas of the gardens.

The columbines have sprouted and have self seeded in a larger area this year. These are a delicate purple with a hint of white. Again, I don't know the name. Most of these plants were put in the ground before I started keeping my meticulous garden journal.:>) Seriously, I am doing pretty good with my journal so far this year. And have even added a few pictures to help me remember. The mind goes foggy at my age!

The coral bells look very sad. I didn't see any new growth. Maybe it's a little early, will give them a few more weeks.

I was clearing the dead tops from last fall off the mums when I noticed very tiny, but definitely there, green sprouts. I probably should have covered them for a while yet. Another we'll see plant. A couple of the new mums from last year seem to have heaved and I didn't see any new growth on them, so may be replacing those.

Even the rose canes are starting to green up and have little red buds on them where new leaves will come out. This one is Betty Prior, a gift from hubby a few years back. She is more of an old fashioned rose with few pink petals, but oh what a perfume she has. We have her in the front by the walk leading to the front door and she welcomes our guest with both beauty and fragrance.

Now... this rose, some sort of rugosa, sits in the middle of a burm that runs along our side street. The year I planted it, it was small, very compact and bloomed it's head off. It is not a repeat bloomer and I knew that when I planted it. But every year it gets bigger, has less blooms and even with tender care , it is getting uglier. The leaves turn brown like they have been frost bit, it sends runners out faster than I can cut them out and the Japanese beetles love it. I did trim it back unmercifully (boy, was that a job!) a couple of years ago hoping to bring about a more pleasing shape, but that just didn't work. So I have decided this year it is going to the land of discarded plants! I'm thinking about a Japanese Maple or maybe a dwarf clumped birch. I really don't want something that will shade that area very much. But that long span of burm needs a focal point, one that takes the eye up.

Finally, on my walk, I noticed all the leaves in this bed. What a mess! So I got out the rake and did some major clean up. Why did we make this area sooo long? And where do all these leaves come from? We don't have that many trees. And why( this afternoon was for pondering!) does fall clean up not take care of this?

I did do some burning as we do not have a compost pile. But mostly I sent smoke signals!

Hope spring is coming your way!