Not too late or two early for a garden party....

Spring is full on upon us.  It seems that everyday the place is looking a little greener, a little more colorful.  Well except for those grey skies we can't seem to rid ourselves of.  The fruit trees have all been in bloom.  First the peaches, then the nectarine, the cherry tree (above), the pear trees and right now?  The apple trees are putting on quite a show.  The walnut tree went from buds, to small leaves, to leaves I can now see from the house... in just two weeks or so.

The rain has brought life back to all the perennials.  The lime thyme, butterfly bush, lavender, viburnum and asters are all growing like weeds... as are the actual weeds too, of course.

The hostas have been coming up for quite a few weeks now... many are up enough to actually start to spread their leaves out to catch little glimpses of sun.

In the bird garden this hosta really pops against the purple heuchera or coral bells.

A new tiny little hosta in front of the chicken coop.

This hosta seems to be lagging a bit behind and is just showing sprouts now.

The peonies are going to put on a beautiful show this year.  This one is a dark pink peony with huge buds... I can hardly wait.  Peonies are one of my all time favorite flowers.  In June you can walk through Pike Place Market in Seattle and buy a huge bouquet of peonies for $20!  Sigh...

This peony is an addition to the gardens this year.  The leaves and stalks/stems are reddish, as the flowers will be as well.

I finally got rid of the old plastic planter I had drug from our last home 7 1/2 years ago.  You know the fake terra cotta kind?  And since it wasn't new when we moved it was more like 10 or 12 years old... I think the fake terra cotta has gotten a lot better looking in the last decade.

My chippy yellow high chair really makes the bright pink calibrachoa (or million bells) stand out.

And the replacement for the fake terra cotta?  Well a galvanized mini can from the hardware store.  It's meant to hold feed or such and came with a lid.  I punched a few drainage holes, added some gravel in the bottom and soon it will look old and chalky like galvanized metal does out in the elements... I can hardly wait.   Of course I could always search google for tips on how to hurry this process along!

And my little herb garden next to my greenhouse is growing... and growing... and growing!  The oregano is about to take over everything...

The rosemary is in bloom... isn't it pretty?

I split some hostas this year... first time ever!  I read once that hostas are the one perennial that you do not have to actually divide to keep them healthy and looking good.  I dug up little "chunks" of my favorite hosta, June, to add along the pump house... it faces north.

My clematis will soon be covered with big white flowers... Did I ever tell you that I plant lime thyme at the base of my clematis?  They like their roots cool but they like to be in full sun.  The "old school" advice was to place a rock at the base but it can heat up in the sun and defeat your efforts.  With the thyme you get the added benefit of using it in your cooking if you like!

My black elderberry bush has really taken off this year.  I'd say it's about 10 feet tall.  Not bad for a 1 foot plant 5 1/2 years ago.

The magnolia was the best ever this year.  Really covered with blossoms...

Even as short lived as it is... but the rhododendron just beyond it will be making it's own show here in the next week or two.  You may remember my "Mother's Day Rhododendron".

If not, here it is from another angle... yes, it is HUGE!  When we bought Red Gate Farm I thought it was an apple tree... well it was from a distance!  It was planted in the 50's so this "tree" is around 60 years old.

And I must admit... at this time of year, I even like the pop of color from the dandelions in the field...

But one of my favorites is just about here... I can almost smell the lilac now.

Enjoying lots of color in front and beneath the grey,

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Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop at
Deborah Jean's Dandelion House