my pretty boy today. tomorrow we are supposed to get a big nor'easter.

refugee from the wild digitally captured by my husband in our garden

dwarf iris this week

harry lauder walking stick blooms against a cerulean spring sky.

the crocus, before the deer ate them all.

yesterday's over 6" of snowfall was a big setback for the garden, but otherwise fun.

if you look at the archives for this time last year, you can see that this little clump of crocus is blooming earlier this year. also, now i have a much better camera for these close ups, so i can do the clump proud!

hammamelis "diana" is blooming this week.

the aloinopsis schoonesii i bought on a trip to logee's with my sibs is blooming this week!

the harry lauder walking stick a few days ago, taken by my husband.

here is my sister's ralph's glory orchid in full bloom. she's been nagging me for a month to post it!!! well, it is stupendous, i'll give her that. ok, and i will start posting more again!

our area has had the least snowy year since 1878! today, when it is usually in the 20's F, we are to have 70 F! mom's camellia, which usually blooms in april, is blooming now:

the whippet galloping and the poodle gamboling in the unseasonably warm weather.

we are having record-breaking warm weather here; the white camillia is blooming now for the second time ever, since i planted it 7 years ago! the flowers are 1.5 inches across. we are expecting a cold snap early this coming week, i hope it's not too cold!

the american yellow clivia that my brother gave me has continued to bloom from the center of the plant. usually clivias send up a stalk crowned with flowers, as did my sister's clivia, prince of orange (search earlier post.) now i'm trying to figure out how to teach my clivia to bloom the right way! are clivia's teachable? The flowers are 2 inches across. The plant is really pretty, thanks bro!

camellia "winter's beauty" is blooming today; this plant has been in my garden for 8 months, and i hope it winters over well. jasminium nudiflorum is also taking advantage of the warm weather today. this one has been blooming for a few weeks, and it will also bloom come february.

enkianthus today

this bald cypress was 6 feet tall when i planted it 8 years ago; now it is about 20 feet tall. the tiny leaves turn a lovely reddish brown before they are shed late in the fall. unfortunately, there's an unattractive house behind the tree... hope the tree continues its rapid growth!

this hydrangea is acutally a lovely aubergine color, but the flash made it look purple.

fall colors: dwarf oakleaf hydrangea, japanese maple sangu kaku, butterfly bush, enkinanthus crape myrtle
sedum autumn joy in front of a yellowing fern